App Store Police

Calling out apps that break the App Store Review Guidelines and use dark patterns. Receipts + guideline numbers. Tips → DMs open. Not affiliated with Apple.

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@AppleSupport @AppStore what is this?? how is this allowed? Songless is #1 in Trivia and if you cancel the free trial it locks you out within minutes, even though your own page says access lasts until Oct 1. then it's $19.99/week. it's built to trap people

[Mark Gurman @markgurman]

How is this allowed @johnternus

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

If your app is used by a million person, $99 is nothing. Free apps are an act of charity.

I would be interested in knowing if you currently have 100% free apps installed on your phone right now.

Building for passion is almost dead when claude is the one building everything for you.

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

If an app is genuinely useful, its developer should be able to find a way to cover the $99 annual fee, even if it's through donations.

Also, you almost never see any truly free apps in the App Store when you search for something because all the apps with IAPs get pushed to the top. Apple needs to separate apps that offer actual free functionality from those that hide everything behind a hard paywall.

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@KingBannout99 @eglitisX They dont, he is toggling it back on after the review passes. If Apple catches him, his account will be terminated

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@adriamatz @Superwall @AppGrowthSummit Crazy that they are presenting this

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@83dwn I wouldn't be surprised if they have some dark patterns in place because apps like these are very competitive and need high conversion to be profitable while running ads

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@AppStore Reporting 3AK Sprinting:

1. The paywall sells the yearly plan as "$0.95/wk". The $49.99/yr you're actually billed is grey fine print at the bottom (3.1.2).

2. Close it: "One Time Offer, 95% OFF, only $0.67/week". Still no yearly price up top. The 95% is against their $12.99 weekly plan. Against the $49.99/yr you just saw, it's 30% off, first year only (3.1.2, 5.6).

3. "One time", with a countdown. Close it, come back, and it's there again. Fake urgency (5.6).

4. Say no to all of it and it nags you to pay from your lock screen with a Live Activity (4.5.3).

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

Looks like Apple is cracking down on apps that hide functionality behind a remote switch
https://t.co/gkEZgmTxSB

[Gautier 💙 @mcflyDev]

😭

now apple refuse your app just when they detect a remote config package

This app barely even use it except to switch a paywall design.

😭

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@mcflyDev This is amazing! I think they are listening

[Gautier 💙 @mcflyDev]

😭

now apple refuse your app just when they detect a remote config package

This app barely even use it except to switch a paywall design.

😭

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@AppStore “WA Business” charges $2.99/week for WhatsApp Web, which is free. WhatsApp’s terms ban charging for it without permission, and the app admits it’s “UNOFFICIAL.” Its icon is Telegram’s logo.

See Guidelines 5.2.2 and 4.1(c).

https://t.co/KLg2MT8zti

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@nicojrme @NathanGeckler Insane levels of larping

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@wallyrashid He was agent 3.0 🤣

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@alfozan He was agent 3.0 🤣

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@benjitaylor I agree, everyday I still shocked with the creativity that opus 5.5 has

[Will @willbakerships]

cal ai got removed for genuinely illegal web-to-app purchases, then re-added within 24h

most of us small builders are removed for “manipulating apple review” (purposefully broad and non-descriptive) and don’t even get a response from apple within 3 months - where by all our customers have been automatically churned

the game is rigged, but then again - most are

don’t put all your eggs in one basket

[Dan Kulkov @DanKulkov]

my apple developer account will not be terminated

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@jayvraavi If lets say you make $900K next year, will they charge you 30% or 15%?

[App Store Police @AppStorePolice]

@gpumaxxer Report it to apple, they will terminate his account