Apple’s app review fix fails to placate developers

In January, Jake Nelson, a London-based developer, submitted a routine update to his popular new iPhone word game to Apple's App Store to add support for a slate of new languages. It took a month of discussion with Apple's App Store reviewers and 15 revisions to his code before his update was mysteriously approved.

Nelson didn't know why his app was rejected. Bad press about Apple's control of the App Store didn't help. During the weeks he couldn't keep users engaged with new updates, he contemplated no longer sellingios apps for a living. He says that he felt like it was an endless process.

Nelson is not alone among app developers. The App Store, an engine of the iPhone’s success, has long triggered complaints from app makers who say Apple skews its marketplace too much in its own favor—making it hard for independent developers to survive, penalizing competitors, and blocking novel ideas from reaching iPhone owners. Advertisement

The app review process has not improved despite Apple's 2020 introduction of the appeal mechanism which can lead to a phone call with an app store reviewer. After a dispute with a software company over the rejection of an email app, the company added the process in order to make up for it.

But developers commonly describe the process of convincing Apple’s reviewers to green-light their submissions as “nightmarish." They see the new appeal process as more of an attempt to deflect criticism than to substantially improve app reviewing, which remains slow and arbitrary. Former Apple employees told WIRED that app reviewers often have only minutes to review each app and work under a system that permits wide variation in standards.

Developers have reported seeing inconsistencies in app reviews. He said that they are based on the App Store review guidelines.

The Apple app review process shows that there is a difference between the company and small app developers. Alin was told that his app had to create a lasting experience in order to be considered for the App Store. He appealed for help on social media after a month of rejections.

The app was approved a few days after the post gained traction. The summer festival season ended when the app appeared on the App Store. It was listed for no cost.