from Hacker News

Apple Rejects the Hey Calendar from Their App Store

by andrewbarba on 1/5/24, 8:34 PM with 77 comments

• by rgovostes on 1/5/24, 9:08 PM

  "If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps." — App Store Review Guidelines, 2010 (https://www.cultofmac.com/58590/heres-the-full-text-of-apple...)

  (It often helps.)

• by lawgimenez on 1/5/24, 10:14 PM

  As someone who has deployed dozens of apps to the App Store for clients, avoid submitting first time apps during the holidays and add free account solely for Apple reviewers.

• by TheLoafOfBread on 1/5/24, 10:32 PM

  Can't wait when App Store model is finally dead and installing from multiple sources like I can on Windows or MacOS is normal on phones as well.

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• by 2024user on 1/7/24, 11:45 AM

  In my experience, if you add a demo feature to the app then they allow it. The demo allows the reviewer to get passed the login screen and explore what the application is. I think this is a good approach. It also lets curious users see what the app is like too.

• by theolivenbaum on 1/5/24, 10:12 PM

  "Hopefully our example, and the countless others we’ve seen over the years, will finally force competition authorities around the world to act." You would think Apple, in the middle of being investigated from all sides for monopoly, would think twice before rejecting Hey for a second time for a stupid reason

• by mediumsmart on 1/6/24, 8:09 AM

  One can only dream. But one should also fight. You don’t get something for nothing.

  The hey calendar without the hey email is a something good for nothing. Dream the fight!

• by k310 on 1/6/24, 1:55 AM

     Apple rejected our stand-alone free companion app “because it doesn’t do anything”. That is because users are required to login with an existing account to use the functionality.
  
    This is a ridiculous charge. The App Store is filled with high-profile applications that require an existing service account and simply presents a login screen when first launched. Here are just four:
  

  Yes, there are lots of apps that do absolutely nothing until you log in.

  Not sure if there's something else going on beneath that charge. Maybe DHH needs to take a walk with Tim Cook like the Musk man did.

• by hightrix on 1/5/24, 9:51 PM

  > After spending 19 days to review our submission, causing us to miss a long-planned January 2nd launch date

  If this review time period caused Hey to miss their launch date, this is a major signal that their developers do not have ANY experience with the iOS App Store.

  > That is because users are required to login with an existing account to use the functionality.

  Again, this is clearly spelled out in the Apple App Store requirements. You MUST provide credential for reviews, and those credentials must work. Additionaly, if you are pushing users to login through an external provider, providing a "Demo Mode" is an easy way around App Store restrictions.

  This entire article reaks of inexperience, which is pretty incredible since Hey has gone through similar in the past[0].

  My suggestion, hire software engineers with experience releasing to the app store.

  [0]-https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1272968382329942017

• by nwroot on 1/6/24, 7:13 AM

  Did you provide the login credentials for the demo account?

• by mertbio on 1/5/24, 9:40 PM

  DHH really needs to control his temper. Instead of focusing on the discrimination of his app (while there are other apps similar to HEY Calendar, why theirs rejected), he keeps mentioning about Apple’s 30% commission but this commission only applies to small number of developers. If you don’t earn more than $1 million in a year, you only pay 15%. If you earn more than that but have subscriptions (like HEY) then you pay 15% after the first year of the subscription.

  I think he should just focus on the discrimination part instead of mentioning about the tax or Apple being a monopoly. I don’t how mentioning those things is going to help him to solve the issue. (Since it is already decided by a judge that Apple doesn’t have a monopoly on the App Store)

• by etchalon on 1/7/24, 5:52 AM

  I have multiple apps which require a login in the Store, and have never had a rejection for this reason. Either a reviewer made a mistake (it happens, and honestly, DHH's language here implies a conspiracy where a cockup is more likely), or they screwed up the submission.

  One thing I have found that matters – your app's launch screen had better be as vanilla as possible. If you even hint at conversion, sales, sign-up, etc, you're going to get dinged.

  Either way, this has a "smell" to it.

• by cp9 on 1/5/24, 9:35 PM

  re: the 19 days issue

  you're planning around the time where most of the people who review these things are going to be taking PTO. as far as I could tell reading the guidelines the only guarantee apple gives you is that they'll get to it as soon as possible

  it's also a little funny that DHH is saying that apple exempted them from the rules last time and then a couple paragraphs later is complaining that apple exempts other companies from the rules as well

• by thw91 on 1/5/24, 10:34 PM

  DHH knows best.

• by dmitrygr on 1/6/24, 12:30 AM

  What is this idiocy? Apple has always required a demo account for such apps. This is not a secret

• by e28eta on 1/5/24, 9:11 PM

  I think this is a fair summary for those of us that haven’t been paying attention to Hey, although if someone has a better roundup I’d love to read it

  https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/22/21298552/apple-hey-email-...