Having Multiple Similar Apps

If I had to guess as to why other developers are allowed to do this, based solely on what you posted, I would offer 2 possibilities: the other developers lead more wholesome lives or, more likely, the other developers use different icons for their similar apps.

I'm hoping it's the icons too. But they are not aksing me to change the icons, they say I have to combine the apps. Maybe I can try to appeal. Also the threat is not to have the apps removed, it's to have my whole developer account removed.

"Specifically....." usually points to a key issue. "Please...", in English, means 'optional'; albeit in Japanese it means 'required'. I'd go with the icon and add in the app review notes something like "this app is very similar to *** but because it has different content it appeals to a different set of users who do keyword searching using very different key words".

I submitted an appeal proposing to change the icons with examples. Waiting to hear back.

That would certainly be the correct approach if app review was engaged in your problem. But if they were in their more comfortable position of reacting to your lead you would be better positioned by just resubmitting, as you propose, with a note stating what you did to address their earlier concerns.

I changed the icons and the apps are now approved.

@tomkincaid, I just received a similar note from Apple for many of our apps, although they were not in review. They just wrote me out of the blue to say I must create one "container" app within 30 days or they will remove all my apps from sale.

We are writing to let you know about new information regarding your app currently live on the App Store.

Upon re-evaluation, we found that your app is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines. Specifically, we found:

Design - 4.3

Your app provides the same feature set as other apps you've submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please combine apps with a common features set into a single "container" app that uses the in-app purchase API to deliver different content.

To ensure there is no interruption of the availability of your app on the App Store, please submit an update within 30 days of the date of this message. If we do not receive an update

within 30 days, your app may be removed from sale.What's ironic is that their request is contradictory. Their suggested approach will necessarily result in removal (whether by me or them) of the app (each of them), since I can't convert them into a single app.

In our case, all our icons are already different. They have the style of our brand, but there is a unique image on each app icon.

Is there any additional detail you can provide about your experience? Did you get any pushback on your appeal, or did they just drop the whole "container" app idea?

>combine apps with a common features set into a single "container" app that uses the in-app purchase API to deliver different content.

What's to prohibit you from delivering a single mega app, with all those others mergerd into a bundle, and selling it for one price, vs. IAP pick/choose?

Your note may be 'similar' but it is, in fact, quite different. The OP's note from App Review - as I indicated in my response above - has a 'specific' requirement relating to the icons and a 'please' request relating to other matters. Your note has a 'specific' requirement relating to 'same feature set ... only varies in content or language." Your 'please' request is contained in their suggestion as to how you might resolve their 'specific' requirement; in that sense it is clearly a 'Japanese style' please. (Boy my note above was precient if I must say so myself because the OP failed to mark it as correct.)

You can delete all but one of your apps and that will resolve the problem. Alternatively you can follow what they are suggesting - combine the apps into one app that offers each set of 'content or language' differentiation through multiple IAPs. If you want to convert your current users you can:

1) create a single app that combines the features through the purchase of an IAP

2) create updates for each of your current apps telling the user that they should switch to the single app

3) in each update you need to:

a) tell App Review that you are doing the update to convert current users and tell App REview about b, c and d

b) remove the update from sale within a month or two of its launch

c) add to each update some mechanism to communicate 'purchased' to the single app - you could use shared space in the user's iCloud key-value file or the keychain or various other techniques

d) in the single app search for the 'communication' from the update apps and if appropriate grant the user certain IAP rights.

Good luck!

I'm sorry about what happened in your case, but it's good to see Apple is starting to clean up some existing problems on the App Store.

Guideline 4.3 - Design

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as other apps you've submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please combine apps with similar feature sets into a single "container" app. You may want to consider using the in-app purchase API to deliver the different content to your users.

Best regards,

App Store Review

hi my apps rejected this issue are you help me

Hello,

I have around 400 Apps (since 2012) that based on white label code and recently I start publish new feature for the first 10 apps with version 3.4.0. Resolution Center got rejected all my apps with next note:

From Apple

4. 3 Design: Spam

4.3 - Consolidate

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as many of the other apps you've submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language.

Apps that simply duplicate content or functionality create clutter, diminish the overall experience for the end user, and reduce the ability of developers to market their apps.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please combine apps with similar feature sets into a single "container" app (using the in-app purchase API to deliver different content if appropriate).

We encourage you to review your app concept and incorporate different content and features that are in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.

Best regards,

App Store Review

I submit appeal to the App Review Board and after open case number I reply back with next notes:

Per case # 1164552840 - Not a Spam and cannot be Consolidated. App is branded for specific dealership and cannot be combine into a single "container" app

1. App is Branded for a specific Dealership (Bundle ID is specific to dealership) and use branded dealership assets and cannot be consolidated

2. App is completely stand alone and serve only one dealership with specific car inventory, servicing appointments, loyalty rewards, special offers within dealership

3. App has unique keywords that targeted only to one dealership

4. App have setup with Keywords that have great care to set these keywords up in such a way as to prevent multiple Apps been return on a single search within iTunes, which preventing spamming of the search results

Resolution Team still rejected our apps.

Any help?

Did this get resolved? If you have any suggestions please share. I am having a similar issue with the same business model and am currently being rejected.

We have a similar case, we have different events app. Each one with a client brand and event name (image, icon, etc). And we can't submit any new app without Apple rejection.

And we see our competitors doing the same, but with a different treatment by App Review Board, they accept their submissions.

It's frustrating and unfair...

Hello, we've got same troubles of yours: different customers (beauty saloon) for different app ids.

I did follow this way because each saloon has got it's own template (colors, button, fonts) sharing some common features like booking or promo. I can't create a container app, since I need different store icons for each saloon (content is also totally different).

Anyone has got some news? Anyway we used to release apps like that since 2 years ago and we never had troubles .