Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
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Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#2I use WeChat to talk to my in-laws in Mainland China. I am aware of the mini-apps that exist but they are severely lacking features & more of add on utilities to the WeChat interface.
For e.g. a popular one is a mini-app for DiDi cabs. It'll allow you to book a nearby cab & place a call/text using the WeChat integration. It is more of utility to WeChat/Weixin rather than an appstore within their app. Agreed it is somewhat borderline in definition, but the way I see it - the utilities and apps are sandboxed within WeChat ecosystem.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#3Interesting how they'll react to X. WeChat seems to be the closest thing to an "Everything App" that Elon wants to create.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#4Much like Adobe did to Macs in the 1990s, WeChat has become so powerful they control the platform.
Apple can’t remove WeChat because most consumers would rather change device hardware than lose access to WeChat.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#5I'm not sure this article has the slam dunk it thinks it does. Those aren't "apps" they are at best "web apps". They use a JS framework and some special markup from what I can tell. In this sense WeChat is more akin to a web browser than having multiple "apps" inside it.
> Since these are “apps within an app”, many of these mini-programs are flouting the App Store rules since they were not downloaded from the App Store.
I mean Drafts has the ability to download actions (not sure if that is the right term) which are JS that run inside the app. I think this is fine and doesn't skirt any rules, I don't see why WeChat is all that different.
All that said, of course Apple is going to make exceptions for WeChat the same way it makes various concessions to other countries.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#6Here's a stat I heard a few years back: WeChat has over 50% time share in China. Meaning people in China are on WeChat more than all other apps on their phones combined.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#7This rules inconsistency (alongside unpredictable (dis-)approvals and double standards for WeChat, Roblox, and (at times) Amazon and others) came up as one of a dozen reasons that, as a solo casual game developer, _launching_ in the App Store is not necessarily the no-brainer decision it seemed to be a decade ago (despite its enormous market power) I lay out in a separate post here https://keydiscussions.com/2023/07/26/as-a-web-game-dev-poin...
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#8Much like Adobe did to Macs in the 1990s, WeChat has become so powerful they control the platform. Apple can’t remove WeChat because most consumers would rather change device hardware than lose access to WeChat.
> Much like Adobe did to Macs in the 1990s, WeChat has become so powerful they control the platform.
I'd enjoy listening to the story here, spacebanana.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#9Interesting how they'll react to X. WeChat seems to be the closest thing to an "Everything App" that Elon wants to create.
It's still twitter.
I love that your previous comment was that "people use twitter because of free speech", and now I can't even look at it without logging in. Proof that on the internet anyone can sound confident.
Re: Apple’s strict on App Store rules but gives WeChat a free pass (2020)
#10I'm not sure this article has the slam dunk it thinks it does. Those aren't "apps" they are at best "web apps". They use a JS framework and some special markup from what I can tell. In this sense WeChat is more akin to a web browser than having multiple "apps" inside it. > Since these are “apps within an app”, many of these mini-programs are flouting the App Store rules since they were not downloaded from the App Sto…
>> I mean Drafts has the ability to download actions (not sure if that is the right term) which are JS that run inside the app. I think this is fine and doesn't skirt any rules,
I'm not familiar with that particular app but if that happens it's not fine and it seems to get a pass from Apple. The apps are not allowed to download executable code. You have to bundle it all in the app.