Hello everybody,
a customer asked me to build an app that he can distribute with different colors, title and image bundles. The logic inside is the same for all the distributed apps so I would like to know if those apps would be rejected by Apple for being similar.
Thanks!!
Hello, it would be considered as spamming. Check out section 4.3 in the review guidelines.
4.3 Spam Don’t create multiple Bundle IDs of the same app. If your app has different versions for specific locations, sports teams, universities, etc., consider submitting a single app and provide the variations using in-app purchase. Also avoid piling on to a category that is already saturated; the App Store has enough ****, burp, flashlight, and Kama Sutra apps already. Spamming the store may lead to your removal from the Developer Program.
If the intent is to brand the apps differently (RC Cola, Pepsi, Coca Cola) then it is ok. It the intent is to subcategory (Travel guide Mexico, travel guide Peru) then no.
PBK, i don't see a difference here. Can you expand more? If you are making a bunch of soda apps, Apple will just call spam and shut it down
I'm wondering how would one person search for a partiulcar travel guide for Peru in the future. Cos there can only be so many keywords for one app, if it is a contain app, it would not contain all countries in the keyword. Usually if people go to Peru, they would search "Peru guide" instead of "Travel guide".
So i think some of you need to stop defending or replying general knowledge about 4.3 .
>wondering how would one person search for
App Store search is a black box - hopefully Apple has faith in it (Chomp) to backup their plans behind 4.3, not that any of us would know until we see how it works out...
My response above was dated over a year ago when Apple was starting to deal with this issue. I think we can all agree that there were some developers who were spamming the store with multple, almost identical apps; for example one for each emoticon. So we can agree that in certain circumstances a container app is appropriate. Back in September 2016 I thought that Apple was distinguishing 'brand' differences; a Coke app and a Pepsi app would not be spam because the brand identity differentiates the two apps. It seems Apple did not go that way. They felt the spam problem was so bad that they chose to 'err' on the side that has arosed even legit (IMHO) app developers. Sorry. Maybe the pendulum will swing back after a few months of legit developers pushing back.
Regarding the search issue with Travel Guides (referenced below?).....this is Apple's business model versus your business model. Apple wants you to make a travel guide app and let the user travel from Spain to Catalonia to France to Italy using one app, one entry in the App Store and four IAPs. You prefer 4 apps so your search on their system will work better for you. Actually, since you have figured out how to geo fence, maybe you have generated 40 apps, others have and Apple is responding forcefully to them. I would hope that you see Apple's perspective and will invest in marketing outside of Apple's search system