iPhone apps can’t require desktop apps?
On Friday, May 1st, I called Apple Developer Technical Support to find out what was going on with the review process, and to see if my earlier comments had been received. They then told me the shocking news that writing an iPhone app that requires a desktop “companion” app was prohibited.
I say this is shocking since I have seen many, many other apps in the store that require a companion app (including Apple’s own Keynote Remote). When I mentioned this to the support person, he said that Apple could not comment on that. When I asked to speak to whoever approves or denies the applications, he told me to send an email to the same team which hadn’t responded to me in a week.
I have to be honest, while I want to start work on an iPhone version of ProfitTrain, stories like this scare the hell out of me. Particularly since you can’t get your app approved until you’ve spent months working on it.
In other news, Trent Reznor’s own iPhone app was rejected for some vague reference to his song “The Downward Spiral.” Not the song, a reference to the song. WTF.
Please Apple, fix this approval system!
Posted on: May 4, 2009 – 1:54 PM
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3 Comments
Our app Scorecard is called a “companion app” to the desktop version. I wonder if it makes any difference that our iPhone app is free?
There’s a bit more to that story, of course…
Strikes me as a pretty stupid move, seeing as the ability to use your iPhone as a companion to your Mac adds value to both.
I think I can guess where they’re coming from (they don’t want to process lots of refunds from people buying an App, only to discover it needed additional software, or switching from Windows to Mac) but that should be something they could sort out pretty quickly in the App store (throw up a ‘Stop : Do you have …… installed’ notice - and later on even add ability to iTunes to detect if blah installed.
I can’t see that they are trying to block developers bypassing the App store for alternative markets.
(The Reznor thing should be fixed come June, once they add the Adult Approval locks, but you can see this is the start of a slippery slope - how adult can adult be?).
On the other hand, the news that the Android Marketplace removed a tethering application, internationally, at the the request of a US Telco, seems to have come and gone far too quick. Apple are not the only ones arbitrarily blocking apps after the development has occured.
Hi, PLEASE release an iPhone version of this. I’m not sure what the issue is with a “companion” app, but I’ve got several like that. For example, “Things” and “Evernote” Both are awesome apps that make my life easier. As a freelancer, this would make my life SO much better.
And, now with Push capabilities in OS 3.0, you could make them really sync well.
Thanks!
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