Apple Updates App Store Review Guidelines on Push Notifications, Spam, Sign-In with Apple

BY Mahit Huilgol

Published 4 Mar 2020

Apple App Store

Apple has notified developers about the updated App Store Review Guidelines. The company updates its review guidelines in order to better the quality of apps, improve user experience and help weed out spam apps. This time around Apple has changed guidelines across cover reviews, spam, Sign-in with Apple, push notification, and mobile device management.

The review guidelines also cover new features that came along with iOS 13. It also adds new rules for push notifications, app support with hardware and Mobile Device Management. Apple has now mandated iOS and iPadOS 13 SDK’s for developers. In other words, App developers will be able to support ARKit 3, Core ML 3, and dark mode.

iOS 13 is now running on 77% of all iOS devices introduced in the last four years, worldwide. Deliver great user experiences by seamlessly integrating with Dark Mode, Sign in with Apple, and the latest advances in ARKit 3, Core ML 3, and Siri. Starting April 30, 2020, all ‌iPhone‌ apps submitted to the ‌App Store‌ must be built with the ‌iOS 13‌ SDK or later.

Apple has revised the guidelines and is planning to remove apps in certain categories. For instance, the App Store is already saturated when it comes to fortune telling, dating, flashlight, burp, fart, and Kama Sutra apps. Apple will ensure that the apps are of higher quality and might decide to remove the rest. It also warns that “Spamming the store may lead to your removal from the Developer Program.”

Developers criticized Sign-In with Apple feature and accused it of affecting its revenue stream. Updated review guidelines say that apps that use a third-party login service like Facebook Login, Google Sign-In, Sign in with Twitter, Sign In with LinkedIn, etc compulsorily need to offer Sign in with Apple as an option.

If you are a developer feel free to check out Apple’s review guidelines for the App Store. Let us know what you think of the changes.