Apple’s ‘unwritten rules’ spark discontent for some app developers

Developers and observers suspect there is a power struggle within Apple after a number of high-profile third-party iPhone apps using iOS 8’s extra functionality were approved – and then rejected for unexplained reasons. In one case, the rejected app used a technique that was shown off by Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June as showcasing the new capabilities of the software for the iPhone and iPad. Developers contacted by the Guardian are increasingly discontented, and nervous that they could fall foul of the “unwritten rules” if they include such functions. That is holding back development, “which doesn’t help anybody,” one said. Among the apps affected are the calculator app PCalc, writing app Drafts, FTP program Transmit, and one called Launcher which specifically aimed to use the new functionalities to launch apps or call contacts. The unease among the developers at apparently capricious rejections from the App Store is in stark contrast to optimism expressed after Apple’s software executives showed off those features at WWDC. Those included a “Today view” notification centre pane in which users could add “widgets” linked to a parent app, and “sharing sheets” to an editable set of services from any… Read full this story

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