macOS Private API Use?

[Blakeasd]

Hello,
I would like to use a private API in the next version of my Mac app. Will the use of private APIs cause an app to be rejected?

 

[robbieduncan]

Hello,
I would like to use a private API in the next version of my Mac app. Will the use of private APIs cause an app to be rejected?

Yes. 100% absolutely. It's explicitly against the app store rules.

 

[Daveoc64]

It's one of the rules:

"2.5
Apps that use non-public APIs will be rejected"

But Apple does bend them sometimes.

 

[MisterMe]

Hello,
I would like to use a private API in the next version of my Mac app. Will the use of private APIs cause an app to be rejected?

You posted this question in the wrong area. The Programming area is where it should have been posted. It is the Programming area where you may get help.

 

[robbieduncan]

You posted this question in the wrong area. The Programming area is where it should have been posted. It is the Programming area where you may get help.

I agree with you that it's in the wrong area. But we helped him anyway.

Oh and to the OP: I had an app update for iOS rejected as the automatic scanning software that Apple use found a single private API call...

 

[kainjow]

Oh and to the OP: I had an app update for iOS rejected as the automatic scanning software that Apple use found a single private API call...

Same for me, although it was a while ago.

Of course, I doubt their software has any way to determine whether you're loading a framework manually via NS/CFBundle and access its classes/functions 🙂

 

[robbieduncan]

Same for me, although it was a while ago.

Of course, I doubt their software has any way to determine whether you're loading a framework manually via NS/CFBundle and access its classes/functions 🙂

Assuming it scans for the calls statically then building the method name from two or more string parts, turning that into a selector and then calling it would also confuse the scanner. As all I wanted to do was terminate my iOS app on startup when some internal files were somehow corrupted on install (should never happen, I've never seen it, but you never know) I just removed it and replaced it with an alert telling the user to re-install 🙂

 

[gnasher729]

Same for me, although it was a while ago.

Of course, I doubt their software has any way to determine whether you're loading a framework manually via NS/CFBundle and access its classes/functions 🙂

But that would get you into very dangerous territory. Let's say this app goes on the App Store, Apple pays you $100,000 for the revenue, Apple releases 10.7 and thousands complain to Apple that your app is crashing. And Apple finds you were using a private API that is gone. So they only accepted your app and paid you $100,000 because you cleverly hid the fact that you were breaking the App Store rules.

At that point you'd need a very good lawyer.