Apple’s New Policy Rejects apps Requiring Prior Registration

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In case you are developing an app for Apple’s app store that would require users registration for use, you need to reconsider your decision. Apple’s app store team has rejected the update on Read it Later iOS app. It is apparently due to a new reason for applications that require users registration before offering access to app and content.

Read it Later developer Nate Weiner revealed in a blog post that his minor update to the app was rejected. The reason cited for rejection was what was never practiced before and have not been able to find a single reported instance of after searching on the web and in the developers forums.

Weiner provided the details of reply sent to him by App Review Team, which reads

We’ve reviewed your apps, but cannot post these versions to the App Store because they require customers to register with personal information without providing account-based features.

According to the emails the new norms suggest

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 Weiner points out the norms are not clear. Apple rejected the submission as they think, it requires customers registration
with personal information without providing account based features.
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. It’s rather confusing to find that an app can be both.

Further, Weiner argues that Read it Later doesn’t “collect personal information”. The app just needs a username and password to create the account.

Apprehensively, Apple’s new policy could have an impact on entire community of app developers. Apart form the games, most of the popular application in the app store would be affected by the new set of rules.

This would imply that the web-based applications such as Facebook app, Twitter app, Evernote app, Google Reader apps or any other app would be rejected.

The app developers could manage to get their apps through only if the users don’t register first.

Still its not clear if the issue is isolated and that Apple has rejected Read it Later anonymously.  Weiner has emailed Apple asking for a clarification, until then we have to wait for the final verdict.