Apple updates App Store guidelines to address developer concerns. check details

What’s new in the guidelines

Most of the changes introduced in the App Store relate to communication outside the App, the gathering of contact information within the App, and in-app events displayed in the App Store. The new guidelines allow developers to provide users with information regarding making payments outside the App Store.

The new guidelines in the settlement will join a long-standing concern by Apple developers, who called the tech giant over dominating payment options made available to the user.

Developers will be able to share information with their users about their iOS apps and how to pay for purchases outside the App Store. Earlier, Apple claimed that the changes would clarify that developers “can use communications such as email to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS apps.”

The previous statement also said, “As always, developers will not pay Apple a commission on their apps or any purchases made outside the App Store.”

The guidelines also state that apps may request customer information such as name and email, but the request should be optional for the user and should not prevent them from using the app.

Apple’s new guidelines also include information about how developers can use a new App Store feature called an in-app event, which starts next week.

There are some exclusions in the guidelines as well. The tech giant has removed a clause from guideline 3.1. This guideline previously claimed that developers were not allowed to use information obtained within their apps to allow individual users outside of the app to use purchase methods other than Apple’s own in-app purchases. The Old Testament also stated that this would involve sending an email to the address on file received when the customer signed up for the app.