Ask HN: Is Apple Going Nuts?
It's getting extortionately uncomfortable:
I have a free (!) app (completely 100% free) on the macOS App Store. It's getting mostly 5-star reviews and has done so for many years. Good. I used to offer the app through my website mainly, but people asked for security (despite it being signed), so I put it on the AppStore, many years ago. I make this app for fun, no profit, it's 100% free.
I recently pushed an update and Apple rejected it. The reason: They clicked on my website (which they found mentioned in the about section, last tab, bottom line on the Settings screen).
On my website, where I SELL NOTHING, no upgrades, no premium services, etc. — they found at a link to buymeacoffee.com/roman — I think in the FAQ page, where I address the question of what people can do, if they insist on supporting the project.
Then, Apple said: because of this link, they had to reject the app; I am offering paid services, and doing so, must be done through In-App Purchases. These were third-party donations, no deal involved, the app does not even know about this, there is no advantage to anyone donating anything.
I tried to reason with them over course of a week, but no, if there is ANY WAY for the app user to pay me, despite the APP ITSELF CHANGING IN NO WAY, WHATSOEVER, then I must use IAPs. I was crushed and nothing made sense anymore.
Fast-forward to this week. I help a client update an old iOS app. Only thing the app does: serve exclusively as a companion app (to scan/photograph documents) for an enterprise SaaS. There is no additional features, there is no purchases in the app, nothing of that sort. You scan a QR code, you scan a document, and the app uploads that scan and that's it.
Apple, however, went all the way to browse the company's website, found a mention of "subscription" somewhere, screenshotted that, responded to us through review that the update has been rejected. All and any subscriptions or purchases must be handled in the app and through IAPs.
I mean, what in the world is going on? I am not making this up!
In neither one of those two cases is the app meant to freeload off of Apple's ecosystem. I get the idea of having to pay a fee to participate in a market, I have paid apps and those are all via IAPs and so forth, yada yada, but a free app?! It can't be how this will all play out, can it?