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You download the app and it doesn’t work

youdownloadtheappanditdoesntwork.com

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Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#21

Post by Hamuko »

smitop wrote: post #10
Hamuko wrote: post #3

Could someone point out where the "you download the app and it doesn't work" [1] and the "the criteria is different for apps that are targeted at businesses instead of consumers" [2] rules are actually listed for developers to read? [1] https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/18/phil-schiller-apple-hey... [2] https://daringfireball.net/2020/06/hey_app_store_rejection_f...

Here are the App Store Review Guidelines, section 3 is about in-app purchases: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

Which clauses are those two rules in?

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#22

Post by MattGaiser »

Hamuko wrote: post #17
paulgb wrote: post #9

> Purchases possible without Apple? > $99/year email service, of which Apple is rent-seeking $30 I'm wholly on Hey's side here, but I think this is a misleading way of putting it. Apple only wants 30% of in-app purchases, not purchases made outside of the app. The contention is that Hey thinks they shouldn't be required to accept in-app purchases, which given that either Hey or the user pays Apple an expensive tax on…

And Apple rejected the app because you can't buy that $99 service via IAP, meaning they have no ability to get their 30%.

Tie it to an API and break the API later?

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#23

Post by gfodor »

rocky1138 wrote: post #14

All of these examples work as websites. What this says to me is that we actually don't _need_ apps.

And they only work as websites as long as Apple's Safari engine continues to let them.

Did you know you can't ship a custom browser engine on iOS? Yup, another one of the rules. See why?

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#25

Post by paulgb »

CyberMew wrote: post #16
paulgb wrote: post #9

> Purchases possible without Apple? > $99/year email service, of which Apple is rent-seeking $30 I'm wholly on Hey's side here, but I think this is a misleading way of putting it. Apple only wants 30% of in-app purchases, not purchases made outside of the app. The contention is that Hey thinks they shouldn't be required to accept in-app purchases, which given that either Hey or the user pays Apple an expensive tax on…

That is exactly what it means. If it costs $100, Apple is taking a $30 cut.

If the purchase is made in the app, yes. The wording on the site makes it sound like Apple wants a cut of purchases made outside of the app.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#26

Post by shaggyfrog »

scubbo wrote: post #7

I'm pretty surprised they haven't just Maliciously Complied by offering an in-app signup buried somewhere obscure in the app, with lots of big flashing warning signs saying "don't click this, it's only for compliance reasons" - and a nice discoverable easily-followable link to the browser-based sign-up. They could be continuing to make the (justified and correct!) stink about Apple's terrible practices, while also ha…

What makes you think that kind of Malicious Compliance update gets accepted at all?

The problem with a hypocritical stance is that its existence defies logic to begin with.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#27

Post by the8472 »

scubbo wrote: post #7

I'm pretty surprised they haven't just Maliciously Complied by offering an in-app signup buried somewhere obscure in the app, with lots of big flashing warning signs saying "don't click this, it's only for compliance reasons" - and a nice discoverable easily-followable link to the browser-based sign-up. They could be continuing to make the (justified and correct!) stink about Apple's terrible practices, while also ha…

Why not jack up prices and then offer a 30% "discount" via web signups?

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#28

Post by spzb »

xwdv wrote: post #20

I really don’t get the hills people choose to die on these days. Do you want a successful business? Ok, then follow the rules, cover your ass, and do what you need to do to get your business going, even if it’s not always the ideal situation for you. But no, I guess lashing out explosively and torpedoing everything because you’re not treated like the big players when you’re still a little guy is more satisfying, if l…

It’s done wonders for Hey in free publicity. Not that that could possibly be a reason for making a big fuss about it.

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#29

Post by searchableguy »

p0llard wrote: post #15

Ordinarily I would be inclined to say that as a "private marketplace", Apple is entirely within its rights to selectively enforce rules (and whims) like this so as to maximize their profit, but surely there must be a limit when about 45% of US smartphone users (so about 36% of the population) have an iPhone [1]? At this point this is no private dark pool, but a public market place, the transactions on which affect an…

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Amazon getting special treatment from apple on in-app purchases.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/3/21206400/apple-tax-amazon-...

Re: You download the app and it doesn’t work

#30

Post by shaggyfrog »

rocky1138 wrote: post #14

All of these examples work as websites. What this says to me is that we actually don't _need_ apps.

Consider the user experience of an email app that only works when you have a network connection — so you can’t even see your mail when you’re offline. Pretty lousy.
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