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Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

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Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#91

Post by cmsj »

robgough wrote: post #38

I recently built a similar app, and so hit the same limitations – I wasn't too upset on Mac, happy to distribute without the App Store (though it's a shame). Where I was more frustrated was how much this limited the potential usability of the iPhone app. Because of app store restrictions it is a far worse app ... though like in your example, still useful to a degree. I can only hope they use the new CEO as an opportu…

I really do understand the desires people have for iOS to be a more open platform, but I'm just gonna say very clearly: I do not want third party apps being able to do what OP's app does. My iPhone is the one computing platform I have where I get the assurance that no third party app can be spying on anything else I do on the device.

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#92

Post by squigz »

analog8374 wrote: post #82
squigz wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is actually mentioned on the Wikipedia page [1] - and of course, you could add it yourself if that's not enough. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinDirStat#Version_history[10]

Everything I ever added to Wikipedia was removed, within the day, by a very diligent and hard-working Wikipedia person.

Everything I've ever added was kept.

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#93

Post by Hugsbox »

stonogo wrote: post #69
functionmouse wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Changing one's primary operating system takes time, dedication, and is a lifestyle change, similar to moving somewhere remote. Changing ones AC filter is none of those things. If you and your grandma only rely on the computer for its web browser, then good for you. You have flexibility that is not afforded to most people. But that's not how a person's phone works; phones dig a lot deeper into one's lifestyle, int…

Nobody in my life even notices when they change their 'primary operating system.' They buy a phone based on what looks cool at the time, sometimes it's android, sometimes it's iphone. They move freely between chromebooks, windows, and mac os, because everything is online anyway. It's only 'experts' who have trouble with this.

I'm the IT guy to most of the elderly people in my life, and steadily switching them over to Linux Mint over the years. Fact of the matter is, most of them use their OS as a gateway to their web browser, and don't care to do anything else with it. For many non-technical users, switching OSes is literally a non-thing. The only difference vs Windows is that they call me for assistance way less frequently.

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#94

Post by emrehan »

orliesaurus wrote: post #58

As someone who also experience pains in their hands after a couple of hours of typing... I started to use the great open source app called ghost-pepper [1] that i found on github and has been my daily driver (its like superwhisrp but oss/free and local) the maintainer is really nice and replies to DMs really quickly too. [1] https://github.com/matthartman/ghost-pepper

As someone that have tried a few of these apps, I really like this one. I dictated this one just now with ghost pepper. Thanks Matt and thanks orliesaurus for sharing it here!

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#96

Post by lapcat »

cmsj wrote: post #91
robgough wrote: post #38

I recently built a similar app, and so hit the same limitations – I wasn't too upset on Mac, happy to distribute without the App Store (though it's a shame). Where I was more frustrated was how much this limited the potential usability of the iPhone app. Because of app store restrictions it is a far worse app ... though like in your example, still useful to a degree. I can only hope they use the new CEO as an opportu…

I really do understand the desires people have for iOS to be a more open platform, but I'm just gonna say very clearly: I do not want third party apps being able to do what OP's app does. My iPhone is the one computing platform I have where I get the assurance that no third party app can be spying on anything else I do on the device.

The Accessibility permission is not granted automatically to apps on the Mac. You have to specifically allow it for an app. So you retain control and assurance even without Apple lockdown.

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#97

Post by RZelaya »

nullbio wrote: post #87

Doesn't Wispr Flow do this though? How did they get past these limitations?

From what I understand Wispr Flow distributes directly from their website and doesn't ship through the Mac App Store, so they don't go through Apple's App Store review at all. They use the Accessibility API the same way the direct version of WhisperPad does. The 2.4.5 limitation really only kicks in if you want App Store presence.

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#98

Post by __float »

cmsj wrote: post #91
robgough wrote: post #38

I recently built a similar app, and so hit the same limitations – I wasn't too upset on Mac, happy to distribute without the App Store (though it's a shame). Where I was more frustrated was how much this limited the potential usability of the iPhone app. Because of app store restrictions it is a far worse app ... though like in your example, still useful to a degree. I can only hope they use the new CEO as an opportu…

I really do understand the desires people have for iOS to be a more open platform, but I'm just gonna say very clearly: I do not want third party apps being able to do what OP's app does. My iPhone is the one computing platform I have where I get the assurance that no third party app can be spying on anything else I do on the device.

iOS generally lets you reject any permission an app asks for. This would certainly be "risky" enough that iOS would require explicit user permission, and you would be able to say no.

On top of that, the app is completely optional: if you aren't comfortable giving it those permissions, don't install it?

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#99

Post by BrtByte »

spiral90210 wrote: post #14

SpaceGremlin (mac alternative to WinDirStat) has a similar thing, where some features only work in the independent "SpaceGremlinPro" version downloaded from their site. However, they do some cool stuff with licensing - you can point it to the app store paid/installed version, and it detects the license and unlocks. If you're worried about people not trusting payment to you, might be worth seeing if you could implemen…

Interesting idea. It would basically turn the App Store version into both a discoverability channel and a license anchor for the direct version

Re: Apple rejected my dictation app for using the accessibility API

#100

Post by primaprashant »

orliesaurus wrote: post #58

As someone who also experience pains in their hands after a couple of hours of typing... I started to use the great open source app called ghost-pepper [1] that i found on github and has been my daily driver (its like superwhisrp but oss/free and local) the maintainer is really nice and replies to DMs really quickly too. [1] https://github.com/matthartman/ghost-pepper

I am big fan of VoiceInk which is also local and open-source. I also maintain this list of all the best open-source ones in this awesome-style GitHub repo. People looking for open-source dictation tools, hope you find something that works for you here: https://github.com/primaprashant/awesome-voice-typing
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