One of the changes Apple announced for developers at WWDC this year was the ability to challenge App Store Review guidelines. Now, we’re seeing an early instance in which a developer was successfully able to challenge an App Store rule after having their app threatened with rejection.
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Amid the ongoing legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, a Fortnite competitor is receiving some beneficial publicity in the App Store. When you open the App Store today, you’ll see an editorial story promoting PUBG Mobile, a popular competing battle royale.
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Apple’s 30% cut of all in-app purchases is again making the news. Facebook said that when it tried to help out small businesses who’d lost income due to the coronavirus, Apple refused to waive its 30% commission on sales. Facebook itself takes no cut of the income.
The social network then tried including a ‘transparency notice’ advising users that Apple would get 30% of the amount paid, and Apple blocked that …
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The battle between Epic Games and Apple over App Store guidelines will have a detrimental effect on the end user. Epic has confirmed today that it will not be released in the latest Fortnite season, Chapter 2: Season 4, for iOS and macOS gamers.
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Apple’s lawyers have been appointed to defend it against the lawsuit filed by Epic Games, from LA-based Gibson Dunn & Crutcher. The firm is an acknowledged leader in antitrust cases.
The firm is the same one that gave Apple its victory in the second Apple versus Samsung patent infringement case …
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Amid continued tension between the United States and China, a new report from The Information details how Apple could be impacted by Chinese retaliation. Apple also continues to face pushback from Chinese regulators in regards to the App Store.
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This afternoon Facebook has criticized Apple over how it runs its App Store regarding a new events streaming service on the social media platform. Facebook’s comments today suggested that Apple’s 30% App Store commission is hurting small businesses during the pandemic.
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One of the issues Apple has seen antitrust scrutiny from governments around the world is the removal of third-party parental control apps. Now a Russian investigation that started last year has concluded that Apple abused its dominant market position by pulling them.
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A Facebook iOS gaming app has been forced to launch without access to any games, thanks to an App Store policy which bans streaming gaming services.
Facebook Gaming on Android allows users to play games, as well as watch the gameplay of popular streamers – but iOS users cannot play games …
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Microsoft started testing its xCloud gaming platform on iOS in February, but things have been complicated since then. The company announced today that it’s ending tests with xCloud on Apple’s mobile operating system due to strict App Store policies.
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After Trump announced that TikTok would be banned from the US unless it was bought by an American company, the White House has now said it wants to ‘clean’ Chinese apps from Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
Apps like WeChat had previously been referenced but not directly threatened by the White House, but the administration is now seeking to block this and other Chinese apps from the US as part of a 5-point plan …
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Apple has removed over 30,000 applications from the App Store in China, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The report cites new data from Qimai Research Institute, and it explains that games accounted for 90% of the app removals.
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As part of the big tech monopoly judicial hearing yesterday, the court has released many pages of documentation to support its claims against Apple’s alleged monopolistic App Store practices. One of these emails shines a light on Apple’s dealing with Amazon.
During the proceedings, Apple CEO Tim Cook said they treat every developer the same, but the details of the Amazon Prime Video deal seems to fly in the face of that …
Airbnb and ClassPass have found themselves in an interesting dispute with Apple, as they adapt their business models in response to the coronavirus crisis. Apple is, they say, now demanding a cut of their revenue.
The issue is a tricky one, but may prove yet another antitrust concern for the Cupertino company …
A new study today from Analysis Group, supported by Apple, aims to defend the 30% cut Apple takes from App Store transactions. According to the research, Apple’s App Store commission rate is similar to those of other app stores and digital content marketplaces.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently agreed to testify to the House antitrust committee, alongside the chief execs of other tech giants, but it appears it has already heard from Microsoft’s president – who reportedly expressed concerns about the App Store.
The committee has a wide-ranging remit to see whether tech giants are guilty of anti-competitive behaviors, with Apple coming under the most scrutiny for the way it operates the App Store …
During Q2 of this year, Zoom completely shattered the previous App Store record for downloads, previously set by TikTok, according to analytics data. While TikTok notched up 67 million US downloads in Q1, reports Sensor Tower, Zoom hit almost 94 million US downloads in Q2.
Demand for the videoconferencing app was of course driven by the coronavirus crisis, which saw record numbers of people working from home. Worldwide, across Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store, Zoom became only the third app to reach 300M downloads in a quarter, joining TikTok and Pokémon GO.
Sensor Tower says Zoom wasn’t the only app to benefit …
Apple and Google should warn users about the ‘national security risks’ of apps developed by foreign entities, says the chairman of the congressional Subcommittee on National Security, Rep. Stephen Lynch.
Lynch has written to both tech giants arguing that apps by ‘our adversaries’ could be used to gather sensitive information on American citizens …
It appears that a longstanding border dispute between India and China was behind India’s partial ban on Chinese apps from the country. In one of the more bizarre elements of the story, it has been reported that Indian and Chinese soldiers fought with clubs and rocks …
Apple has brought some big changes to the refund process for in-app purchases including notifications for developers that are live now with seven different options for how to take action. Other changes to the App Store include Family Sharing now being an option for in-app purchase subscriptions, in-app purchases on Apple Watch, and more.
Following the Platforms State of the Union address this afternoon at WWDC20 Apple has shared some highlights on its new developer tech and tools to “foster the next generation of apps.” These include Xcode 12, new features in SwiftUI, App Clips and Widgets in iOS and iPadOS 14, improved access to Apple’s platforms like Find My and HomePod, as well as a new App Store Review process that gives developers a way to “challenge” guidelines.
Apple will be removing thousands of games from the Chinese App Store as it finally begins complying with a law that came into force back in 2016. It’s believed at least a third of all games in the store could be removed.
The law requires developers to obtain a license in order to publish an app in China. Although Apple has asked for the license number when apps are submitted for review, it has been turning a blind eye to loopholes used by major publishers and indies alike …
This week we’ve seen some serious tension build in the developer community with Apple as the makers of Basecamp tried to release its Hey email service iOS app, but was rejected in the App Store Review process as well as by the App Review Board and VP Phil Schiller. Now Basecamp/Hey’s CEO has written an open letter to Apple sharing the belief that this is more than just about the 30% cut that Apple takes from App Store purchases and the core issue comes down to a “lack of choice” that Apple “forcibly inserts themselves” between app developers and their customers.
Last year when Apple announced its Sidecar feature at WWDC for macOS and iPadOS, Astropad found itself Sherlocked and unsure if it would survive. A year later, the company is diversifying its business and things are looking up. Here is a cautionary tale and an inside account on the upside of being Sherlocked as well as Astropad’s thoughts on how Apple could solve its antitrust challenges…