App Store displayed on iPod
Apple application guidelines are now available to software developers wanting to see their apps run on the famed iPhones and iPads. On Thursday, the company released guidelines used to determine whether an application can be sold in their app store.
In the past, developers complained about the process of approval for the app store. Developers claimed app submissions were similar to the “black hole.” Until now, Apple had not released any rules or guidelines, which left developers guessing as to what Apple would accept.
The company was accused of having secretive and what seemed like individual assessing of each app according to their impromptu rules. According to software developer Nate Weiner, “If you submit an app, you have no idea what’s going to happen,” he said. “You have no idea when it’s going to be approved or if it’s going to be approved.”
The new guidelines lay a foundation for what Apple is willing to accept, but the company left plenty of gray space to make acceptance decisions on an as needed basis. Apple maintains the right to reject apps for any reason they believe are useless, excessive or over the top. In the guidelines, Apple specifically warns developers about apps that contain rental content, drain the battery, and those that produce excessive heat.
Particularly the guidelines warn developers, “We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, ‘I’ll know it when I see it’. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.” Ultimately, for an app to be considered by Apple it must either be useful or provide “lasting” entertainment.