Indie Developer Dogged By Scammy Clone Apps Again Highlights the Holes in Apple's App Store Review Process

There are no new apps in the App Store that copy concepts and features from other apps, but scammy like-for-like clones of genuine apps are still a problem.

The Authenticator App is a feature-rich app that stores and creates secure two-factor authentication for online accounts. A Russian company called Byte Service has an app in the App Store that looks suspiciously similar.

The clone app has left references to genuine features of the original app, such as Apple Watch support, but it has only lifted artwork and text from the original app.

The cloned app asks users for an App Store review during the first stage of use, which is counter to Apple's guidelines. If a user forgot to cancel, it would cost $335 annually.

There was another instance of the app in the App Store, with a different icon. The app was submitted via a different developer account, but it also contains the same cloned elements from his genuine app.

I really don't understand how these apps pass the App Store review with features that don't work, with a copied design, forcing users to use them.

Independent developers get their apps rejected for silly things, while others get their appsspammed with imitations and weekly subscriptions.

The problem of scam apps has been a problem for some time. According to documents shared in the Epic v. Apple case, Apple was furious when a fake app made it to the top of the App Store rankings.

There have been concerted efforts by some developers to highlight that the problem remains as big as ever in some app categories. Last year, Apple was hit with a lawsuit from a developer over the problem of scam and copycat apps on the App Store. The makers of the hit game are facing a similar lawsuit.

In the last few months, the issue of scam apps has become a lightning rod for Apple, with some estimates suggesting scam apps on the platform have made millions in revenue. Wordle became the latest victim of the App Store's problem. Wordle clones sprang up across the App Store despite the fact that the original game is free to play.

Apple recently restored the option for developers to report problems in the App Store. The option directs users to a website with a drop-down menu to report violations, including a specific option to report a scam or fraud.

Thanks, Craig!