Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A top-grossing scam on the App Store

twitter.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 285 posts

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#251

Post by socialist_coder »

WesolyKubeczek wrote: post #183
socialist_coder wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are saying that if you uninstall/reinstall, you could lose your subscription since it's from a consumable IAP. I agree that is a bad flow and something that Apple could fix by still allowing non-renewing subscriptions, and then changing how the free trial works by not triggering a payment automatically after the free trial. Basically, you should only be charged as a result of a user action, and it would g…

No, I’m talking about the actual data or content I created using the app.

I don't understand how that is related to IAPs or subscriptions?

If the app has premium features gated behind a subscription, it needs to either use Apple's Subscriptions to check with Apple if your Apple ID has the subscription. Then, it can unlock the functionality.

If the app is using consumable IAPs then it would not be able to check with Apple and would need to store the flag in its own data, either locally or in the cloud. If in the cloud, it could tie this data to your device id so it could be restored if you uninstall & reinstall, but this is more difficult if you have tracking disabled.

Your content that you create could be stored in the cloud and restored the same way. But again, Apple makes it difficult to do this if you have tracking disabled since there isn't an easy "device ID" to get that is the same every time, to my knowledge.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#252

Post by zepto »

ksec wrote: post #235
zepto wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not a serious target for App Store scams, or scam software in general, because the user base is tiny compared to iOS. I think you know this.

> because the user base is tiny compared to iOS. One Tenth. Or 100M+ User with lots of room to grow. I wouldn't use tiny to describe it, even in comparative sense.

If you are executing a scam why on earth would you pick the market that is one tenth the size?

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#253

Post by zepto »

Apocryphon wrote: post #221
zepto wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not a serious target for App Store scams, or scam software in general, because the user base is tiny compared to iOS. I think you know this.

Actually, the Mac App Store has received its share of scams. https://www.howtogeek.com/281849/dont-be-fooled-the-mac-app-... https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/mac-app-store-scam-apps

And ransomware and botnets too: https://www.avg.com/en/signal/mac-ransomware-remove-protect

Fortunately iOS users don’t have those problems because of the security model that you are so quick to dismiss.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#254

Post by zepto »

_carbyau_ wrote: post #218
zepto wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No automatic software updates.

With my current android phone, I have deliberately limited what I put on it. I got so sick of update churn. Together with app owners selling out to malware types, and I see a lack of updates as a blessing. I want to buy an app version and use that app version until I decide otherwise. Ideally, when I run an app, inform me there is an update, let me know the benefits, and let me decide if I want to install or not, bef…

A very fair opinion, in just the same way, many iOS users see the single store model to be a feature not a bug.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#255

Post by zepto »

viraptor wrote: post #225
zepto wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No automatic software updates.

I'd say it's a Google Play and specific deals limitation, not an Android limitation. On a OnePlus phone I can easily activate root access and install f-droid as root which enables full updates handling.

It’s a limitation that applies to almost all Android users.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#256

Post by zepto »

Apocryphon wrote: post #220
zepto wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No one is mandating first class alternative stores on iOS That’s exactly what Epic, for example is asking for. >> Nobody in history has ever produced a perfectly secure operating system. > It is clear from this discussion that you are not a fan of Apple. Please seek to reduce your own bias when attempting to have a serious conversation. If I was wrong, you’d have been able to respond with an example. > When was the…

> That’s exactly what Epic, for example is asking for. And most would be satisfied with less. > If I was wrong, you’d have been able to respond with an example. Qubes OS. > Last time was the EBook settlement. That was over five years ago. > I guess you aren’t aware of Epic’s case. Epic's case isn't getting very far and it's quite possible that it would not have arisen at all if Apple had shown any interest at all at…

>> That’s exactly what Epic, for example is asking for. >And most would be satisfied with less.

So you lied when you said ‘no one is asking for this’.

> If I was wrong, you’d have been able to respond with an example.

> Qubes OS.

You do realize that isn’t completely secure.

> Last time was the EBook settlement. That was over five years ago.

So what?

> I guess you aren’t aware of Epic’s case. Epic's case isn't getting very far

Complete bullshit. Their case is proceeding as they planned and oral arguments are to be heard soon.

> and it's quite possible that it would not have arisen at all if Apple had shown any interest at all at managing it's own opening rather than putting itself at risk of being opened by others.

You do realize that doing something because otherwise you’ll be forced to, is the same as being forced to?

Also, that paragraph is an amazing piece of Orwellian writing. Have you considered writing for an authoritarian politburo?

> Erm, you do realize that these technologies have nothing to do with preventing scam apps in stores, right? Sure they do. They are all examples of products that are differentiated from others in the same space by their focus on security. Thus, in the realm of competing app stores, there could be stores that exist that focus on secure, privacy-focused apps, just as there are already app stores such as F-Droid that differentiate themselves by focusing on FOSS apps. One could reasonably expect that if iOS supported multiple app stores, there would be stores that tried to focus on the luxury high-end aspect of the platform by offering carefully curation. Third-party app curation services already exist.

So you expect users to choose between thousands of stores?

> The counterclaim, that a single scam free store would have all of the apps in it is obviously false because the premise is a future with multiple stores. Actually, the simplest counterclaim is to point at the current and past existence of alternate app stores such as Cydia or the Altstore, which do in fact contain apps that customers want anyway.

They don’t have all the apps and they aren’t scam free.

Also they are tiny experiments used by enthusiasts and are completely unrepresentative of what will happen when several billion dollar corporations and VC backed plays open stores.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#257

Post by ksec »

zepto wrote: post #252
ksec wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> because the user base is tiny compared to iOS. One Tenth. Or 100M+ User with lots of room to grow. I wouldn't use tiny to describe it, even in comparative sense.

If you are executing a scam why on earth would you pick the market that is one tenth the size?

>If you are executing a scam why on earth would you pick the market that is one tenth the size?

Because that user base are worth more than per user than the others?

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#258

Post by zepto »

ksec wrote: post #257
zepto wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are executing a scam why on earth would you pick the market that is one tenth the size?

>If you are executing a scam why on earth would you pick the market that is one tenth the size? Because that user base are worth more than per user than the others?

Paying for expensive apps is one thing, falling for scams is another.

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#259

Post by [deleted] »

skinnymuch wrote: post #243
jhanschoo wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All "big" players still go through the Play Store. There are many big players that don't go through the Play Store, and for a variety of reasons. Fortnite and ISP-promoted apps and device-manucacturer apps (for business and leverage reasons), DMM (because a primary line of their business is in adult content), and basically everything in mainland China (because Google doesn't operate there). These players all operat…

Isn’t Fortnite basically entirely back on the play store and that’s where most users are coming from? That proves it doesn’t work.

[deleted]

Re: A top-grossing scam on the App Store

#260

Post by boxed »

Search still doesn't work at all. If you search for any of my apps by their exact name the apps aren't the first hit.

This is the absolute most basic thing. And they screw it up spectacularly. It's especially infuriating because app names must be unique. What's the point if the search is that broken?

Post reply on HN