Apple starts rejecting iPhone apps that require registration to work

Filed under: Apple, iPhoneJust when we thought Apple's weird and arbitrary App Store rejections were at an end, they've invented a new reason to keep iPhone apps out of the store. Apparently, Apple doesn't like apps that require you to register for an account before they'll work. Wait, WHAT?

The app that was reportedly rejected is Read It Later, which needs a user account for you to save articles in so you can ... you know, read it later. Apple's rejection notice implied that Read It Later shouldn't be requiring customer registration, because it doesn't provide any "account-based features." Bullpucky!

Here's what Apple said:


"Applications cannot require user registration prior to allowing access to app features and content; such user registration must be optional and tied to account-based functionality."


As TheNextWeb points out, that sentence is a confusing mess of contradictions. You can't require registration for your app to function, unless the registration is required for your app to function? I can't even begin to untangle that Mobius strip of a statement.

The funny thing is that Read It Later doesn't even need personal information beyond a username and password. What about apps like Facebook, Twitter, and the like? You can't use those without an account, but I hardly see Apple rejecting them. Read It Later appears to be the first app rejected using this rationale (if you can call it a rationale), and the developers don't have anything to go on in figuring out what it would take to get it back into the store.

I'll follow this post up if Apple responds to Read It Later or rejects any more apps for the same reasons.Apple starts rejecting iPhone apps that require registration to work originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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