Critical Warning for External Purchases in Apple App Store
a year ago
- #App Store
- #DMA
- #Apple
- Apple introduces a critical warning for apps using external payment systems in the App Store, displayed prominently above the app's name and icon.
- The warning uses a critical alert icon (orange ! triangle) to emphasize severity, implying external payments may be less secure or private than Apple's IAP.
- In the EU, unlike the US, external purchases don't require corresponding IAP versions, but Apple's messaging suggests security concerns.
- Users may miss warnings if apps auto-update to include external payments without revisiting the store.
- Apple's approach parallels past tactics, like implying non-notarized apps are malware or unsigned apps are untrustworthy.
- Criticism compares Apple's current developer relations unfavorably to Microsoft's historical efforts.