Wednesday, December 19, 2018

More Push Notification Spam From Apple

Oliver Thomas:

I just received a push notification for the offer (not an email)

Nilay Patel:

No, Apple. Bad. Desperate unsolicited push notifications are bad.

That services narrative looks a lot sketchier if it relies on the same growth hack trickery Apple forbids other people from using

Ryan Jones:

Lovely. And I do not have Apple Music.

Joe Rosensteel:

Hopefully some day Apple can afford to hire a developer that can check a list of people that are already using a feature before sending out mass, unsolicited notifications.

John Parkinson:

I like the advertising emails telling me to buy $new_product_x that I already registered on my AppleID.

Tim Schmitz:

Why am I getting spammed with push notifications about the Emmy’s? Why did I get subscribed to an Emmy news channel I don’t want, and why can’t I remove it?

Juli Clover:

Apple has recently been sending out unsolicited notifications to iOS users, promoting Carpool Karaoke episodes and the availability of Apple Music on Amazon Echo devices.

[…]

Unfortunately there’s no way to keep the TV or Music notifications you do want without also getting the unwanted notifications from Apple.

[…]

Apple’s App Store rules do not allow for apps to send notifications for advertising, promotions, or marketing purposes, but it appears those rules don’t apply to Apple’s own notifications.

Chance Miller:

In the last month, Apple has sent a flurry of push notifications to iOS users ranging from iPhone XR promotions to HomePod promotions, Carpool Karaoke episode releases, and more.

[…]

Humorously, Apple regularly touts that Apple Music has “zero ads,” though one might consider this notification an ad in and of itself.

Previously: Push Notifications to Send Promotions, Apple Pushes iPhone 6s Pop-up Ads to App Store, 2018 iPhone Sales.

Update (2018-12-21): Dave Verwer:

In response to this week’s iOS Dev Weekly comment, someone just sent me this screenshot... I think it says everything about how well respected rule 4.5.4 is...

Update (2018-12-23): Marco Arment:

App Store rule 4.5.4 is a joke. Not only is it completely unenforced, but Apple now frequently, blatantly violates it to spam us.

[…]

Apple’s non-enforcement of the rule against marketing push notifications makes iOS on most people’s iPhones feel like a cheap, spammy flea market.

Apple itself now contributing to that is a huge failure to protect their own premium brand image for short-term promotional gains.

Update (2018-12-31): Marko Karppinen:

App Store 2018

Update (2019-01-25): Dylan Seeger (via Marco Arment):

More push notification spam from Apple. Somebody better alert the app review team.

Update (2020-10-16): TJ Luoma:

Apple’s push notification about pre-ordering the iPhone 12 bypassed my son’s iPhone’s Do Not Disturb and went off during a college audition.

It’s one thing to send these push notifications no one asked for. It’s another to bypass DND. Rude and wrong and bad. Do better, Apple.

Update (2020-11-02): Ben Sandofsky:

I hope next year’s iOS supports ad-blockers for iOS Settings.

“Push Notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless customers have explicitly opted in to receive them via consent language displayed in your app’s UI, and you provide a method in your app for a user to opt out from receiving such messages.”

Update (2021-08-04): Tom Harrington:

Apple, what happened? You used to be cool. Now you push this kind of shit notification on my devices.

Update (2021-10-08): See also: Nicolas Rieul.

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