The App Store will no longer accept cloned apps, according to an update to Apple’s developer guidelines.
This is in reaction to calls for action against a number of apps that pose as the well-known AI tool ChatGPT on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Apple claims that pretending to be an app is now prohibited by the App Store’s policies.
As stated in the Developer Code of Conduct, “submitting apps that impersonate other apps or services is considered a violation and may result in removal from the Apple Developer Programme.”
Apple’s revised policies state that developers are no longer permitted to use a name that is similar to another well-known app or to imitate the code or user interface of another app.
“Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers,” Apple added.
The ability for consumers to report incorrect or age-inappropriate ads must be included in applications that contain advertisements, according to a new requirement from Apple that came along with new regulations governing subscriptions offered by carrier apps. Apple stated that it must now authorise any carrier apps that provide subscription bundles when customers buy a new cellular plan for the latter.
The business added that apps with extensions should, if possible, contain functionality like help screens or settings and must adhere to the App Extension Programming Guide, the Safari App Extensions Guide, or the Safari Web Extensions guidelines. Safari extension must function with the most recent Safari version.