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App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

notes.alinpanaitiu.com

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Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#271

Post by jrumbut »

pengaru wrote: post #262
cesarvarela wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have my entire life in my phone: bank accounts, private keys/passwords/2fa/crypto, pictures/videos of personal life moments, messages between family/friends/business, etc. I want the "thing" that holds all this to be as closed and reliable as possible. I know that I can just simply not side load, but the smallest attack surface the better.

You can have those things while still being given an opportunity to generate your own executable signing key upon first boot of your device. It's not increasing the surface area in terms of system complexity; the OS is already checking signatures to create this barrier to general purpose computing in the first place. If you don't want the additional key, you skip the step, to be never asked again until you factory wi…

Or how about accept a key associated with the iCloud account linked to the phone?

This basically prevents any user friendly third party app store, but also allows users to, you know, use the device like they own it.

But I thought there was some ability to load apps without a developer account? Am I wrong? I've always just purchased the account because I was getting paid and wanted to show some professionalism but I thought there was a workaround.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#272

Post by prawn »

CharlesW wrote: post #111
DiggyJohnson wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t see how that wouldn’t make sense… It’s not that they decided to set an arbitrary threshold of 3.7M apps, but that they have become more stringent on app approvals in light of the growth and quantity of apps in their store. I don’t think GP’s comment requires an incredulous snarky response, despite me not doing a great job making this point…

My comment was sincere. I'm interested in what the parent commenter believes triggered Apple to start specifically targeting small, independent developers.

You can't picture a meeting where relevant stakeholders decide that there's a glut and it would be better if there are fewer, better apps? Dev relations would say that their contacts believe it's hard to get noticed amongst so many apps. Reviewers would want to see more quality, etc. I can see how it happens.

FWIW, I think OP's app looks very decent and would have no issue in approving.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#273

Post by jrumbut »

webmobdev wrote: post #270
cesarvarela wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have my entire life in my phone: bank accounts, private keys/passwords/2fa/crypto, pictures/videos of personal life moments, messages between family/friends/business, etc. I want the "thing" that holds all this to be as closed and reliable as possible. I know that I can just simply not side load, but the smallest attack surface the better.

> I have my entire life in my phone ... And that is precisely why you need control of your device, and not hand it over to some third-party, especially a corporate who has a vested interest to make as much money as possible from you, with the very data that you seek to protect! Would you really even be happy if some other third-party, like your government, took over this role of acting as your device's protectorate a…

Well now this is an argument for free (as in speech) software on the phone, not sure any closed source system will be able to satisfy what you're looking for (and that's a good thing, but it's a much stronger claim).

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#274

Post by thunky »

ace2358 wrote: post #267
perfectstorm wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

help me understand this better. you are afraid that someone may access your private content if Apple allows side loading of apps? How is it any different than what's on macOS today? you can run any apps (after clearing it in System preferences) on your laptop but suddenly it's a security risk on your phone?

Whether you believe it or not, most people have sensitive information on their phone and not their ‘computer’ (I guess a desktop thing, if they have one!). For most people, they couldn’t care what happens to their computer. Not everyone is the same, but it’s not an uncommon situation. So security for the phone is more important for some people than computer security.

Not buying it. You thing people just use their computer to play solitaire and nothing else?

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#275

Post by [deleted] »

rickspencer3 wrote: post #209

What really galls me, and I know I have ranted about this here before, is that you can't even really load an app ON YOUR OWN PHONE without paying for a developer account, not to mention that I can't side load something someone else made. I get that iPhones are nifty and all, but I don't see how people can spend that money on a device that locks the owner out of basic functionally. Android is not perfect, but at least…

[deleted]

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#276

Post by yellowapple »

dymk wrote: post #178
andrepd wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it's okay because [vague arguments about "protection" and "privacy"]

They’re not vague, they’re documented and substantial.

Very little of iOS is FOSS, so whether or not Apple actually protects your privacy boils down to "just take our word for it".

Transparency is a dependency of trust. Apple is not transparent, and therefore I trust an iDevice about as far as I can throw it.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#277

Post by [deleted] »

nate wrote: post #15

Ran into the exact same problem with a very simple camera app I made. Camera app was completely gesture based. So you never had to find a button to quickly flip the camera to the other side of the phone or find the button to start/stop recording. It made using a camera a lot quicker to get multiple shots of a scene and your reaction shot. Also added in stabilization to the front lens, which was easy but wasn't enable…

[deleted]

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#278

Post by liminalsunset »

alin23 wrote: post #30
nate wrote: post #15

Ran into the exact same problem with a very simple camera app I made. Camera app was completely gesture based. So you never had to find a button to quickly flip the camera to the other side of the phone or find the button to start/stop recording. It made using a camera a lot quicker to get multiple shots of a scene and your reaction shot. Also added in stabilization to the front lens, which was easy but wasn't enable…

(author here) Man that camera app sounds so good! I love gesture based apps, and I'm tired of going looking for buttons on the most used functions of a device.. The biggest problem I try to convey is that you have no way of knowing you'll get the rejection without putting the work in first. So you, like me, wasted probably days (if not weeks) to create a fully functional app, spent much of that time on user-facing fu…

The maddening/frustrating part is that Apple ACTUALLY APPROVED almost exactly the same thing, and ironically, by another commenter elsewhere in this thread:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32526387

The app is by the same developer, and is findable at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zero-ui-gesture-only-camera/id...

So clearly, the App Review process is not deterministic, and highly dependent on which reviewer you get or something similar.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#279

Post by JustSomeNobody »

> > > Hello,

> > Thank you for your response. We encourage you to consider ways to make your app stand out.

> We understand that it can be difficult to determine what the best experience is to offer your users.

> While there isn’t one set answer that works for every app, the following iOS development videos offer great

>information for helping understand how your app can provide a great user experience: – Essential Design Principles –

>Design Tips for Great Games

> You may also want to review the Human Interface Guidelines available on Apple Developer.

> Best regards,

> App Store Review

That is some passive aggressive, nose all the way in the air, *bullshit*.

Be better than this Apple.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#280

Post by yellowapple »

LeoPanthera wrote: post #182

Maybe this is a controversial opinion but I think I agree with Apple here. The Google and Microsoft stores are absolutely full of completely useless featureless apps, many of which exist only to trick you into thinking that it is something else. My general mental rule is "could this app be a website"? And in this case it absolutely could be.

> My general mental rule is "could this app be a website"? And in this case it absolutely could be.

By this logic the overwhelmingly vast majority of the App Store's catalog shouldn't exist.

...and I wouldn't necessarily object to that outcome, but still.

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