Why is Google's YouTube App allowed to exist?

Question

ryankearney OP

Created Dec ’15

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Per https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

Section 11. Purchasing and currencies:

11.8 Apps that use IAP to purchase access to built-in capabilities provided by iOS, watchOS, and tvOS, such as the camera or the gyroscope, or Apple-branded peripherals, such as Apple Pencil or Apple Keyboard, will be rejected

As you may know, YouTube recently launched their "YouTube Red" subscription, which is available as an In-App purchase for $12.99/mo which includes the feature of "Backgound play. Keep your videos playing while using other apps or with your screen off."

Background audio (and now video with iPads and PIP) is a "built-in capability provided by iOS" so I'm having difficulty understanding why YouTube is allowed to do it.

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Answer 1

JimmyCricket OP

Dec ’15

While I'm certainly not a person who is the most familiar, I would say it is because YouTube Red subscriptions actually allow additional services _from Youtube_, not _from iOS_; A Red subscription allows audio to be played in the background, sans video, because the upgraded service is providing you with audio-only streams rather than the video/audio streams of the standard service which cannot be taken advantage of by background audio APIs.

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Answer 2

RLKingSoftware OP

Dec ’15

Most likely the same reason EA and other big companies get away with things you or I cannot.

BIg money and name recognition. Money talks.

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