AstroPad’s Camera Button Rejected From the App Store
Savannah Reising (via Tim Hardwick):
We planned to introduce the Camera Button in an update to Astropad Studio going out today. However, we are disappointed to report that the Camera Button was rejected by Apple’s App Store review under Section 2.5.9:
Apps that alter or disable the functions of standard switches, such as the Volume Up/Down and Ring/Silent switches, or other native user interface elements or behaviors will be rejected.
It doesn’t look like the guideline actually covers what their app does. But it’s the kind of feature that I would expect Apple to disapprove of.
I get why Apple rejected the super fun/innovative @astropadapp camera button, but I’m still very disappointed.
And as I’ve said many times before, this kind of rejection has a chilling effect on iOS innovation.
App Review and many other App Store policies end up being shaped primarily by scammers, not conscientious developers.
At this point in the life of the platform I’d much rather Apple make special exceptions than outright block innovation/experimentation.
Apple pretends the App Store is a level playing field, but it never has been. And it’s better for customers if it’s not.
See Uber’s special entitlement for Apple Watch. They couldn’t have built a great app without special treatment.
There’s no way for us to ever know what all has been rejected and what was never even submitted to the App Store for fear of rejection.
Rejecting an innovative app/feature here or there might seem innocuous, but it’s easy to underestimate the long-term consequences.
I would’ve never built the Camera Button because I assumed it would be rejected. And that’s a very real problem.
Previously: The Camera Button.
