Apple Narrows Ban on Templated Apps
The company’s revised wording now states:
4.2.6 Apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app’s content. These services should not submit apps on behalf of their clients and should offer tools that let their clients create customized, innovative apps that provide unique customer experiences.
Another acceptable option for template providers is to create a single binary to host all client content in an aggregated or “picker” model, for example as a restaurant finder app with separate customized entries or pages for each client restaurant, or as an event app with separate entries for each client event.
This is Apple’s attempt to clarify how it thinks about templated apps.
Core to this is the idea that, while it’s fine for small businesses and organizations to go through a middleman like the app templating services, the app template providers shouldn’t be the ones ultimately publishing these apps on their clients’ behalf.
Instead, Apple wants every app on the App Store to be published by the business or organization behind the app. (This is something that’s been suggested before). That means your local pizza shop, your church, your gym, etc. needs to have reviewed the App Store documentation and licensing agreement themselves, and more actively participate in the app publishing process.
This makes sense to me.
Happy to see this update. 1) I like it when I load a random app and it’s a design I’m already familiar with and 2) makes apps affordable for small business and 3) the services that build and sign these apps are a popular customer for @MacStadium Mac clouds. Win-win-win.
Previously: Apple Widens Ban on Templated Apps.
Update (2017-12-22): See also: John Voorhees.
Update (2018-02-22): Matt Long:
Apple drops another bomb WRT white label apps. Grandfathered apps must be transferred to customer app store account if updated after April 1.
A concern with this is that this now means that each business ("your local pizza shop, your church, your gym, etc.") now needs to have an Apple Developer account ($99/year), and, I think, use iTunes Connect to publish the app, doesn't it?