Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Apple App Store

2026-02-20T17:27:44Z

DriftArray: Update product type in product cargo

{{ToneWarning}}
{{ProductCargo
|ArticleType=Service
|Category=Software marketplace
|Company=Apple
|Description=Software marketplace for official Apple products
|InProduction=Yes
|Logo=App Store (iOS).svg
|ProductLine=
|ReleaseYear=2008
|Website=https://www.apple.com/app-store/
}}

'''[[Apple]]''' uses a range of technical measures to maintain control over the App Store ecosystem. These measures often create roadblocks for app developers and users. Apple typically cites security and user-friendliness for its insistence on extreme regulation and control over its software. Some of the methods Apple uses to control its ecosystem hinders lawmakers' ability to advocate for the rights of consumers and businesses within Apple's ecosystem and prevents apps from being as useful and free as their customers expect.

Although there are supported iOS application installation source alternatives such as [https://altstore.io/ Altstore], they are not commonly used or known about which gives Apple a practical monopoly over iOS users and iOS app developers.

Apple takes fees of up to 30% on digital product sales and subscriptions,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Tushar |date=2025-05-06 |title=Apple cuts App Store fees, but experts urge caution against new U.S. pricing guidelines |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/what-experts-say-about-apple-app-store-pricing-changes/ |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=digitaltrends}}</ref> ranging from game currency to supporting content creators<ref name="patreon">{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Patreon: adding Apple’s 30 percent tax is the price of staying in the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/12/24218629/patreon-membership-ios-30-percent-apple-tax |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Vi9cV |archive-date=13 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> to booking a Zoom call with a local business.<ref name="facebook">{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Katie |last2=Nellis |first2=Stephen |date=28 Aug 2020 |title=Exclusive: Facebook says Apple rejected its attempt to tell users about App Store fees |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-apple-exclusive/exclusive-facebook-says-apple-rejected-its-attempt-to-tell-users-about-app-store-fees-idUSKBN25O042/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/9CJDN |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Some argue that these fees hinder iOS app developers from innovating and using the money to further improve their applications.{{Citation needed}} There are groups in support of developers who are experiencing difficulties in continuing development due to Apple (and [[Google]]'s) fees of between 15% and 30% of all revenue. These groups deny the notion that Apple and Google require the money generated by the app more than the developer.{{Citation needed}} These fees also push app developers to increase prices to maximize profits, which increases the prices that users have to pay.

Because of this, several governments including South Korea,<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Mar 2022 |title=South Korea approves rules on app store law targeting Apple, Google |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-approves-rules-app-store-law-targeting-apple-google-2022-03-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/q1VQW |archive-date=11 Jan 2023 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Japan,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharwood |first=Simon |date=13 Jun 2024 |title=Japan forces Apple and Google to allow third-party app stores and payments |url=https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/13/japan_smartphone_software_law/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Jj9BI |archive-date=13 Jun 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Register]]}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]</ref> the United Kingdom,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Competition and Markets Authority |date=4 Mar 2021 |title=Investigation into Apple AppStore |url=https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-apple-appstore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/uZ7A5 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref> Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 Apr 2021 |title=Dominance of Apple and Google's app stores impacting competition and consumers |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/dominance-of-apple-and-googles-app-stores-impacting-competition-and-consumers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Bw3gv |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ACCC]]}}</ref> as well as the US and a handful of US States<ref>[[wikipedia:Open App Markets Act|Open App Markets Act]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=S.5364 - App Store Accountability Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/5364/text/is |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7yPxE |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[congress.gov]]}}</ref><ref name="doj">{{Cite web |last=Balsamo |first=Mike |last2=Liedtke |first2=Mike |last3=Whitehurst |first3=Lindsay |last4=Bajak |first4=Frank |date=21 Mar 2024 |title=Justice Department sues Apple, alleging it illegally monopolized the smartphone market |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-monopoly-app-store-justice-department-822d7e8f5cf53a2636795fcc33ee1fc3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/BB4Zn |archive-date=21 Mar 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[APNews]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Feb 2021 |title=It’s time to free ourselves from ‘Big Tech’ monopoly |url=https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2021/02/19/its-time-to-free-ourselves-from-big-tech-monopoly/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/bLDwu |archive-date=23 Feb 2021 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Arizona Capitol Times]]}}</ref> have opened investigations into anti-competitive practices, or considered or already passed legislation to force "gatekeeper platforms" such as Apple to be more reasonable with third-party developers.

This being a significant threat to Apple's revenue stream (interestingly, one they claim to be unsure is profitable<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Apr 2024 |title=Schiller doesn’t know whether the App Store is profitable; there are no minutes of meetings |url=https://9to5mac.com/2024/04/17/app-store-is-profitable-apple-notes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/AinvZ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9to5Mac]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Jan 2025 |title=Apple denies App Store profit margin is 75% – claims to have no clue |url=https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/17/apple-denies-app-store-profit-margin-is-75-claims-to-have-no-clue/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9t05Mac]]}}</ref>), they have responded with practices such as geo-blocking certain operating system functionality based on physical location,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eligibility |url=https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Apple Wiki]]}}</ref> misrepresenting/overstating risks, and using careful wording with commonly-understood terms to describe unreasonably difficult-to-use systems.{{Citation needed}}

Unlike traditional software license purchases, Apple's App Store terms tie the license to a specific account, making it impossible for users to resell their licenses secondhand, buy apps secondhand, or inherit a license from a relative.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-10 |title=I can sell my apps? |url=https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5888894 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DelOf |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-11-25 |website=Apple Community}}</ref> This system has since been copied by numerous other players in the media and digital goods sector.

==Background info==
Important terms in this article:

*'''[[wikipedia:Sandbox (computer security)|Sandbox]]''': Reduces the user's device/data exposure to security risks by reducing what an app is allowed to do.
*'''[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Entitlements Entitlements]''': Apple's method of "poking holes" in the sandbox to give the app more permissions. Some are available to developers, while many are only available to Apple.
*'''[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]''': The European Union's fairly sweeping recent regulations against forcing companies they classify as "gatekeepers" to play nice, giving smaller businesses access to software/hardware features they've historically reserved for their own use.

==In-app purchases==
Apple has been collecting users' credit card numbers since launching the iTunes Store in 2004. The launch of the App Store in 2008, followed by the introduction of in-app purchases (IAPs) in 2009, allowed iPhone app developers to sell app features to users. The IAP system is provided as a developer framework named [https://developer.apple.com/storekit/ StoreKit]. Apps and their in-app purchases are managed through a dashboard named [https://developer.apple.com/app-store-connect/ App Store Connect]. App sales have eclipsed iTunes Store sales, and are now a primary focus of Apple's Media Services division.

Apple requires that any purchase of a digital good or service within an app use its in-app purchase system. This may seem reasonable because the customer may inevitably call Apple support, demanding a refund for an app they have issues with. Apple would rather provide a refund and leave the customer with a positive support experience than initiate a messy process involving contact with a third party, whose customer service is likely to be of a lower quality.

App Store purchase fees range from 15% to 30%. In September 2016, Apple expanded subscriptions to be available for any type of app, also introducing a 15% discount incentive for users who had already subscribed for a year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goode |first=Lauren |date=2 Sep 2016 |title=Apple’s new subscription offerings are now available to App Store developers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/2/12774758/apple-developers-app-store-new-subscription-rules |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KmJCn |archive-date=7 Jan 202 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> In November 2020, Apple introduced a reduced 15% fee for app developers with annual revenue below $1 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centers |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Apple Drops App Store Commission to 15% for Small Developers |url=https://tidbits.com/2020/11/18/apple-drops-app-store-commission-to-15-for-small-developers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/tt8Hs |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[TidBITS]]}}</ref> For developers above this threshold, and for cases excluded from this program, such as for games, the fee is 30%. In the 2008 announcement of the App Store, Apple considered this a reasonable, industry-standard fee. However, the way we use apps has significantly evolved since 2009 - the world has shifted to heavily depend upon mobile apps, which have also evolved into more complex and sustainable business models than a simple one-time purchase.

[[wikipedia:Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]], a popular platform used for payments on the web, uses a base fee of 2.9% plus a fixed $0.30 in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pricing |url=https://stripe.com/it/pricing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FoCG4 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Stripe]]}}</ref> With add-on services, before considering volume discounts, a Stripe transaction may have a cost of 6.4% + $1.10.<ref>Calculated from base fee (2.9% + $0.30) + international card (1.5%) + adaptive pricing (2%) + international payment methods ($0.80), as of January 2025</ref> Stripe has been used by businesses ranging from small online stores to [[OpenAI]] for ChatGPT Plus. Competing payment services have similar or identical fees to Stripe. '''The in-app purchase system does not provide sufficient value to justify the considerably higher costs compared to alternative payment platforms.'''

The App Store system poorly handles secondary marketplaces of digital services that exist within the primary App Store marketplace, such as Patreon. Apple, however, still requires companies in the business of selling digital services to use this inadequate system. This requires the app to account for Apple's fee, which is significant enough to warrant price increases frequently, and to follow rules even if they do not align with the nature of the service being provided. Apple has often been found in disputes with such apps. This injects extra complication at no benefit to the marketplace, the creator, or the customer - only to Apple, which has little to no involvement after delivering the initial app download to the user's phone. The significant fee also often drives app developers to consider building their app around an advertising model instead, creating privacy concerns.

Additionally, the 15% small business fee discount is determined based on the app's overall turnover and is not applied to individual creators within the app's marketplace. An app that generates over $1 million per year by providing services to creators who individually earn less than $1 million per year does not qualify for the discount.

Apple, often in conjunction with Google, engages in lobbying efforts in the United States and other countries to address these issues. "ACT | The App Association", pitched as an association of independent small business app developers, is at least 50% funded by Apple, and does not list its claimed 2,000 members.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2021 |title=Not a class ACT: the so-called App Association is simply an Apple Association and does NOT represent app developers' interests in fair distribution terms |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2021/10/not-class-act-so-called-app-association.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eyn0i |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Sep 2022 |title=Vast majority of ACT {{!}} The App Association's funding comes from Apple, former employees tell Bloomberg: astroturfing against app developers' interests |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2022/09/vast-majority-of-act-app-associations.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eGRNV |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref> In March 2024, the United States Department of Justice, along with 16 state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company "extracts more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others."<ref name="doj" /> The future of this lawsuit is unclear as of April 2025.

Despite criticism of Apple forcing its fee into transactions with small businesses and creators on platforms such as [[#Patreon|Patreon]] and [[#Facebook online events|Facebook]], on January 23, 2025, Apple announced the Advanced Commerce API. It "support[s] developers' evolving business models - such as extensive content catalogs, creator experiences, and subscriptions with optional add-ons".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Jan 2025 |title=Introducing the Advanced Commerce API |url=https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=yxy958ya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KEH8h |archive-date=23 Jan 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref> While positioned as a way for such businesses to save development time and avoid ongoing costs by building on top of Apple's mature payments platform, its use is, in fact, necessary for these businesses to comply with the App Store guidelines, as seen in the cases outlined below. The feature requires submitting a description of the app's business model to Apple for approval. This continues a trend of requiring Apple's consent to conduct business in a place where users have been trained to expect it.

===Epic Games===
{{hatnote|See also: [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Apple|Epic Games v. Apple]] and [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Google|Epic Games v. Google]]}}

[[Epic Games, Inc.]] is a video game developer and publisher, known for games such as [[Fortnite]] and [[Unreal Tournament]], the [[Unreal Engine]], and the [[Epic Games Store]].

In 2018, Epic Games launched Fortnite on the iOS and Android platforms. The company made the unusual decision not to release the app on the [[Google Play Store]] - instead, it was made available as a standalone [[wikipedia:apk (file format)|Android app package]] file (.apk), which must be installed by following a series of manual steps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=3 Aug 2018 |title=Fortnite for Android will ditch Google Play Store for Epic’s website |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/3/17645982/epic-games-fortnite-android-version-bypass-google-play-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/yTQLj |archive-date=16 Mar 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The app was also released on the [[Samsung]] [[Samsung Galaxy Store|Galaxy Store]]. Google offered Epic Games a $147 million deal to release Fortnite on the Play Store, which the company declined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=9 Nov 2023 |title=Google offered Epic $147 million to launch Fortnite on the Play Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23953262/google-epic-fortnite-play-store-investment-antitrust-trial |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/poKzi |archive-date=9 Nov 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 22 April 2020, Fortnite was finally released on the Play Store.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=22 April 2020 |title=Fortnite available on the Google Play Store for the first time |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/21/21229930/fortnite-available-on-google-play-android-mobile-devices |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Z0huU |archive-date=13 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Polygon]]}}</ref> In a statement, the company explained:

<blockquote>
After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we've come to a basic realization: Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store.
</blockquote>

On 13 August 2020, Epic Games launched a campaign against both Apple and Google's app store business practices. The company released app updates on both platforms, introducing a method for purchasing V-Bucks, in-game currency, at a 20% discount by directly transacting with Epic Games, against the developer rules of both platforms. The platforms responded by removing the game from their storefronts. Epic Games then filed civil antitrust lawsuits against both companies in the Northern District of California.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Epic Games is suing Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/13/21367963/epic-fortnite-legal-complaint-apple-ios-app-store-removal-injunctive-relief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vfFgU |archive-date=14 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The campaign, branded "Free Fortnite", was later extended with lawsuits and complaints in Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Epic Games extends its fight against Apple to Australia |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251219044545/https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |archive-date=19 Dec 2025}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Feb 2021 |title=Epic Game Files EU Antitrust Complaint Against Apple |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-eu-antitrust-complaint-against-apple |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/0Nqn7 |archive-date=26 May 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref> and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Mar 2021 |title=Epic Games files complaint to support CMA Apple investigation |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-complaint-to-support-cma-apple-investigation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FMiCR |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref>

On September 11, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decided the case. While the lawsuit against Apple failed on nine of the ten counts, Rogers ruled against Apple's use of "anti-steering" - its strategy of preventing users from being "steered" to a third-party storefront for payment processing - and placed a permanent injunction on this behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandon |first=Russell |date=11 Sep 2021 |title=Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/gf9tJ |archive-date=10 Sep 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> Despite the case mostly failing, the discovery process provided significant insight into Apple's decision-making process regarding App Store policies, including decisions made in major app review disputes. In one case, executive Phil Schiller argued for reducing the fee by 30%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gurman |first=Mark |date=4 May 2021 |title=Apple’s Schiller Floated Cutting App Store Fees a Decade Ago |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-03/apple-s-schiller-floated-cutting-app-store-fees-a-decade-ago |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/R7Zus |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Bloomberg]]}}</ref>

Epic Games and Apple both appealed the decision. 35 state attorneys-general, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] (EFF), [[Microsoft]], among others, filed amicus briefs in support of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=29 Jan 2022 |title=Epic largely lost to Apple, but 35 states are now backing its fight in a higher court |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/28/22907106/epic-games-v-apple-amicus-briefs-states-eff-microsoft-appeal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/P0TZY |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 11 December 2023, the jury in the case against Google decided on all 11 counts in favor of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bensinger |first=Greg |last2=Scarcella |first2=Mike |date=13 Dec 2023 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust case against Google over Play app store |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/google-epic-games-face-off-app-antitrust-trial-nears-end-2023-12-11/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/WaLBK |archive-date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 1 May 2025, Rogers found that Apple willfully chose not to comply with the 2021 injunction, commenting "that it thought this court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=1 May 2025 |title=A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/659246/apple-epic-app-store-judge-ruling-control |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IThaV |archive-date=1 May 2025 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

===Facebook online events===
In August 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook introduced the ability for small businesses to accept an entrance fee for events. Previously, Facebook would only serve as a way to RSVP for the event; the organizer had to use a third-party event ticketing system to collect fees. The company pledged not to collect any fee on event sales "until 2023".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Paid Online Events for Small Business Recovery |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/paid-online-events/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7X7KH |archive-date=6 Sep 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Meta]]}}</ref>

Apple disagreed, requiring the feature to use the in-app purchases system. This introduced Apple's 30% fee. As this increases the price the user pays, with no benefit to the small business the user intended to support, the cost was displayed as a line item in checkout. Apple did not accept this disclosure of the price, referring to it as "irrelevant".<ref name="facebook" /> Facebook was allowed to compromise on displaying the fee, but ''without'' indicating that it is specifically an App Store fee.

===HEY===
HEY.com is a paid webmail provider launched in June 2020 by long-time software company [[wikipedia:37signals|37signals]], specializing in inbox organization tools.

After successfully launching the initial version of the app on the App Store, the company announced that an update was rejected due to a complaint about the business model. The app does not support in-app purchases; instead, users are expected to have an account with the service already. Apple did not like this arrangement and demanded that the company build an in-app subscription option. The company argued that it is being held to a different set of rules than apps such as [[Netflix, Inc.|Netflix]], whose app does not provide any way to purchase a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=17 Jun 2020 |title=Hey.com exec says Apple is acting like ‘gangsters,’ rejecting App Store updates and demanding cut of sales |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293419/hey-apple-rejection-ios-app-store-dhh-gangsters-antitrust |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/OERP2 |archive-date=28 Jun 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> After a suggestion from Apple executive Phil Schiller in the media, HEY introduced a 14-day free trial mode, which was approved.<ref>https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251114230238/https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ Archived])</ref><ref>https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251113115149/https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ Archived])</ref>

===Patreon===
In August 2024, [[Patreon]] announced a change in arrangement with Apple for its App Store app. From November 2024, subscriptions started from the iOS app would be required to use the in-app purchase system, bypassing Patreon's own long-standing payment practices.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Apple’s requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon. Here’s what you need to know. |url=https://news.patreon.com/articles/understanding-apple-requirements-for-patreon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3Wid0 |archive-date=14 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Patreon]]}}</ref><ref name="patreon" /> This change does not affect the Android app.

By forcing Patreon out of the payments pipeline, specific payment models are no longer available to users of Patreon's iOS app. Creators who rely on the "per-creation" payment model, as opposed to the standard "per-month", can no longer be subscribed to from the app. The app is also unable to support the "first-of-the-month" model, where payments from all subscribers are collected on the first day of the month, rather than every 30 days, since each member's subscription day varies. The price must also be rounded to a price tier supported by Apple.

Patreon allows creators to choose between increasing their prices by 30% in the iOS app or maintaining the same prices, forfeiting 30% to Apple. Creators frequently remind potential supporters not to use the Patreon iOS app, adding extra inconvenience to those wanting to support the work of small creators.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - fee on top.png|"Maintain earnings and cover Apple's fee by increasing prices in the iOS app" (Recommended)
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - absorb fee.png|"Keep prices in the iOS app the same and cover Apple's fee yourself."
</gallery>

A similar case occurred with the app Fanhouse in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@jasminericegirl |date=9 Jun 2021 |title=#fuckapple, a thread I cofounded @fanhouseapp 8 months ago to empower creators to monetize their content. We pay creators 90% of earnings. Now, Apple is threatening to remove Fanhouse from the app store unless we give them 30% of creator earnings. This is theft and exploitation. |url=https://x.com/jasminericegirl/status/1402691047940100100 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/U0qQw |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

===Twitter===
In August 2021, [[Twitter]] introduced a feature named Super Follows (now Subscriptions), in which users can pay a subscription fee to access more of a creator's content. For each user who enables Subscriptions, Twitter must submit a new in-app purchase SKU to the App Store, which will become available with the next update to the app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@wongmjane |date=2 Sep 2021 |title=Each Super Follow is an In-App Purchase on the App Store, but because there are too many IAPs for the Twitter app, the App Store only shows 10 instead of the full list |url=https://x.com/wongmjane/status/1433372120080261120 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3gqwM |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref> This, of course, is subject to the 30% fee. At the time of writing in January 2025, viewing the App Store listing reveals Elon Musk's $4.00 subscription as the fourth most popular IAP item.

==Notarization==
Since 2015, Apple has required all Mac apps to be "notarized." This is a preliminary, automated malware check, which, upon passing, provides a notary certificate that gets "stapled" to the app. Apple's explanation:

<blockquote>
Notarization of macOS software is not App Review. The Apple notary service is an automated system that scans your software for malicious content, checks for code-signing issues, and returns the results to you quickly. If there are no issues, the notary service generates a ticket for you to staple to your software; the notary service also publishes that ticket online where Gatekeeper can find it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notarizing macOS software before distribution |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing-macos-software-before-distribution |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/H4EO9 |archive-date=26 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Whether this approach is actually better than that used by Windows antivirus, which only detects new malware samples when they are already on a user's computer, is a separate topic.

To comply with the DMA's regulations on app marketplaces, Apple created a new channel for releasing apps outside of the iOS App Store. Apps go through a notarization process. But the process is definitely ''not'' notarization. The name is intentionally being abused, by contrast to notarization on macOS, to make you believe it is something other than the existing App Review system. Despite the pain some developers and users have with it, notarization on macOS has always been considered a net positive. It made sense to take advantage of its reputation for the entirely different "notarization" on iOS.

See for yourself - view the [https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ App Review Guidelines] and tick "Show Notarization Review Guidelines Only". While this eliminates most rules, a significant number of them remain in place. These apps are still reviewed and tested by the App Review team, must have a complete product listing in App Store Connect, and can be outright rejected - all in the same way as an App Store app.

By contrast, all that is required for notarization on macOS is for your app not to be malware. You submit it to an automated system that approves it within minutes. '''You don't need to convince Apple that your app is worthy of existing on their platform.'''

The purpose of macOS notarization is that Apple maintains a record of all binaries intended for wide distribution on macOS, allowing it to review them both in advance and regularly for known malware/common malware patterns. If a malware app manages to get through, when Apple initially finds out, they can go back into the notary records and find every sample of that malware to analyze and block. This is a purely technical process, managed by skilled security researchers. At the same time, iOS app review and "notarization" are business processes managed by workers who have been given a checklist of violations to look for.

Apple is retaining complete control over what's allowed to run on iOS. On macOS, you can choose to run apps that have not been notarized (even though the process to bypass the warning is intentionally difficult). On iOS, you never get even that option. What Apple created is the App Store, but with more steps. It is still available on the App Store, but it is hidden so that it can only be installed through the third-party store it's tied to.

*Mysk: "iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store, and if the app is not available there, this happens."<ref>{{Cite web |last=@mysk_co |date=28 Jun 2024 |title=iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store and if the app is not available there, this happens: |url=https://x.com/mysk_co/status/1806638308455256242 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DsQQH |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

==JIT==
The following paragraph is highly technical: JIT allows for speedy programs/apps, and due to its fast nature, it's used almost everywhere and represents a massive improvement over older code interpreters.

[[wikipedia:Just-in-time compilation|JIT]], which stands for Just-In-Time, is a method of code execution where code, instead of being compiled before being distributed (like an EXE), gets compiled into machine code in real time right before being executed. This method of code execution allows for much faster website loading times, speedier emulation, faster program execution (with programs written in JavaScript, Python, Lua...) compared to interpreters, which instead translate code into machine code line by line, which is much, much slower; JIT also employs many more optimization techniques meant to improve performance.

Safari is allowed to use JIT to compile code from any site, just like Apple's [https://apps.apple.com/app/swift-playgrounds/id908519492 Playgrounds] app on iPad. Playgrounds bundle Apple's [[wikipedia:Swift (programming language)|Swift]] compiler and share backend code with the version of Playgrounds found in [[wikipedia:Xcode|Xcode]].

Third-party apps, such as Pythonista (a Python IDE), emulators like Delta and UTM, and terminal environments like iSH, are not allowed to use JIT; instead, they must interpret code, which results in severe performance degradation and increased computational expense, potentially draining more battery.

An example of apps being heavily affected by this restriction is UTM. UTM is a port of [[wikipedia:QEMU|QEMU]] for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, allowing users to create [[wikipedia:Virtual_machine|VMs]] that can run various operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. The iPhone's hardware is capable enough to emulate various modern OSes at full speed. Still, due to Apple's JIT limitation, the team behind UTM had to create UTM SE (slow edition), which doesn't require JIT but is nowhere near as fast as UTM with JIT, only being capable of running MS-DOS and derivatives at acceptable speeds. While methods that enable JIT for apps other than Safari and Playgrounds exist (some are currently working on iOS 18.5, like [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stikdebug/id6744045754 StikDebug]), Apple does not allow the use of JIT in notarized apps, meaning that apps that support JIT will have to be sideloaded, which comes with its own set of restrictions.

In the EU, Apple permitted web browsers to use rendering and JavaScript engines other than the built-in with Apple WebKit/JavaScriptCore, with the option for JS engines to use JIT. The browser still needs to be approved by Apple for an entitlement and must then work within the APIs provided by Apple. However, as of January 2025, no browsers using engines different from the built-in ones have been released, primarily due to arbitrarily imposed restrictions intended to discourage the use and development of third-party engines.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mozilla says Apple’s new browser rules are ‘as painful as possible’ for Firefox |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/26/24052067/mozilla-apple-ios-browser-rules-firefox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/720xn |archive-date=26 Jan 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

However, Apple still does not allow different engines outside of the EU, with or without JIT support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=App Review Guidelines |url=https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5.6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/D9fQQ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
==In-app browsers==
When apps want to display web content without opening the standalone Safari browser, app developers can use Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/ WebKit] APIs, such as WKWebView. However, due to Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox application sandboxing] and WebKit’s data-isolation model, web content loaded inside one app does not have access to Safari’s cookies, browsing history, saved sessions, or extensions, nor to data from other apps’ embedded web views. Each app’s embedded browser operates with its own isolated website data store.

As a result, web pages opened inside embedded browsers, such as those used in apps like Facebook, do not appear in Safari’s browsing history, and there is typically no persistent, user-accessible history within the app itself. Users may also be asked to sign in to the same services (for example, during OAuth login flows like Google) because cookies and session data are not shared with Safari. Additionally, Safari extensions, including content blockers, dark-mode tools, and other privacy or accessibility extensions, do not function inside embedded web views.

Apple states App Sandboxing "provides protection to system resources and user data by limiting your app’s access to resources requested through entitlements."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=App Sandbox {{!}} Apple Developer Documentation |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IkLXF |archive-date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Apple Developer}}</ref> However, developers have voiced frustration with how WebKit is sandboxed which can result in degraded user experiences, such as with repeated OAuth login flows between apps.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=Impact of iOS 11 no longer providing shared cookies between Safari, Safari View Controller instances |url=https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=GitHub |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113172345/https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref> Some developers have found workarounds for sharing information with the native Safari app, but it is unknown whether these methods still function in modern versions Apple's various operating systems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Leon |date=2025-01-12 |title=Does WKWebView uses cookies from Safari? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/a/41486576 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218231045/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40148060/does-wkwebview-uses-cookies-from-safari |archive-date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=StackOverflow}}</ref>

==See also==
*[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility Eligibility]
*Posts written by the author of this article:
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html The iOS 17.4 app marketplace flow is a disaster] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20251112051617/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html Archived] 2025-11-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html How I tricked iOS into giving me EU DMA features] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053403/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html Archived] 2026-01-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Features controlled by iOS 17.4's eligibility system] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053400/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Archived] 2026-01-12)

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Apple App Store]]

Apple App Store

2026-02-20T17:26:32Z

DriftArray: Update product cargo details

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|Category=Software
|Company=Apple
|Description=Software marketplace for official Apple products
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|Website=https://www.apple.com/app-store/
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'''[[Apple]]''' uses a range of technical measures to maintain control over the App Store ecosystem. These measures often create roadblocks for app developers and users. Apple typically cites security and user-friendliness for its insistence on extreme regulation and control over its software. Some of the methods Apple uses to control its ecosystem hinders lawmakers' ability to advocate for the rights of consumers and businesses within Apple's ecosystem and prevents apps from being as useful and free as their customers expect.

Although there are supported iOS application installation source alternatives such as [https://altstore.io/ Altstore], they are not commonly used or known about which gives Apple a practical monopoly over iOS users and iOS app developers.

Apple takes fees of up to 30% on digital product sales and subscriptions,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Tushar |date=2025-05-06 |title=Apple cuts App Store fees, but experts urge caution against new U.S. pricing guidelines |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/what-experts-say-about-apple-app-store-pricing-changes/ |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=digitaltrends}}</ref> ranging from game currency to supporting content creators<ref name="patreon">{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Patreon: adding Apple’s 30 percent tax is the price of staying in the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/12/24218629/patreon-membership-ios-30-percent-apple-tax |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Vi9cV |archive-date=13 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> to booking a Zoom call with a local business.<ref name="facebook">{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Katie |last2=Nellis |first2=Stephen |date=28 Aug 2020 |title=Exclusive: Facebook says Apple rejected its attempt to tell users about App Store fees |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-apple-exclusive/exclusive-facebook-says-apple-rejected-its-attempt-to-tell-users-about-app-store-fees-idUSKBN25O042/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/9CJDN |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Some argue that these fees hinder iOS app developers from innovating and using the money to further improve their applications.{{Citation needed}} There are groups in support of developers who are experiencing difficulties in continuing development due to Apple (and [[Google]]'s) fees of between 15% and 30% of all revenue. These groups deny the notion that Apple and Google require the money generated by the app more than the developer.{{Citation needed}} These fees also push app developers to increase prices to maximize profits, which increases the prices that users have to pay.

Because of this, several governments including South Korea,<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Mar 2022 |title=South Korea approves rules on app store law targeting Apple, Google |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-approves-rules-app-store-law-targeting-apple-google-2022-03-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/q1VQW |archive-date=11 Jan 2023 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Japan,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharwood |first=Simon |date=13 Jun 2024 |title=Japan forces Apple and Google to allow third-party app stores and payments |url=https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/13/japan_smartphone_software_law/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Jj9BI |archive-date=13 Jun 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Register]]}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]</ref> the United Kingdom,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Competition and Markets Authority |date=4 Mar 2021 |title=Investigation into Apple AppStore |url=https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-apple-appstore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/uZ7A5 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref> Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 Apr 2021 |title=Dominance of Apple and Google's app stores impacting competition and consumers |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/dominance-of-apple-and-googles-app-stores-impacting-competition-and-consumers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Bw3gv |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ACCC]]}}</ref> as well as the US and a handful of US States<ref>[[wikipedia:Open App Markets Act|Open App Markets Act]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=S.5364 - App Store Accountability Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/5364/text/is |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7yPxE |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[congress.gov]]}}</ref><ref name="doj">{{Cite web |last=Balsamo |first=Mike |last2=Liedtke |first2=Mike |last3=Whitehurst |first3=Lindsay |last4=Bajak |first4=Frank |date=21 Mar 2024 |title=Justice Department sues Apple, alleging it illegally monopolized the smartphone market |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-monopoly-app-store-justice-department-822d7e8f5cf53a2636795fcc33ee1fc3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/BB4Zn |archive-date=21 Mar 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[APNews]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Feb 2021 |title=It’s time to free ourselves from ‘Big Tech’ monopoly |url=https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2021/02/19/its-time-to-free-ourselves-from-big-tech-monopoly/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/bLDwu |archive-date=23 Feb 2021 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Arizona Capitol Times]]}}</ref> have opened investigations into anti-competitive practices, or considered or already passed legislation to force "gatekeeper platforms" such as Apple to be more reasonable with third-party developers.

This being a significant threat to Apple's revenue stream (interestingly, one they claim to be unsure is profitable<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Apr 2024 |title=Schiller doesn’t know whether the App Store is profitable; there are no minutes of meetings |url=https://9to5mac.com/2024/04/17/app-store-is-profitable-apple-notes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/AinvZ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9to5Mac]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Jan 2025 |title=Apple denies App Store profit margin is 75% – claims to have no clue |url=https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/17/apple-denies-app-store-profit-margin-is-75-claims-to-have-no-clue/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9t05Mac]]}}</ref>), they have responded with practices such as geo-blocking certain operating system functionality based on physical location,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eligibility |url=https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Apple Wiki]]}}</ref> misrepresenting/overstating risks, and using careful wording with commonly-understood terms to describe unreasonably difficult-to-use systems.{{Citation needed}}

Unlike traditional software license purchases, Apple's App Store terms tie the license to a specific account, making it impossible for users to resell their licenses secondhand, buy apps secondhand, or inherit a license from a relative.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-10 |title=I can sell my apps? |url=https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5888894 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DelOf |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-11-25 |website=Apple Community}}</ref> This system has since been copied by numerous other players in the media and digital goods sector.

==Background info==
Important terms in this article:

*'''[[wikipedia:Sandbox (computer security)|Sandbox]]''': Reduces the user's device/data exposure to security risks by reducing what an app is allowed to do.
*'''[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Entitlements Entitlements]''': Apple's method of "poking holes" in the sandbox to give the app more permissions. Some are available to developers, while many are only available to Apple.
*'''[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]''': The European Union's fairly sweeping recent regulations against forcing companies they classify as "gatekeepers" to play nice, giving smaller businesses access to software/hardware features they've historically reserved for their own use.

==In-app purchases==
Apple has been collecting users' credit card numbers since launching the iTunes Store in 2004. The launch of the App Store in 2008, followed by the introduction of in-app purchases (IAPs) in 2009, allowed iPhone app developers to sell app features to users. The IAP system is provided as a developer framework named [https://developer.apple.com/storekit/ StoreKit]. Apps and their in-app purchases are managed through a dashboard named [https://developer.apple.com/app-store-connect/ App Store Connect]. App sales have eclipsed iTunes Store sales, and are now a primary focus of Apple's Media Services division.

Apple requires that any purchase of a digital good or service within an app use its in-app purchase system. This may seem reasonable because the customer may inevitably call Apple support, demanding a refund for an app they have issues with. Apple would rather provide a refund and leave the customer with a positive support experience than initiate a messy process involving contact with a third party, whose customer service is likely to be of a lower quality.

App Store purchase fees range from 15% to 30%. In September 2016, Apple expanded subscriptions to be available for any type of app, also introducing a 15% discount incentive for users who had already subscribed for a year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goode |first=Lauren |date=2 Sep 2016 |title=Apple’s new subscription offerings are now available to App Store developers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/2/12774758/apple-developers-app-store-new-subscription-rules |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KmJCn |archive-date=7 Jan 202 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> In November 2020, Apple introduced a reduced 15% fee for app developers with annual revenue below $1 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centers |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Apple Drops App Store Commission to 15% for Small Developers |url=https://tidbits.com/2020/11/18/apple-drops-app-store-commission-to-15-for-small-developers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/tt8Hs |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[TidBITS]]}}</ref> For developers above this threshold, and for cases excluded from this program, such as for games, the fee is 30%. In the 2008 announcement of the App Store, Apple considered this a reasonable, industry-standard fee. However, the way we use apps has significantly evolved since 2009 - the world has shifted to heavily depend upon mobile apps, which have also evolved into more complex and sustainable business models than a simple one-time purchase.

[[wikipedia:Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]], a popular platform used for payments on the web, uses a base fee of 2.9% plus a fixed $0.30 in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pricing |url=https://stripe.com/it/pricing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FoCG4 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Stripe]]}}</ref> With add-on services, before considering volume discounts, a Stripe transaction may have a cost of 6.4% + $1.10.<ref>Calculated from base fee (2.9% + $0.30) + international card (1.5%) + adaptive pricing (2%) + international payment methods ($0.80), as of January 2025</ref> Stripe has been used by businesses ranging from small online stores to [[OpenAI]] for ChatGPT Plus. Competing payment services have similar or identical fees to Stripe. '''The in-app purchase system does not provide sufficient value to justify the considerably higher costs compared to alternative payment platforms.'''

The App Store system poorly handles secondary marketplaces of digital services that exist within the primary App Store marketplace, such as Patreon. Apple, however, still requires companies in the business of selling digital services to use this inadequate system. This requires the app to account for Apple's fee, which is significant enough to warrant price increases frequently, and to follow rules even if they do not align with the nature of the service being provided. Apple has often been found in disputes with such apps. This injects extra complication at no benefit to the marketplace, the creator, or the customer - only to Apple, which has little to no involvement after delivering the initial app download to the user's phone. The significant fee also often drives app developers to consider building their app around an advertising model instead, creating privacy concerns.

Additionally, the 15% small business fee discount is determined based on the app's overall turnover and is not applied to individual creators within the app's marketplace. An app that generates over $1 million per year by providing services to creators who individually earn less than $1 million per year does not qualify for the discount.

Apple, often in conjunction with Google, engages in lobbying efforts in the United States and other countries to address these issues. "ACT | The App Association", pitched as an association of independent small business app developers, is at least 50% funded by Apple, and does not list its claimed 2,000 members.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2021 |title=Not a class ACT: the so-called App Association is simply an Apple Association and does NOT represent app developers' interests in fair distribution terms |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2021/10/not-class-act-so-called-app-association.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eyn0i |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Sep 2022 |title=Vast majority of ACT {{!}} The App Association's funding comes from Apple, former employees tell Bloomberg: astroturfing against app developers' interests |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2022/09/vast-majority-of-act-app-associations.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eGRNV |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref> In March 2024, the United States Department of Justice, along with 16 state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company "extracts more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others."<ref name="doj" /> The future of this lawsuit is unclear as of April 2025.

Despite criticism of Apple forcing its fee into transactions with small businesses and creators on platforms such as [[#Patreon|Patreon]] and [[#Facebook online events|Facebook]], on January 23, 2025, Apple announced the Advanced Commerce API. It "support[s] developers' evolving business models - such as extensive content catalogs, creator experiences, and subscriptions with optional add-ons".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Jan 2025 |title=Introducing the Advanced Commerce API |url=https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=yxy958ya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KEH8h |archive-date=23 Jan 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref> While positioned as a way for such businesses to save development time and avoid ongoing costs by building on top of Apple's mature payments platform, its use is, in fact, necessary for these businesses to comply with the App Store guidelines, as seen in the cases outlined below. The feature requires submitting a description of the app's business model to Apple for approval. This continues a trend of requiring Apple's consent to conduct business in a place where users have been trained to expect it.

===Epic Games===
{{hatnote|See also: [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Apple|Epic Games v. Apple]] and [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Google|Epic Games v. Google]]}}

[[Epic Games, Inc.]] is a video game developer and publisher, known for games such as [[Fortnite]] and [[Unreal Tournament]], the [[Unreal Engine]], and the [[Epic Games Store]].

In 2018, Epic Games launched Fortnite on the iOS and Android platforms. The company made the unusual decision not to release the app on the [[Google Play Store]] - instead, it was made available as a standalone [[wikipedia:apk (file format)|Android app package]] file (.apk), which must be installed by following a series of manual steps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=3 Aug 2018 |title=Fortnite for Android will ditch Google Play Store for Epic’s website |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/3/17645982/epic-games-fortnite-android-version-bypass-google-play-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/yTQLj |archive-date=16 Mar 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The app was also released on the [[Samsung]] [[Samsung Galaxy Store|Galaxy Store]]. Google offered Epic Games a $147 million deal to release Fortnite on the Play Store, which the company declined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=9 Nov 2023 |title=Google offered Epic $147 million to launch Fortnite on the Play Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23953262/google-epic-fortnite-play-store-investment-antitrust-trial |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/poKzi |archive-date=9 Nov 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 22 April 2020, Fortnite was finally released on the Play Store.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=22 April 2020 |title=Fortnite available on the Google Play Store for the first time |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/21/21229930/fortnite-available-on-google-play-android-mobile-devices |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Z0huU |archive-date=13 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Polygon]]}}</ref> In a statement, the company explained:

<blockquote>
After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we've come to a basic realization: Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store.
</blockquote>

On 13 August 2020, Epic Games launched a campaign against both Apple and Google's app store business practices. The company released app updates on both platforms, introducing a method for purchasing V-Bucks, in-game currency, at a 20% discount by directly transacting with Epic Games, against the developer rules of both platforms. The platforms responded by removing the game from their storefronts. Epic Games then filed civil antitrust lawsuits against both companies in the Northern District of California.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Epic Games is suing Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/13/21367963/epic-fortnite-legal-complaint-apple-ios-app-store-removal-injunctive-relief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vfFgU |archive-date=14 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The campaign, branded "Free Fortnite", was later extended with lawsuits and complaints in Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Epic Games extends its fight against Apple to Australia |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251219044545/https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |archive-date=19 Dec 2025}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Feb 2021 |title=Epic Game Files EU Antitrust Complaint Against Apple |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-eu-antitrust-complaint-against-apple |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/0Nqn7 |archive-date=26 May 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref> and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Mar 2021 |title=Epic Games files complaint to support CMA Apple investigation |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-complaint-to-support-cma-apple-investigation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FMiCR |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref>

On September 11, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decided the case. While the lawsuit against Apple failed on nine of the ten counts, Rogers ruled against Apple's use of "anti-steering" - its strategy of preventing users from being "steered" to a third-party storefront for payment processing - and placed a permanent injunction on this behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandon |first=Russell |date=11 Sep 2021 |title=Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/gf9tJ |archive-date=10 Sep 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> Despite the case mostly failing, the discovery process provided significant insight into Apple's decision-making process regarding App Store policies, including decisions made in major app review disputes. In one case, executive Phil Schiller argued for reducing the fee by 30%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gurman |first=Mark |date=4 May 2021 |title=Apple’s Schiller Floated Cutting App Store Fees a Decade Ago |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-03/apple-s-schiller-floated-cutting-app-store-fees-a-decade-ago |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/R7Zus |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Bloomberg]]}}</ref>

Epic Games and Apple both appealed the decision. 35 state attorneys-general, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] (EFF), [[Microsoft]], among others, filed amicus briefs in support of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=29 Jan 2022 |title=Epic largely lost to Apple, but 35 states are now backing its fight in a higher court |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/28/22907106/epic-games-v-apple-amicus-briefs-states-eff-microsoft-appeal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/P0TZY |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 11 December 2023, the jury in the case against Google decided on all 11 counts in favor of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bensinger |first=Greg |last2=Scarcella |first2=Mike |date=13 Dec 2023 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust case against Google over Play app store |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/google-epic-games-face-off-app-antitrust-trial-nears-end-2023-12-11/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/WaLBK |archive-date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 1 May 2025, Rogers found that Apple willfully chose not to comply with the 2021 injunction, commenting "that it thought this court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=1 May 2025 |title=A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/659246/apple-epic-app-store-judge-ruling-control |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IThaV |archive-date=1 May 2025 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

===Facebook online events===
In August 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook introduced the ability for small businesses to accept an entrance fee for events. Previously, Facebook would only serve as a way to RSVP for the event; the organizer had to use a third-party event ticketing system to collect fees. The company pledged not to collect any fee on event sales "until 2023".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Paid Online Events for Small Business Recovery |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/paid-online-events/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7X7KH |archive-date=6 Sep 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Meta]]}}</ref>

Apple disagreed, requiring the feature to use the in-app purchases system. This introduced Apple's 30% fee. As this increases the price the user pays, with no benefit to the small business the user intended to support, the cost was displayed as a line item in checkout. Apple did not accept this disclosure of the price, referring to it as "irrelevant".<ref name="facebook" /> Facebook was allowed to compromise on displaying the fee, but ''without'' indicating that it is specifically an App Store fee.

===HEY===
HEY.com is a paid webmail provider launched in June 2020 by long-time software company [[wikipedia:37signals|37signals]], specializing in inbox organization tools.

After successfully launching the initial version of the app on the App Store, the company announced that an update was rejected due to a complaint about the business model. The app does not support in-app purchases; instead, users are expected to have an account with the service already. Apple did not like this arrangement and demanded that the company build an in-app subscription option. The company argued that it is being held to a different set of rules than apps such as [[Netflix, Inc.|Netflix]], whose app does not provide any way to purchase a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=17 Jun 2020 |title=Hey.com exec says Apple is acting like ‘gangsters,’ rejecting App Store updates and demanding cut of sales |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293419/hey-apple-rejection-ios-app-store-dhh-gangsters-antitrust |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/OERP2 |archive-date=28 Jun 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> After a suggestion from Apple executive Phil Schiller in the media, HEY introduced a 14-day free trial mode, which was approved.<ref>https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251114230238/https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ Archived])</ref><ref>https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251113115149/https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ Archived])</ref>

===Patreon===
In August 2024, [[Patreon]] announced a change in arrangement with Apple for its App Store app. From November 2024, subscriptions started from the iOS app would be required to use the in-app purchase system, bypassing Patreon's own long-standing payment practices.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Apple’s requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon. Here’s what you need to know. |url=https://news.patreon.com/articles/understanding-apple-requirements-for-patreon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3Wid0 |archive-date=14 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Patreon]]}}</ref><ref name="patreon" /> This change does not affect the Android app.

By forcing Patreon out of the payments pipeline, specific payment models are no longer available to users of Patreon's iOS app. Creators who rely on the "per-creation" payment model, as opposed to the standard "per-month", can no longer be subscribed to from the app. The app is also unable to support the "first-of-the-month" model, where payments from all subscribers are collected on the first day of the month, rather than every 30 days, since each member's subscription day varies. The price must also be rounded to a price tier supported by Apple.

Patreon allows creators to choose between increasing their prices by 30% in the iOS app or maintaining the same prices, forfeiting 30% to Apple. Creators frequently remind potential supporters not to use the Patreon iOS app, adding extra inconvenience to those wanting to support the work of small creators.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - fee on top.png|"Maintain earnings and cover Apple's fee by increasing prices in the iOS app" (Recommended)
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - absorb fee.png|"Keep prices in the iOS app the same and cover Apple's fee yourself."
</gallery>

A similar case occurred with the app Fanhouse in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@jasminericegirl |date=9 Jun 2021 |title=#fuckapple, a thread I cofounded @fanhouseapp 8 months ago to empower creators to monetize their content. We pay creators 90% of earnings. Now, Apple is threatening to remove Fanhouse from the app store unless we give them 30% of creator earnings. This is theft and exploitation. |url=https://x.com/jasminericegirl/status/1402691047940100100 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/U0qQw |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

===Twitter===
In August 2021, [[Twitter]] introduced a feature named Super Follows (now Subscriptions), in which users can pay a subscription fee to access more of a creator's content. For each user who enables Subscriptions, Twitter must submit a new in-app purchase SKU to the App Store, which will become available with the next update to the app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@wongmjane |date=2 Sep 2021 |title=Each Super Follow is an In-App Purchase on the App Store, but because there are too many IAPs for the Twitter app, the App Store only shows 10 instead of the full list |url=https://x.com/wongmjane/status/1433372120080261120 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3gqwM |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref> This, of course, is subject to the 30% fee. At the time of writing in January 2025, viewing the App Store listing reveals Elon Musk's $4.00 subscription as the fourth most popular IAP item.

==Notarization==
Since 2015, Apple has required all Mac apps to be "notarized." This is a preliminary, automated malware check, which, upon passing, provides a notary certificate that gets "stapled" to the app. Apple's explanation:

<blockquote>
Notarization of macOS software is not App Review. The Apple notary service is an automated system that scans your software for malicious content, checks for code-signing issues, and returns the results to you quickly. If there are no issues, the notary service generates a ticket for you to staple to your software; the notary service also publishes that ticket online where Gatekeeper can find it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notarizing macOS software before distribution |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing-macos-software-before-distribution |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/H4EO9 |archive-date=26 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Whether this approach is actually better than that used by Windows antivirus, which only detects new malware samples when they are already on a user's computer, is a separate topic.

To comply with the DMA's regulations on app marketplaces, Apple created a new channel for releasing apps outside of the iOS App Store. Apps go through a notarization process. But the process is definitely ''not'' notarization. The name is intentionally being abused, by contrast to notarization on macOS, to make you believe it is something other than the existing App Review system. Despite the pain some developers and users have with it, notarization on macOS has always been considered a net positive. It made sense to take advantage of its reputation for the entirely different "notarization" on iOS.

See for yourself - view the [https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ App Review Guidelines] and tick "Show Notarization Review Guidelines Only". While this eliminates most rules, a significant number of them remain in place. These apps are still reviewed and tested by the App Review team, must have a complete product listing in App Store Connect, and can be outright rejected - all in the same way as an App Store app.

By contrast, all that is required for notarization on macOS is for your app not to be malware. You submit it to an automated system that approves it within minutes. '''You don't need to convince Apple that your app is worthy of existing on their platform.'''

The purpose of macOS notarization is that Apple maintains a record of all binaries intended for wide distribution on macOS, allowing it to review them both in advance and regularly for known malware/common malware patterns. If a malware app manages to get through, when Apple initially finds out, they can go back into the notary records and find every sample of that malware to analyze and block. This is a purely technical process, managed by skilled security researchers. At the same time, iOS app review and "notarization" are business processes managed by workers who have been given a checklist of violations to look for.

Apple is retaining complete control over what's allowed to run on iOS. On macOS, you can choose to run apps that have not been notarized (even though the process to bypass the warning is intentionally difficult). On iOS, you never get even that option. What Apple created is the App Store, but with more steps. It is still available on the App Store, but it is hidden so that it can only be installed through the third-party store it's tied to.

*Mysk: "iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store, and if the app is not available there, this happens."<ref>{{Cite web |last=@mysk_co |date=28 Jun 2024 |title=iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store and if the app is not available there, this happens: |url=https://x.com/mysk_co/status/1806638308455256242 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DsQQH |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

==JIT==
The following paragraph is highly technical: JIT allows for speedy programs/apps, and due to its fast nature, it's used almost everywhere and represents a massive improvement over older code interpreters.

[[wikipedia:Just-in-time compilation|JIT]], which stands for Just-In-Time, is a method of code execution where code, instead of being compiled before being distributed (like an EXE), gets compiled into machine code in real time right before being executed. This method of code execution allows for much faster website loading times, speedier emulation, faster program execution (with programs written in JavaScript, Python, Lua...) compared to interpreters, which instead translate code into machine code line by line, which is much, much slower; JIT also employs many more optimization techniques meant to improve performance.

Safari is allowed to use JIT to compile code from any site, just like Apple's [https://apps.apple.com/app/swift-playgrounds/id908519492 Playgrounds] app on iPad. Playgrounds bundle Apple's [[wikipedia:Swift (programming language)|Swift]] compiler and share backend code with the version of Playgrounds found in [[wikipedia:Xcode|Xcode]].

Third-party apps, such as Pythonista (a Python IDE), emulators like Delta and UTM, and terminal environments like iSH, are not allowed to use JIT; instead, they must interpret code, which results in severe performance degradation and increased computational expense, potentially draining more battery.

An example of apps being heavily affected by this restriction is UTM. UTM is a port of [[wikipedia:QEMU|QEMU]] for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, allowing users to create [[wikipedia:Virtual_machine|VMs]] that can run various operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. The iPhone's hardware is capable enough to emulate various modern OSes at full speed. Still, due to Apple's JIT limitation, the team behind UTM had to create UTM SE (slow edition), which doesn't require JIT but is nowhere near as fast as UTM with JIT, only being capable of running MS-DOS and derivatives at acceptable speeds. While methods that enable JIT for apps other than Safari and Playgrounds exist (some are currently working on iOS 18.5, like [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stikdebug/id6744045754 StikDebug]), Apple does not allow the use of JIT in notarized apps, meaning that apps that support JIT will have to be sideloaded, which comes with its own set of restrictions.

In the EU, Apple permitted web browsers to use rendering and JavaScript engines other than the built-in with Apple WebKit/JavaScriptCore, with the option for JS engines to use JIT. The browser still needs to be approved by Apple for an entitlement and must then work within the APIs provided by Apple. However, as of January 2025, no browsers using engines different from the built-in ones have been released, primarily due to arbitrarily imposed restrictions intended to discourage the use and development of third-party engines.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mozilla says Apple’s new browser rules are ‘as painful as possible’ for Firefox |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/26/24052067/mozilla-apple-ios-browser-rules-firefox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/720xn |archive-date=26 Jan 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

However, Apple still does not allow different engines outside of the EU, with or without JIT support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=App Review Guidelines |url=https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5.6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/D9fQQ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
==In-app browsers==
When apps want to display web content without opening the standalone Safari browser, app developers can use Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/ WebKit] APIs, such as WKWebView. However, due to Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox application sandboxing] and WebKit’s data-isolation model, web content loaded inside one app does not have access to Safari’s cookies, browsing history, saved sessions, or extensions, nor to data from other apps’ embedded web views. Each app’s embedded browser operates with its own isolated website data store.

As a result, web pages opened inside embedded browsers, such as those used in apps like Facebook, do not appear in Safari’s browsing history, and there is typically no persistent, user-accessible history within the app itself. Users may also be asked to sign in to the same services (for example, during OAuth login flows like Google) because cookies and session data are not shared with Safari. Additionally, Safari extensions, including content blockers, dark-mode tools, and other privacy or accessibility extensions, do not function inside embedded web views.

Apple states App Sandboxing "provides protection to system resources and user data by limiting your app’s access to resources requested through entitlements."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=App Sandbox {{!}} Apple Developer Documentation |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IkLXF |archive-date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Apple Developer}}</ref> However, developers have voiced frustration with how WebKit is sandboxed which can result in degraded user experiences, such as with repeated OAuth login flows between apps.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=Impact of iOS 11 no longer providing shared cookies between Safari, Safari View Controller instances |url=https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=GitHub |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113172345/https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref> Some developers have found workarounds for sharing information with the native Safari app, but it is unknown whether these methods still function in modern versions Apple's various operating systems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Leon |date=2025-01-12 |title=Does WKWebView uses cookies from Safari? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/a/41486576 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218231045/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40148060/does-wkwebview-uses-cookies-from-safari |archive-date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=StackOverflow}}</ref>

==See also==
*[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility Eligibility]
*Posts written by the author of this article:
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html The iOS 17.4 app marketplace flow is a disaster] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20251112051617/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html Archived] 2025-11-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html How I tricked iOS into giving me EU DMA features] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053403/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html Archived] 2026-01-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Features controlled by iOS 17.4's eligibility system] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053400/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Archived] 2026-01-12)

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Apple App Store]]

Apple App Store

2026-02-20T17:21:00Z

DriftArray: Include fee rate in earlier sentence; add a citation; mark citations needed; simplify language

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'''[[Apple]]''' uses a range of technical measures to maintain control over the App Store ecosystem. These measures often create roadblocks for app developers and users. Apple typically cites security and user-friendliness for its insistence on extreme regulation and control over its software. Some of the methods Apple uses to control its ecosystem hinders lawmakers' ability to advocate for the rights of consumers and businesses within Apple's ecosystem and prevents apps from being as useful and free as their customers expect.

Although there are supported iOS application installation source alternatives such as [https://altstore.io/ Altstore], they are not commonly used or known about which gives Apple a practical monopoly over iOS users and iOS app developers.

Apple takes fees of up to 30% on digital product sales and subscriptions,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Tushar |date=2025-05-06 |title=Apple cuts App Store fees, but experts urge caution against new U.S. pricing guidelines |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/phones/what-experts-say-about-apple-app-store-pricing-changes/ |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=digitaltrends}}</ref> ranging from game currency to supporting content creators<ref name="patreon">{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Patreon: adding Apple’s 30 percent tax is the price of staying in the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/12/24218629/patreon-membership-ios-30-percent-apple-tax |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Vi9cV |archive-date=13 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> to booking a Zoom call with a local business.<ref name="facebook">{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Katie |last2=Nellis |first2=Stephen |date=28 Aug 2020 |title=Exclusive: Facebook says Apple rejected its attempt to tell users about App Store fees |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-apple-exclusive/exclusive-facebook-says-apple-rejected-its-attempt-to-tell-users-about-app-store-fees-idUSKBN25O042/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/9CJDN |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Some argue that these fees hinder iOS app developers from innovating and using the money to further improve their applications.{{Citation needed}} There are groups in support of developers who are experiencing difficulties in continuing development due to Apple (and [[Google]]'s) fees of between 15% and 30% of all revenue. These groups deny the notion that Apple and Google require the money generated by the app more than the developer.{{Citation needed}} These fees also push app developers to increase prices to maximize profits, which increases the prices that users have to pay.

Because of this, several governments including South Korea,<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 Mar 2022 |title=South Korea approves rules on app store law targeting Apple, Google |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-approves-rules-app-store-law-targeting-apple-google-2022-03-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/q1VQW |archive-date=11 Jan 2023 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Japan,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharwood |first=Simon |date=13 Jun 2024 |title=Japan forces Apple and Google to allow third-party app stores and payments |url=https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/13/japan_smartphone_software_law/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Jj9BI |archive-date=13 Jun 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Register]]}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]</ref> the United Kingdom,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Competition and Markets Authority |date=4 Mar 2021 |title=Investigation into Apple AppStore |url=https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/investigation-into-apple-appstore |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/uZ7A5 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[gov.uk]]}}</ref> Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 Apr 2021 |title=Dominance of Apple and Google's app stores impacting competition and consumers |url=https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/dominance-of-apple-and-googles-app-stores-impacting-competition-and-consumers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Bw3gv |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[ACCC]]}}</ref> as well as the US and a handful of US States<ref>[[wikipedia:Open App Markets Act|Open App Markets Act]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Nov 2024 |title=S.5364 - App Store Accountability Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/5364/text/is |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7yPxE |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[congress.gov]]}}</ref><ref name="doj">{{Cite web |last=Balsamo |first=Mike |last2=Liedtke |first2=Mike |last3=Whitehurst |first3=Lindsay |last4=Bajak |first4=Frank |date=21 Mar 2024 |title=Justice Department sues Apple, alleging it illegally monopolized the smartphone market |url=https://apnews.com/article/apple-antitrust-monopoly-app-store-justice-department-822d7e8f5cf53a2636795fcc33ee1fc3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/BB4Zn |archive-date=21 Mar 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[APNews]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Feb 2021 |title=It’s time to free ourselves from ‘Big Tech’ monopoly |url=https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2021/02/19/its-time-to-free-ourselves-from-big-tech-monopoly/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/bLDwu |archive-date=23 Feb 2021 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Arizona Capitol Times]]}}</ref> have opened investigations into anti-competitive practices, or considered or already passed legislation to force "gatekeeper platforms" such as Apple to be more reasonable with third-party developers.

This being a significant threat to Apple's revenue stream (interestingly, one they claim to be unsure is profitable<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Apr 2024 |title=Schiller doesn’t know whether the App Store is profitable; there are no minutes of meetings |url=https://9to5mac.com/2024/04/17/app-store-is-profitable-apple-notes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/AinvZ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9to5Mac]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovejoy |first=Ben |date=17 Jan 2025 |title=Apple denies App Store profit margin is 75% – claims to have no clue |url=https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/17/apple-denies-app-store-profit-margin-is-75-claims-to-have-no-clue/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[9t05Mac]]}}</ref>), they have responded with practices such as geo-blocking certain operating system functionality based on physical location,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eligibility |url=https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Df7hl |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Apple Wiki]]}}</ref> misrepresenting/overstating risks, and using careful wording with commonly-understood terms to describe unreasonably difficult-to-use systems.{{Citation needed}}

Unlike traditional software license purchases, Apple's App Store terms tie the license to a specific account, making it impossible for users to resell their licenses secondhand, buy apps secondhand, or inherit a license from a relative.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-02-10 |title=I can sell my apps? |url=https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5888894 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DelOf |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-11-25 |website=Apple Community}}</ref> This system has since been copied by numerous other players in the media and digital goods sector.

==Background info==
Important terms in this article:

*'''[[wikipedia:Sandbox (computer security)|Sandbox]]''': Reduces the user's device/data exposure to security risks by reducing what an app is allowed to do.
*'''[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Entitlements Entitlements]''': Apple's method of "poking holes" in the sandbox to give the app more permissions. Some are available to developers, while many are only available to Apple.
*'''[[wikipedia:Digital Markets Act|Digital Markets Act]]''': The European Union's fairly sweeping recent regulations against forcing companies they classify as "gatekeepers" to play nice, giving smaller businesses access to software/hardware features they've historically reserved for their own use.

==In-app purchases==
Apple has been collecting users' credit card numbers since launching the iTunes Store in 2004. The launch of the App Store in 2008, followed by the introduction of in-app purchases (IAPs) in 2009, allowed iPhone app developers to sell app features to users. The IAP system is provided as a developer framework named [https://developer.apple.com/storekit/ StoreKit]. Apps and their in-app purchases are managed through a dashboard named [https://developer.apple.com/app-store-connect/ App Store Connect]. App sales have eclipsed iTunes Store sales, and are now a primary focus of Apple's Media Services division.

Apple requires that any purchase of a digital good or service within an app use its in-app purchase system. This may seem reasonable because the customer may inevitably call Apple support, demanding a refund for an app they have issues with. Apple would rather provide a refund and leave the customer with a positive support experience than initiate a messy process involving contact with a third party, whose customer service is likely to be of a lower quality.

App Store purchase fees range from 15% to 30%. In September 2016, Apple expanded subscriptions to be available for any type of app, also introducing a 15% discount incentive for users who had already subscribed for a year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goode |first=Lauren |date=2 Sep 2016 |title=Apple’s new subscription offerings are now available to App Store developers |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/2/12774758/apple-developers-app-store-new-subscription-rules |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KmJCn |archive-date=7 Jan 202 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> In November 2020, Apple introduced a reduced 15% fee for app developers with annual revenue below $1 million.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centers |first=Josh |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Apple Drops App Store Commission to 15% for Small Developers |url=https://tidbits.com/2020/11/18/apple-drops-app-store-commission-to-15-for-small-developers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/tt8Hs |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[TidBITS]]}}</ref> For developers above this threshold, and for cases excluded from this program, such as for games, the fee is 30%. In the 2008 announcement of the App Store, Apple considered this a reasonable, industry-standard fee. However, the way we use apps has significantly evolved since 2009 - the world has shifted to heavily depend upon mobile apps, which have also evolved into more complex and sustainable business models than a simple one-time purchase.

[[wikipedia:Stripe, Inc.|Stripe]], a popular platform used for payments on the web, uses a base fee of 2.9% plus a fixed $0.30 in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pricing |url=https://stripe.com/it/pricing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FoCG4 |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Stripe]]}}</ref> With add-on services, before considering volume discounts, a Stripe transaction may have a cost of 6.4% + $1.10.<ref>Calculated from base fee (2.9% + $0.30) + international card (1.5%) + adaptive pricing (2%) + international payment methods ($0.80), as of January 2025</ref> Stripe has been used by businesses ranging from small online stores to [[OpenAI]] for ChatGPT Plus. Competing payment services have similar or identical fees to Stripe. '''The in-app purchase system does not provide sufficient value to justify the considerably higher costs compared to alternative payment platforms.'''

The App Store system poorly handles secondary marketplaces of digital services that exist within the primary App Store marketplace, such as Patreon. Apple, however, still requires companies in the business of selling digital services to use this inadequate system. This requires the app to account for Apple's fee, which is significant enough to warrant price increases frequently, and to follow rules even if they do not align with the nature of the service being provided. Apple has often been found in disputes with such apps. This injects extra complication at no benefit to the marketplace, the creator, or the customer - only to Apple, which has little to no involvement after delivering the initial app download to the user's phone. The significant fee also often drives app developers to consider building their app around an advertising model instead, creating privacy concerns.

Additionally, the 15% small business fee discount is determined based on the app's overall turnover and is not applied to individual creators within the app's marketplace. An app that generates over $1 million per year by providing services to creators who individually earn less than $1 million per year does not qualify for the discount.

Apple, often in conjunction with Google, engages in lobbying efforts in the United States and other countries to address these issues. "ACT | The App Association", pitched as an association of independent small business app developers, is at least 50% funded by Apple, and does not list its claimed 2,000 members.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Oct 2021 |title=Not a class ACT: the so-called App Association is simply an Apple Association and does NOT represent app developers' interests in fair distribution terms |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2021/10/not-class-act-so-called-app-association.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eyn0i |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Sep 2022 |title=Vast majority of ACT {{!}} The App Association's funding comes from Apple, former employees tell Bloomberg: astroturfing against app developers' interests |url=https://www.fosspatents.com/2022/09/vast-majority-of-act-app-associations.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/eGRNV |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[FOSS Patents]]}}</ref> In March 2024, the United States Department of Justice, along with 16 state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company "extracts more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others."<ref name="doj" /> The future of this lawsuit is unclear as of April 2025.

Despite criticism of Apple forcing its fee into transactions with small businesses and creators on platforms such as [[#Patreon|Patreon]] and [[#Facebook online events|Facebook]], on January 23, 2025, Apple announced the Advanced Commerce API. It "support[s] developers' evolving business models - such as extensive content catalogs, creator experiences, and subscriptions with optional add-ons".<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 Jan 2025 |title=Introducing the Advanced Commerce API |url=https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=yxy958ya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/KEH8h |archive-date=23 Jan 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref> While positioned as a way for such businesses to save development time and avoid ongoing costs by building on top of Apple's mature payments platform, its use is, in fact, necessary for these businesses to comply with the App Store guidelines, as seen in the cases outlined below. The feature requires submitting a description of the app's business model to Apple for approval. This continues a trend of requiring Apple's consent to conduct business in a place where users have been trained to expect it.

===Epic Games===
{{hatnote|See also: [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Apple|Epic Games v. Apple]] and [[wikipedia:Epic Games v. Google|Epic Games v. Google]]}}

[[Epic Games, Inc.]] is a video game developer and publisher, known for games such as [[Fortnite]] and [[Unreal Tournament]], the [[Unreal Engine]], and the [[Epic Games Store]].

In 2018, Epic Games launched Fortnite on the iOS and Android platforms. The company made the unusual decision not to release the app on the [[Google Play Store]] - instead, it was made available as a standalone [[wikipedia:apk (file format)|Android app package]] file (.apk), which must be installed by following a series of manual steps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=3 Aug 2018 |title=Fortnite for Android will ditch Google Play Store for Epic’s website |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/3/17645982/epic-games-fortnite-android-version-bypass-google-play-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/yTQLj |archive-date=16 Mar 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The app was also released on the [[Samsung]] [[Samsung Galaxy Store|Galaxy Store]]. Google offered Epic Games a $147 million deal to release Fortnite on the Play Store, which the company declined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=9 Nov 2023 |title=Google offered Epic $147 million to launch Fortnite on the Play Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23953262/google-epic-fortnite-play-store-investment-antitrust-trial |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/poKzi |archive-date=9 Nov 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 22 April 2020, Fortnite was finally released on the Play Store.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=22 April 2020 |title=Fortnite available on the Google Play Store for the first time |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/4/21/21229930/fortnite-available-on-google-play-android-mobile-devices |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/Z0huU |archive-date=13 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Polygon]]}}</ref> In a statement, the company explained:

<blockquote>
After 18 months of operating Fortnite on Android outside of the Google Play Store, we've come to a basic realization: Google puts software downloadable outside of Google Play at a disadvantage, through technical and business measures such as scary, repetitive security pop-ups for downloaded and updated software, restrictive manufacturer and carrier agreements and dealings, Google public relations characterizing third party software sources as malware, and new efforts such as Google Play Protect to outright block software obtained outside the Google Play store.
</blockquote>

On 13 August 2020, Epic Games launched a campaign against both Apple and Google's app store business practices. The company released app updates on both platforms, introducing a method for purchasing V-Bucks, in-game currency, at a 20% discount by directly transacting with Epic Games, against the developer rules of both platforms. The platforms responded by removing the game from their storefronts. Epic Games then filed civil antitrust lawsuits against both companies in the Northern District of California.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Statt |first=Nick |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Epic Games is suing Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/13/21367963/epic-fortnite-legal-complaint-apple-ios-app-store-removal-injunctive-relief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/vfFgU |archive-date=14 Aug 2020 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> The campaign, branded "Free Fortnite", was later extended with lawsuits and complaints in Australia,<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Nov 2020 |title=Epic Games extends its fight against Apple to Australia |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |url-status=live |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251219044545/https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/freefortnite-australia-press-release |archive-date=19 Dec 2025}}</ref> the European Union,<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 Feb 2021 |title=Epic Game Files EU Antitrust Complaint Against Apple |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-eu-antitrust-complaint-against-apple |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/0Nqn7 |archive-date=26 May 2025 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref> and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 Mar 2021 |title=Epic Games files complaint to support CMA Apple investigation |url=https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/news/epic-games-files-complaint-to-support-cma-apple-investigation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/FMiCR |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref>

On September 11, 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decided the case. While the lawsuit against Apple failed on nine of the ten counts, Rogers ruled against Apple's use of "anti-steering" - its strategy of preventing users from being "steered" to a third-party storefront for payment processing - and placed a permanent injunction on this behavior.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandon |first=Russell |date=11 Sep 2021 |title=Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22662320/epic-apple-ruling-injunction-judge-court-app-store |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/gf9tJ |archive-date=10 Sep 2021 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> Despite the case mostly failing, the discovery process provided significant insight into Apple's decision-making process regarding App Store policies, including decisions made in major app review disputes. In one case, executive Phil Schiller argued for reducing the fee by 30%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gurman |first=Mark |date=4 May 2021 |title=Apple’s Schiller Floated Cutting App Store Fees a Decade Ago |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-03/apple-s-schiller-floated-cutting-app-store-fees-a-decade-ago |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/R7Zus |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Bloomberg]]}}</ref>

Epic Games and Apple both appealed the decision. 35 state attorneys-general, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] (EFF), [[Microsoft]], among others, filed amicus briefs in support of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=29 Jan 2022 |title=Epic largely lost to Apple, but 35 states are now backing its fight in a higher court |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/28/22907106/epic-games-v-apple-amicus-briefs-states-eff-microsoft-appeal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/P0TZY |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

On 11 December 2023, the jury in the case against Google decided on all 11 counts in favor of Epic Games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bensinger |first=Greg |last2=Scarcella |first2=Mike |date=13 Dec 2023 |title=Epic Games wins antitrust case against Google over Play app store |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/google-epic-games-face-off-app-antitrust-trial-nears-end-2023-12-11/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/WaLBK |archive-date=12 Dec 2023 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

On 1 May 2025, Rogers found that Apple willfully chose not to comply with the 2021 injunction, commenting "that it thought this court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=1 May 2025 |title=A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/659246/apple-epic-app-store-judge-ruling-control |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IThaV |archive-date=1 May 2025 |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

===Facebook online events===
In August 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook introduced the ability for small businesses to accept an entrance fee for events. Previously, Facebook would only serve as a way to RSVP for the event; the organizer had to use a third-party event ticketing system to collect fees. The company pledged not to collect any fee on event sales "until 2023".<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Aug 2020 |title=Paid Online Events for Small Business Recovery |url=https://about.fb.com/news/2020/08/paid-online-events/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/7X7KH |archive-date=6 Sep 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Meta]]}}</ref>

Apple disagreed, requiring the feature to use the in-app purchases system. This introduced Apple's 30% fee. As this increases the price the user pays, with no benefit to the small business the user intended to support, the cost was displayed as a line item in checkout. Apple did not accept this disclosure of the price, referring to it as "irrelevant".<ref name="facebook" /> Facebook was allowed to compromise on displaying the fee, but ''without'' indicating that it is specifically an App Store fee.

===HEY===
HEY.com is a paid webmail provider launched in June 2020 by long-time software company [[wikipedia:37signals|37signals]], specializing in inbox organization tools.

After successfully launching the initial version of the app on the App Store, the company announced that an update was rejected due to a complaint about the business model. The app does not support in-app purchases; instead, users are expected to have an account with the service already. Apple did not like this arrangement and demanded that the company build an in-app subscription option. The company argued that it is being held to a different set of rules than apps such as [[Netflix, Inc.|Netflix]], whose app does not provide any way to purchase a subscription.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kastrenakes |first=Jacob |date=17 Jun 2020 |title=Hey.com exec says Apple is acting like ‘gangsters,’ rejecting App Store updates and demanding cut of sales |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/16/21293419/hey-apple-rejection-ios-app-store-dhh-gangsters-antitrust |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/OERP2 |archive-date=28 Jun 2020 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> After a suggestion from Apple executive Phil Schiller in the media, HEY introduced a 14-day free trial mode, which was approved.<ref>https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251114230238/https://www.hey.com/apple/path/ Archived])</ref><ref>https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ ([http://web.archive.org/web/20251113115149/https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/18/interview-apples-schiller-says-position-on-hey-app-is-unchanged-and-no-rules-changes-are-imminent/ Archived])</ref>

===Patreon===
In August 2024, [[Patreon]] announced a change in arrangement with Apple for its App Store app. From November 2024, subscriptions started from the iOS app would be required to use the in-app purchase system, bypassing Patreon's own long-standing payment practices.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 Aug 2024 |title=Apple’s requirements are about to hit creators and fans on Patreon. Here’s what you need to know. |url=https://news.patreon.com/articles/understanding-apple-requirements-for-patreon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3Wid0 |archive-date=14 Aug 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Patreon]]}}</ref><ref name="patreon" /> This change does not affect the Android app.

By forcing Patreon out of the payments pipeline, specific payment models are no longer available to users of Patreon's iOS app. Creators who rely on the "per-creation" payment model, as opposed to the standard "per-month", can no longer be subscribed to from the app. The app is also unable to support the "first-of-the-month" model, where payments from all subscribers are collected on the first day of the month, rather than every 30 days, since each member's subscription day varies. The price must also be rounded to a price tier supported by Apple.

Patreon allows creators to choose between increasing their prices by 30% in the iOS app or maintaining the same prices, forfeiting 30% to Apple. Creators frequently remind potential supporters not to use the Patreon iOS app, adding extra inconvenience to those wanting to support the work of small creators.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="400px">
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - fee on top.png|"Maintain earnings and cover Apple's fee by increasing prices in the iOS app" (Recommended)
File:Patreon iOS app pricing options - absorb fee.png|"Keep prices in the iOS app the same and cover Apple's fee yourself."
</gallery>

A similar case occurred with the app Fanhouse in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@jasminericegirl |date=9 Jun 2021 |title=#fuckapple, a thread I cofounded @fanhouseapp 8 months ago to empower creators to monetize their content. We pay creators 90% of earnings. Now, Apple is threatening to remove Fanhouse from the app store unless we give them 30% of creator earnings. This is theft and exploitation. |url=https://x.com/jasminericegirl/status/1402691047940100100 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/U0qQw |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

===Twitter===
In August 2021, [[Twitter]] introduced a feature named Super Follows (now Subscriptions), in which users can pay a subscription fee to access more of a creator's content. For each user who enables Subscriptions, Twitter must submit a new in-app purchase SKU to the App Store, which will become available with the next update to the app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=@wongmjane |date=2 Sep 2021 |title=Each Super Follow is an In-App Purchase on the App Store, but because there are too many IAPs for the Twitter app, the App Store only shows 10 instead of the full list |url=https://x.com/wongmjane/status/1433372120080261120 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/3gqwM |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref> This, of course, is subject to the 30% fee. At the time of writing in January 2025, viewing the App Store listing reveals Elon Musk's $4.00 subscription as the fourth most popular IAP item.

==Notarization==
Since 2015, Apple has required all Mac apps to be "notarized." This is a preliminary, automated malware check, which, upon passing, provides a notary certificate that gets "stapled" to the app. Apple's explanation:

<blockquote>
Notarization of macOS software is not App Review. The Apple notary service is an automated system that scans your software for malicious content, checks for code-signing issues, and returns the results to you quickly. If there are no issues, the notary service generates a ticket for you to staple to your software; the notary service also publishes that ticket online where Gatekeeper can find it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notarizing macOS software before distribution |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing-macos-software-before-distribution |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/H4EO9 |archive-date=26 Nov 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Whether this approach is actually better than that used by Windows antivirus, which only detects new malware samples when they are already on a user's computer, is a separate topic.

To comply with the DMA's regulations on app marketplaces, Apple created a new channel for releasing apps outside of the iOS App Store. Apps go through a notarization process. But the process is definitely ''not'' notarization. The name is intentionally being abused, by contrast to notarization on macOS, to make you believe it is something other than the existing App Review system. Despite the pain some developers and users have with it, notarization on macOS has always been considered a net positive. It made sense to take advantage of its reputation for the entirely different "notarization" on iOS.

See for yourself - view the [https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ App Review Guidelines] and tick "Show Notarization Review Guidelines Only". While this eliminates most rules, a significant number of them remain in place. These apps are still reviewed and tested by the App Review team, must have a complete product listing in App Store Connect, and can be outright rejected - all in the same way as an App Store app.

By contrast, all that is required for notarization on macOS is for your app not to be malware. You submit it to an automated system that approves it within minutes. '''You don't need to convince Apple that your app is worthy of existing on their platform.'''

The purpose of macOS notarization is that Apple maintains a record of all binaries intended for wide distribution on macOS, allowing it to review them both in advance and regularly for known malware/common malware patterns. If a malware app manages to get through, when Apple initially finds out, they can go back into the notary records and find every sample of that malware to analyze and block. This is a purely technical process, managed by skilled security researchers. At the same time, iOS app review and "notarization" are business processes managed by workers who have been given a checklist of violations to look for.

Apple is retaining complete control over what's allowed to run on iOS. On macOS, you can choose to run apps that have not been notarized (even though the process to bypass the warning is intentionally difficult). On iOS, you never get even that option. What Apple created is the App Store, but with more steps. It is still available on the App Store, but it is hidden so that it can only be installed through the third-party store it's tied to.

*Mysk: "iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store, and if the app is not available there, this happens."<ref>{{Cite web |last=@mysk_co |date=28 Jun 2024 |title=iOS should enable alternative marketplaces to add their own links when users share their apps. Links still point to the App Store and if the app is not available there, this happens: |url=https://x.com/mysk_co/status/1806638308455256242 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/DsQQH |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[X]]}}</ref>

==JIT==
The following paragraph is highly technical: JIT allows for speedy programs/apps, and due to its fast nature, it's used almost everywhere and represents a massive improvement over older code interpreters.

[[wikipedia:Just-in-time compilation|JIT]], which stands for Just-In-Time, is a method of code execution where code, instead of being compiled before being distributed (like an EXE), gets compiled into machine code in real time right before being executed. This method of code execution allows for much faster website loading times, speedier emulation, faster program execution (with programs written in JavaScript, Python, Lua...) compared to interpreters, which instead translate code into machine code line by line, which is much, much slower; JIT also employs many more optimization techniques meant to improve performance.

Safari is allowed to use JIT to compile code from any site, just like Apple's [https://apps.apple.com/app/swift-playgrounds/id908519492 Playgrounds] app on iPad. Playgrounds bundle Apple's [[wikipedia:Swift (programming language)|Swift]] compiler and share backend code with the version of Playgrounds found in [[wikipedia:Xcode|Xcode]].

Third-party apps, such as Pythonista (a Python IDE), emulators like Delta and UTM, and terminal environments like iSH, are not allowed to use JIT; instead, they must interpret code, which results in severe performance degradation and increased computational expense, potentially draining more battery.

An example of apps being heavily affected by this restriction is UTM. UTM is a port of [[wikipedia:QEMU|QEMU]] for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, allowing users to create [[wikipedia:Virtual_machine|VMs]] that can run various operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. The iPhone's hardware is capable enough to emulate various modern OSes at full speed. Still, due to Apple's JIT limitation, the team behind UTM had to create UTM SE (slow edition), which doesn't require JIT but is nowhere near as fast as UTM with JIT, only being capable of running MS-DOS and derivatives at acceptable speeds. While methods that enable JIT for apps other than Safari and Playgrounds exist (some are currently working on iOS 18.5, like [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stikdebug/id6744045754 StikDebug]), Apple does not allow the use of JIT in notarized apps, meaning that apps that support JIT will have to be sideloaded, which comes with its own set of restrictions.

In the EU, Apple permitted web browsers to use rendering and JavaScript engines other than the built-in with Apple WebKit/JavaScriptCore, with the option for JS engines to use JIT. The browser still needs to be approved by Apple for an entitlement and must then work within the APIs provided by Apple. However, as of January 2025, no browsers using engines different from the built-in ones have been released, primarily due to arbitrarily imposed restrictions intended to discourage the use and development of third-party engines.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mozilla says Apple’s new browser rules are ‘as painful as possible’ for Firefox |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/26/24052067/mozilla-apple-ios-browser-rules-firefox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/720xn |archive-date=26 Jan 2024 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

However, Apple still does not allow different engines outside of the EU, with or without JIT support.<ref>{{Cite web |title=App Review Guidelines |url=https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#2.5.6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/D9fQQ |archive-date=7 Jan 2026 |access-date=16 Mar 2025 |website=[[Apple Developer]]}}</ref>
==In-app browsers==
When apps want to display web content without opening the standalone Safari browser, app developers can use Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/webkit/ WebKit] APIs, such as WKWebView. However, due to Apple’s [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox application sandboxing] and WebKit’s data-isolation model, web content loaded inside one app does not have access to Safari’s cookies, browsing history, saved sessions, or extensions, nor to data from other apps’ embedded web views. Each app’s embedded browser operates with its own isolated website data store.

As a result, web pages opened inside embedded browsers, such as those used in apps like Facebook, do not appear in Safari’s browsing history, and there is typically no persistent, user-accessible history within the app itself. Users may also be asked to sign in to the same services (for example, during OAuth login flows like Google) because cookies and session data are not shared with Safari. Additionally, Safari extensions, including content blockers, dark-mode tools, and other privacy or accessibility extensions, do not function inside embedded web views.

Apple states App Sandboxing "provides protection to system resources and user data by limiting your app’s access to resources requested through entitlements."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=App Sandbox {{!}} Apple Developer Documentation |url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app-sandbox |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/IkLXF |archive-date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=Apple Developer}}</ref> However, developers have voiced frustration with how WebKit is sandboxed which can result in degraded user experiences, such as with repeated OAuth login flows between apps.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-12 |title=Impact of iOS 11 no longer providing shared cookies between Safari, Safari View Controller instances |url=https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=GitHub |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251113172345/https://github.com/openid/AppAuth-iOS/issues/120 |archive-date=13 Nov 2025}}</ref> Some developers have found workarounds for sharing information with the native Safari app, but it is unknown whether these methods still function in modern versions Apple's various operating systems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Storey |first=Leon |date=2025-01-12 |title=Does WKWebView uses cookies from Safari? |url=https://stackoverflow.com/a/41486576 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218231045/https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40148060/does-wkwebview-uses-cookies-from-safari |archive-date=2026-02-18 |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=StackOverflow}}</ref>

==See also==
*[https://theapplewiki.com/wiki/Eligibility Eligibility]
*Posts written by the author of this article:
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html The iOS 17.4 app marketplace flow is a disaster] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20251112051617/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/19/app-marketplace-experience.html Archived] 2025-11-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html How I tricked iOS into giving me EU DMA features] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053403/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/20/ios-eligibility.html Archived] 2026-01-12)
**[https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Features controlled by iOS 17.4's eligibility system] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20260112053400/https://adamdemasi.com/2024/04/23/ios-eligibility-features.html Archived] 2026-01-12)

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Apple App Store]]

Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers

2026-02-20T17:00:09Z

DriftArray: Update access date for Mojang blocked server list /* Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3) */

{{Incomplete}}

{{IncidentCargo|Company=Mojang|StartDate=2024|EndDate=|Status=Active|ProductLine=|Product=Minecraft Java Edition servers|ArticleType=Product|Type=EULA, Ownership, Third-party|Description=}}

For the past 5-8 years, [[Mojang]], the developers of the title [[Minecraft]], and a subsidiary of [[Microsoft]]'s [[Xbox Game Studios]] publishing brand, have enforced countless server shutdowns citing violations of the Minecraft End User License Agreement (EULA). However, said enforcements have been unfairly biased against operators of smaller Minecraft Java Edition servers, abusing vague and often inaccessible community guidelines to shut down these servers.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Hold Mojang Accountable For Their Unlawful Behaviour |url=https://www.gofundme.com/f/hold-mojang-accountable-for-their-unlawful-behaviour |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=GoFundMe}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Suing Minecraft Because They Broke The Law & Pissed Me Off |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RvoPQZQeM |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Lawsuit Video Accompanying Document |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l3fxs_pZBTdWu7q_iiRKwQdhkEKp8zkuw0O3KBVWC-I/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.8vmqv8enui5u |access-date=May 12, 2025 |website=Google Docs}}</ref>

===Examples===
An example of this occurred in late 2024 involving the Minecraft server '''McWar''<nowiki/>', wherein Mojang contacted the developer of the server to shut it down.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" />

Additionally, [https://minecraftonline.com/ MinecraftOnline] was threatened by Mojang in late 2025 over their [https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/Free_Speech freedom of speech policy], stating that they need to repeal it, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang, meaning that players would not be able to access the server.<ref>https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/File:MojangStudiosIPEnforcement.png</ref>

The server [https://www.2b2t.org/ 2b2t] originally known for having no rules has fallen victim to Mojang's enforcement with the current server owner [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTvLrQYfaCY Curtis] implementing anti free speech rules, chat filters and removing map arts to abide by these restrictions.

==Background==
[[Minecraft]] is a voxel-based sandbox game created by Markus "Notch" Persson, and currently maintained by [[Mojang|Mojang Studios]], a subsidiary of [[Xbox|Xbox Game Studios]], owned by [[Microsoft]]. The game achieved an estimated 350M sales, marking it as the world's #1 best-selling game.<ref name=":13">{{cite book |author=[[Mojang AB]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |title=Minecraft Annual 2026 |date=2025 |publisher=Farshore |isbn=978-0-00-868220-0 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405083536/https://books.google.com/books/about/Minecraft_Annual_2026.html?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |url-status=live |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

Minecraft is split into 2 specific versions of the game: Java Edition (JE) and Bedrock Edition (BE). JE is exclusive to PC platforms, and is traditionally where most 3rd-party multiplayer servers are hosted,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} such as Hypixel, McWar, and DonutSMP. Most of these servers being shut down are on JE as well,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} as BE's multiplayer system is far more compartmentalized and controlled by Microsoft,<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jun 9, 2024 |title=Request to Continue Providing PDB Files in Future BDS Versions |url=https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/community/posts/27425253557389-Request-to-Continue-Providing-PDB-Files-in-Future-BDS-Versions |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Minecraft Feedback}}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} leading to fewer servers being determined as "violating the EULA".

Most shutdowns are currently handled via blacklisting the server URL as a hash,<ref name=":0" /> however, its effectiveness has been proven to only work against non-malicious servers, as servers such as Minepot have been jumping domains to circumvent any block from Mojang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Feb 7, 2026 |title=Exposing the Most ILLEGAL Minecraft Server I've EVER Seen... |url=https://youtu.be/XgCvuUoj6mA |access-date=Feb 8, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Shutdowns==

===Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3)===
When Minecraft version 1.9.3 pre-release 2 released in May 2016, the client had an encrypted "server blacklist"<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=u/ceruleanReverie |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Mojang's "server blacklist", what it is, and why it's a big deal |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/4hh3ns/mojangs_server_blacklist_what_it_is_and_why_its_a/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Minecraft}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Blocked server list |url=https://sessionserver.mojang.com/blockedservers |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=Mojang.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=15773 |date=Feb 24, 2016 |title=Mojang EULA Enforcement |url=https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251022040914/https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-date=Oct 22, 2025 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Spigot Forums}}</ref> where if the user attempted to access a server that was on this blacklist, they would only receive a "java.net.SocketException: Network is unreachable" error.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TuxCoding |first=Alex |last2=Flakey |first2=Foxie |date=2016-04-30 |title=Minecraft-Blocked-Servers/ReadMe.md |url=https://github.com/TuxCoding/Minecraft-Blocked-Servers/blob/main/ReadMe.md |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=GitHub}}</ref> When this list was discovered shortly after the update, the blacklist covered 31 servers/domains.<ref name=":1" /> As of February 2026, Mojang's list includes [https://mojang-api-docs.gapple.pw/no-auth/blocked-servers cryptographic hashes] of 2595 server addresses,<ref name=":3" /> almost all of which have been decrypted by community members.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burk |first=Austin |last2=PureFallen |last3=Williams |first3=Royce |date=2022-08-23 |title=mojang-blocklist/data/identified.txt |url=https://github.com/sudofox/mojang-blocklist |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=GitHub}}</ref> While some of these servers were reasonably determined to be violating the EULA at the time, not all of them received fair punishment, especially as the company refused to transparently communicate with the overall community over these issues.{{Citation needed}}

Notably during this period, the servers known to be blacklisted were primarily ones who were selling cosmetics and "pay to win" content, which violated the EULA at the time, however this enforcement eventually became lenient enough to cause some to question the initial rulings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Sep 21, 2024 |title=Exposing Minecraft's ILLEGAL Server Gambling Operations... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrKo1mpeGo |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Grant Theft Minecart shutdown (May 2023)===
During some period in 2023, Mojang updated their EULA to classify "guns and weapons" as "non-compliant features under our Adult Content requirement." There was no prior notification to the EULA change for server owners to capably comply in-time before enforcement could occur.

Shortly after this change, the Grand Theft Minecart (GTM) server was attempted to be shut down by the Mojang Enforcement Team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SkylixMC |date=May 28, 2023 |title=Mojang Strikes Again |url=https://grandtheftmc.net/threads/mojang-strikes-again.17292/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Grand Theft Minecart forums}}</ref> In a response to Mojang's enforcement email, the server owner called out some key details about the unfairness of this enforcement. <blockquote>Furthermore, please allow me to ask for clarification when you say “guns and weapons” violate the EULA under this new directive. I am genuinely confused by what is meant by “guns and weapons.” What weapons are not considered adult content? Weapons have been a part of Minecraft since its inception. For example, are swords considered adult content? Are crossbows (which under most municipalities are considered “firearms”) regarded as adult content? How about TNT? Surely bombs can’t be more “kid friendly” than “guns”? To us, this measure feels arbitrary and unnecessary

Moreover, Mojang-endorsed items that are on Minecraft’s marketplace right now clearly contain explicit “firearms”

...

What makes it OK for these items to be available to kids but not our server? Are these items, too, going to be removed?</blockquote>In summary, the email outlined how Mojang chose to focus its enforcement on the GTM server before focusing on moderating content that infringes these same rules on the BE marketplace, as well as how the rules are too vague for server owners to adequately comply.

===Forcing server rules or risking being blacklisted (Oct 2025)===
Prior to October 2025, as part of the free speech policy that was enforced for 15 years, nothing a player could say would result in a ban/official reprimand. After these changes, players are required to receive moderation action on JE servers for violations of the [https://www.minecraft.net/usage-guidelines Minecraft Usage Guidelines], [https://www.minecraft.net/community-standards Minecraft Community Standards], and [https://www.xbox.com/legal/community-standards Xbox Community Standards]. This essentially forces all Minecraft servers to enforce these rules, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang's systems.

===Mojang's response===
{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add the proposed solution to the issues by the company.}}
==Lawsuit==
<blockquote>Editor's notice: There is a lawsuit being prepped for this incident at the moment, please check in with the community under the Minecraft: Consequences Edition discord server,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Minecraft: Consequences Edition Discord Server |url=https://discord.com/invite/mojanglawsuit |website=Discord}}</ref> or updates within the lawsuit's GoFundMe<ref name=":02" /> for details.</blockquote>{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add any information regarding litigation around the incident here.

===Claims===
Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
The response of the company or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
The outcome of the suit, if any.}}
==Consumer response==
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]

Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers

2026-02-20T16:58:17Z

DriftArray: Rework section to include more citations, fix grammar and neutralize language, and add more details /* Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3) */

{{Incomplete}}

{{IncidentCargo|Company=Mojang|StartDate=2024|EndDate=|Status=Active|ProductLine=|Product=Minecraft Java Edition servers|ArticleType=Product|Type=EULA, Ownership, Third-party|Description=}}

For the past 5-8 years, [[Mojang]], the developers of the title [[Minecraft]], and a subsidiary of [[Microsoft]]'s [[Xbox Game Studios]] publishing brand, have enforced countless server shutdowns citing violations of the Minecraft End User License Agreement (EULA). However, said enforcements have been unfairly biased against operators of smaller Minecraft Java Edition servers, abusing vague and often inaccessible community guidelines to shut down these servers.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Hold Mojang Accountable For Their Unlawful Behaviour |url=https://www.gofundme.com/f/hold-mojang-accountable-for-their-unlawful-behaviour |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=GoFundMe}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Suing Minecraft Because They Broke The Law & Pissed Me Off |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RvoPQZQeM |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Lawsuit Video Accompanying Document |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l3fxs_pZBTdWu7q_iiRKwQdhkEKp8zkuw0O3KBVWC-I/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.8vmqv8enui5u |access-date=May 12, 2025 |website=Google Docs}}</ref>

===Examples===
An example of this occurred in late 2024 involving the Minecraft server '''McWar''<nowiki/>', wherein Mojang contacted the developer of the server to shut it down.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" />

Additionally, [https://minecraftonline.com/ MinecraftOnline] was threatened by Mojang in late 2025 over their [https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/Free_Speech freedom of speech policy], stating that they need to repeal it, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang, meaning that players would not be able to access the server.<ref>https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/File:MojangStudiosIPEnforcement.png</ref>

The server [https://www.2b2t.org/ 2b2t] originally known for having no rules has fallen victim to Mojang's enforcement with the current server owner [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTvLrQYfaCY Curtis] implementing anti free speech rules, chat filters and removing map arts to abide by these restrictions.

==Background==
[[Minecraft]] is a voxel-based sandbox game created by Markus "Notch" Persson, and currently maintained by [[Mojang|Mojang Studios]], a subsidiary of [[Xbox|Xbox Game Studios]], owned by [[Microsoft]]. The game achieved an estimated 350M sales, marking it as the world's #1 best-selling game.<ref name=":13">{{cite book |author=[[Mojang AB]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |title=Minecraft Annual 2026 |date=2025 |publisher=Farshore |isbn=978-0-00-868220-0 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405083536/https://books.google.com/books/about/Minecraft_Annual_2026.html?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |url-status=live |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

Minecraft is split into 2 specific versions of the game: Java Edition (JE) and Bedrock Edition (BE). JE is exclusive to PC platforms, and is traditionally where most 3rd-party multiplayer servers are hosted,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} such as Hypixel, McWar, and DonutSMP. Most of these servers being shut down are on JE as well,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} as BE's multiplayer system is far more compartmentalized and controlled by Microsoft,<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jun 9, 2024 |title=Request to Continue Providing PDB Files in Future BDS Versions |url=https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/community/posts/27425253557389-Request-to-Continue-Providing-PDB-Files-in-Future-BDS-Versions |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Minecraft Feedback}}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} leading to fewer servers being determined as "violating the EULA".

Most shutdowns are currently handled via blacklisting the server URL as a hash,<ref name=":0" /> however, its effectiveness has been proven to only work against non-malicious servers, as servers such as Minepot have been jumping domains to circumvent any block from Mojang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Feb 7, 2026 |title=Exposing the Most ILLEGAL Minecraft Server I've EVER Seen... |url=https://youtu.be/XgCvuUoj6mA |access-date=Feb 8, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Shutdowns==

===Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3)===
When Minecraft version 1.9.3 pre-release 2 released in May 2016, the client had an encrypted "server blacklist"<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=u/ceruleanReverie |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Mojang's "server blacklist", what it is, and why it's a big deal |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/4hh3ns/mojangs_server_blacklist_what_it_is_and_why_its_a/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Minecraft}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Blocked server list |url=https://sessionserver.mojang.com/blockedservers |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Mojang.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=15773 |date=Feb 24, 2016 |title=Mojang EULA Enforcement |url=https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251022040914/https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-date=Oct 22, 2025 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Spigot Forums}}</ref> where if the user attempted to access a server that was on this blacklist, they would only receive a "java.net.SocketException: Network is unreachable" error.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TuxCoding |first=Alex |last2=Flakey |first2=Foxie |date=2016-04-30 |title=Minecraft-Blocked-Servers/ReadMe.md |url=https://github.com/TuxCoding/Minecraft-Blocked-Servers/blob/main/ReadMe.md |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=GitHub}}</ref> When this list was discovered shortly after the update, the blacklist covered 31 servers/domains.<ref name=":1" /> As of February 2026, Mojang's list includes [https://mojang-api-docs.gapple.pw/no-auth/blocked-servers cryptographic hashes] of 2595 server addresses,<ref name=":3" /> almost all of which have been decrypted by community members.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burk |first=Austin |last2=PureFallen |last3=Williams |first3=Royce |date=2022-08-23 |title=mojang-blocklist/data/identified.txt |url=https://github.com/sudofox/mojang-blocklist |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=GitHub}}</ref> While some of these servers were reasonably determined to be violating the EULA at the time, not all of them received fair punishment, especially as the company refused to transparently communicate with the overall community over these issues.{{Citation needed}}

Notably during this period, the servers known to be blacklisted were primarily ones who were selling cosmetics and "pay to win" content, which violated the EULA at the time, however this enforcement eventually became lenient enough to cause some to question the initial rulings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Sep 21, 2024 |title=Exposing Minecraft's ILLEGAL Server Gambling Operations... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrKo1mpeGo |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Grant Theft Minecart shutdown (May 2023)===
During some period in 2023, Mojang updated their EULA to classify "guns and weapons" as "non-compliant features under our Adult Content requirement." There was no prior notification to the EULA change for server owners to capably comply in-time before enforcement could occur.

Shortly after this change, the Grand Theft Minecart (GTM) server was attempted to be shut down by the Mojang Enforcement Team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SkylixMC |date=May 28, 2023 |title=Mojang Strikes Again |url=https://grandtheftmc.net/threads/mojang-strikes-again.17292/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Grand Theft Minecart forums}}</ref> In a response to Mojang's enforcement email, the server owner called out some key details about the unfairness of this enforcement. <blockquote>Furthermore, please allow me to ask for clarification when you say “guns and weapons” violate the EULA under this new directive. I am genuinely confused by what is meant by “guns and weapons.” What weapons are not considered adult content? Weapons have been a part of Minecraft since its inception. For example, are swords considered adult content? Are crossbows (which under most municipalities are considered “firearms”) regarded as adult content? How about TNT? Surely bombs can’t be more “kid friendly” than “guns”? To us, this measure feels arbitrary and unnecessary

Moreover, Mojang-endorsed items that are on Minecraft’s marketplace right now clearly contain explicit “firearms”

...

What makes it OK for these items to be available to kids but not our server? Are these items, too, going to be removed?</blockquote>In summary, the email outlined how Mojang chose to focus its enforcement on the GTM server before focusing on moderating content that infringes these same rules on the BE marketplace, as well as how the rules are too vague for server owners to adequately comply.

===Forcing server rules or risking being blacklisted (Oct 2025)===
Prior to October 2025, as part of the free speech policy that was enforced for 15 years, nothing a player could say would result in a ban/official reprimand. After these changes, players are required to receive moderation action on JE servers for violations of the [https://www.minecraft.net/usage-guidelines Minecraft Usage Guidelines], [https://www.minecraft.net/community-standards Minecraft Community Standards], and [https://www.xbox.com/legal/community-standards Xbox Community Standards]. This essentially forces all Minecraft servers to enforce these rules, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang's systems.

===Mojang's response===
{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add the proposed solution to the issues by the company.}}
==Lawsuit==
<blockquote>Editor's notice: There is a lawsuit being prepped for this incident at the moment, please check in with the community under the Minecraft: Consequences Edition discord server,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Minecraft: Consequences Edition Discord Server |url=https://discord.com/invite/mojanglawsuit |website=Discord}}</ref> or updates within the lawsuit's GoFundMe<ref name=":02" /> for details.</blockquote>{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add any information regarding litigation around the incident here.

===Claims===
Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
The response of the company or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
The outcome of the suit, if any.}}
==Consumer response==
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]

Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers

2026-02-20T15:58:29Z

DriftArray: Fix broken link to copy of Mojang enforcement email /* Examples */

{{Incomplete}}

{{IncidentCargo|Company=Mojang|StartDate=2024|EndDate=|Status=Active|ProductLine=|Product=Minecraft Java Edition servers|ArticleType=Product|Type=EULA, Ownership, Third-party|Description=}}

For the past 5-8 years, [[Mojang]], the developers of the title [[Minecraft]], and a subsidiary of [[Microsoft]]'s [[Xbox Game Studios]] publishing brand, have enforced countless server shutdowns citing violations of the Minecraft End User License Agreement (EULA). However, said enforcements have been unfairly biased against operators of smaller Minecraft Java Edition servers, abusing vague and often inaccessible community guidelines to shut down these servers.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Hold Mojang Accountable For Their Unlawful Behaviour |url=https://www.gofundme.com/f/hold-mojang-accountable-for-their-unlawful-behaviour |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=GoFundMe}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |date=Dec 3, 2024 |title=Suing Minecraft Because They Broke The Law & Pissed Me Off |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5RvoPQZQeM |access-date=May 12, 2024 |website=YouTube}}</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Lawsuit Video Accompanying Document |url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l3fxs_pZBTdWu7q_iiRKwQdhkEKp8zkuw0O3KBVWC-I/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.8vmqv8enui5u |access-date=May 12, 2025 |website=Google Docs}}</ref>

===Examples===
An example of this occurred in late 2024 involving the Minecraft server '''McWar''<nowiki/>', wherein Mojang contacted the developer of the server to shut it down.<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":22" />

Additionally, [https://minecraftonline.com/ MinecraftOnline] was threatened by Mojang in late 2025 over their [https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/Free_Speech freedom of speech policy], stating that they need to repeal it, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang, meaning that players would not be able to access the server.<ref>https://minecraftonline.com/wiki/File:MojangStudiosIPEnforcement.png</ref>

The server [https://www.2b2t.org/ 2b2t] originally known for having no rules has fallen victim to Mojang's enforcement with the current server owner [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTvLrQYfaCY Curtis] implementing anti free speech rules, chat filters and removing map arts to abide by these restrictions.

==Background==
[[Minecraft]] is a voxel-based sandbox game created by Markus "Notch" Persson, and currently maintained by [[Mojang|Mojang Studios]], a subsidiary of [[Xbox|Xbox Game Studios]], owned by [[Microsoft]]. The game achieved an estimated 350M sales, marking it as the world's #1 best-selling game.<ref name=":13">{{cite book |author=[[Mojang AB]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |title=Minecraft Annual 2026 |date=2025 |publisher=Farshore |isbn=978-0-00-868220-0 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405083536/https://books.google.com/books/about/Minecraft_Annual_2026.html?id=a7nv0AEACAAJ |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |url-status=live |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

Minecraft is split into 2 specific versions of the game: Java Edition (JE) and Bedrock Edition (BE). JE is exclusive to PC platforms, and is traditionally where most 3rd-party multiplayer servers are hosted,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} such as Hypixel, McWar, and DonutSMP. Most of these servers being shut down are on JE as well,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} as BE's multiplayer system is far more compartmentalized and controlled by Microsoft,<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jun 9, 2024 |title=Request to Continue Providing PDB Files in Future BDS Versions |url=https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/community/posts/27425253557389-Request-to-Continue-Providing-PDB-Files-in-Future-BDS-Versions |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Minecraft Feedback}}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}} leading to fewer servers being determined as "violating the EULA".

Most shutdowns are currently handled via blacklisting the server URL as a hash,<ref name=":0" /> however, its effectiveness has been proven to only work against non-malicious servers, as servers such as Minepot have been jumping domains to circumvent any block from Mojang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Feb 7, 2026 |title=Exposing the Most ILLEGAL Minecraft Server I've EVER Seen... |url=https://youtu.be/XgCvuUoj6mA |access-date=Feb 8, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Shutdowns==

===Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3)===
When Minecraft version 1.9.3 pre-release 2 released, the client had an encrypted "server blacklist"<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/ceruleanReverie |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Mojang's "server blacklist", what it is, and why it's a big deal |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/4hh3ns/mojangs_server_blacklist_what_it_is_and_why_its_a/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Minecraft}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Blocked server list |url=https://sessionserver.mojang.com/blockedservers |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Mojang.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=15773 |date=Feb 24, 2016 |title=Mojang EULA Enforcement |url=https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251022040914/https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-date=Oct 22, 2025 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Spigot Forums}}</ref> which if the user attempted to access a server that was on this blacklist, they would only receive a "connection error". When this list was discovered shortly after the update, the blacklist carried only 31 servers/domains, currently, this list reaches >100 servers.<ref name=":3" />While some of these servers were reasonably determined to be violating the EULA at the time, not all of them received fair punishment, especially as the company refused to transparently communicate with the overall community over these issues.

Notably during this period, the servers known to be blacklisted were primarily ones who were selling cosmetics and "pay to win" content, which violated the EULA at the time, however this enforcement later-on would become lenient enough to leave these previous rulings to be questionable.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Sep 21, 2024 |title=Exposing Minecraft's ILLEGAL Server Gambling Operations... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgrKo1mpeGo |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Grant Theft Minecart shutdown (May 2023)===
During some period in 2023, Mojang updated their EULA to classify "guns and weapons" as "non-compliant features under our Adult Content requirement." There was no prior notification to the EULA change for server owners to capably comply in-time before enforcement could occur.

Shortly after this change, the Grand Theft Minecart (GTM) server was attempted to be shut down by the Mojang Enforcement Team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SkylixMC |date=May 28, 2023 |title=Mojang Strikes Again |url=https://grandtheftmc.net/threads/mojang-strikes-again.17292/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Grand Theft Minecart forums}}</ref> In a response to Mojang's enforcement email, the server owner called out some key details about the unfairness of this enforcement. <blockquote>Furthermore, please allow me to ask for clarification when you say “guns and weapons” violate the EULA under this new directive. I am genuinely confused by what is meant by “guns and weapons.” What weapons are not considered adult content? Weapons have been a part of Minecraft since its inception. For example, are swords considered adult content? Are crossbows (which under most municipalities are considered “firearms”) regarded as adult content? How about TNT? Surely bombs can’t be more “kid friendly” than “guns”? To us, this measure feels arbitrary and unnecessary

Moreover, Mojang-endorsed items that are on Minecraft’s marketplace right now clearly contain explicit “firearms”

...

What makes it OK for these items to be available to kids but not our server? Are these items, too, going to be removed?</blockquote>In summary, the email outlined how Mojang chose to focus its enforcement on the GTM server before focusing on moderating content that infringes these same rules on the BE marketplace, as well as how the rules are too vague for server owners to adequately comply.

===Forcing server rules or risking being blacklisted (Oct 2025)===
Prior to October 2025, as part of the free speech policy that was enforced for 15 years, nothing a player could say would result in a ban/official reprimand. After these changes, players are required to receive moderation action on JE servers for violations of the [https://www.minecraft.net/usage-guidelines Minecraft Usage Guidelines], [https://www.minecraft.net/community-standards Minecraft Community Standards], and [https://www.xbox.com/legal/community-standards Xbox Community Standards]. This essentially forces all Minecraft servers to enforce these rules, or risk being blacklisted by Mojang's systems.

===Mojang's response===
{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add the proposed solution to the issues by the company.}}
==Lawsuit==
<blockquote>Editor's notice: There is a lawsuit being prepped for this incident at the moment, please check in with the community under the Minecraft: Consequences Edition discord server,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brose |first=Kian |title=Minecraft: Consequences Edition Discord Server |url=https://discord.com/invite/mojanglawsuit |website=Discord}}</ref> or updates within the lawsuit's GoFundMe<ref name=":02" /> for details.</blockquote>{{Placeholder box|If applicable, add any information regarding litigation around the incident here.

===Claims===
Main claims of the suit.

===Rebuttal===
The response of the company or counterclaims.

===Outcome===
The outcome of the suit, if any.}}
==Consumer response==
{{Placeholder box|Summary and key issues of prevailing sentiment from the consumers and commentators that can be documented via articles, emails to support, reviews and forum posts.}}
==References==
<references />
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]
[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Mojang]]
[[Category:Microsoft]]
[[Category:Minecraft]]

MinIO Object Browser: removal of management features

2026-02-20T15:38:00Z

DriftArray: Remove extra spaces between text and reference links

{{IncidentCargo
|Company=MinIO
|StartDate=2025
|EndDate=
|Status=Active, Pending Resolution, Resolved, Unresolved
|ProductLine=
|Product=Object Browser
|ArticleType=Service, Product
|Type=Poor Quality, Rent-seeking
|Description=Previously free features were paywalled in Object Browser 2.0 or removed entirely.
}}
In May 2025, MinIO, Inc. released version 2.0 of its Object Browser, a web-based graphical interface for managing object storage. This update removed many previously free management features, leaving only basic browsing capabilities.<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/releases/tag/v2.0.0 MinIO object-browser Release v2.0.0]</ref>

This update was '''rolled out without prior announcement''' or community discussion, leading to surprise and concern among users who had come to rely on the full feature set. Advanced functionalities were deprecated and redirected to the command-line interface (<code>mc</code>) or moved behind a commercial paywall, sparking community concerns.

==Background==
MinIO is a high-performance, distributed object storage system designed for large-scale data storage and management. It is widely used for cloud-native applications, data analytics, and backup and archiving. MinIO is known for its S3-compatibility, making it easy to integrate with existing cloud infrastructure.<ref>[https://min.io/ MinIO Website]</ref> The MinIO Object Browser is a web-based graphical interface that allows users to manage their MinIO deployments through a user-friendly interface. Prior to version 2.0, the Object Browser provided a comprehensive set of features for managing buckets, users, policies, and configurations.<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/tree/f4a08fc0af8f776aa667677fb943aad137808f7c/ MinIO object-browser Release Release v1.7.6]</ref>

==Removal of Management Features in Object Browser 2.0==
In May 2025, MinIO released version 2.0 of its Object Browser, which significantly reduced the functionality of the web-based interface.<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509 GitHub Pull Request #3509]</ref>

The update removed key management features, including:

*Account and policy management
*Configuration management
*Bucket management

These features were previously accessible through the Object Browser's UI but now require the use of the <code>mc</code> command-line client or a paid upgrade to MinIO's commercial offerings. The changes were implemented via [https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509 GitHub Pull Request #3509]. The official release notes framed the update as a simplification, but critics argued that it effectively limited the utility of the free version.

==MinIO's Response==
MinIO, Inc. stated that the removal of management features was necessary due to maintenance challenges and security concerns. The company argued that maintaining separate graphical consoles for the community and commercial branches was unsustainable, and cited past vulnerabilities in the admin UI as a reason to prioritize security by removing unmaintained features<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509#issuecomment-2910994229 Comment by harshavardhana on PR #3509]</ref>.

However, MinIO’s commercial pricing has been widely criticized as excessively high. The entry-level commercial offering, AiStor, starts at '''$96,000 per year''' for a platform fee, covering up to 400 TiB of storage.<ref>[https://min.io/ MinIO Website]</ref> This makes self-hosting MinIO more expensive than using Amazon S3 itself for many users, especially those with smaller storage needs. There are no lower-cost or tiered options, effectively pricing out small businesses and individual users.<ref>[https://aws.amazon.com/de/s3/pricing/ Amazon S3 pricing]</ref>

In addition to the high cost, MinIO has been criticized for its handling of community feedback. After the release of Object Browser 2.0, users raised concerns and objections in GitHub issues and pull requests. Instead of engaging in open discussion, MinIO maintainers have closed and locked threads where the feature removal is discussed, effectively silencing community concerns. For example, in [https://github.com/minio/object-browser/issues/3544 GitHub Issue #3544], a user wrote:<blockquote>"This dreadful PR forces users to pay for a license by removing all the useful features. It’s outrageous - no technical considerations justify this decision; it’s purely greed and an abuse of the OSS model. Please either revert this ASAP or explain your reasoning with clear arguments rather than blocking responses."</blockquote>This issue, like others, was quickly closed and locked, preventing further discussion. Similar patterns have been observed across other issues and pull requests related to the feature removal, with maintainers providing minimal explanation and then restricting conversation.

While MinIO has stated they are open to community contributions for developing an alternative management UI, their actions—disregarding prior community contributions and shutting down discussion—have raised questions about their commitment to open-source principles and community collaboration.

The absence of prior communication or community consultation raised questions about the transparency of the decision-making process.<ref>[https://blog.min.io/ MinIO Blog]</ref>

==Consumer response==
The removal of management features from the MinIO Object Browser has generated significant criticism and concern within the MinIO user community, exacerbated by the fact that these changes were implemented without prior notice or community consultation.<ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1kva3pw/avoid_minio_developers_introduce_trojan_horse/ Reddit Discussion]</ref> <ref>[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44093987 Hacker News Discussion]</ref> <ref>[https://biggo.com/news/202505261334_MinIO_Removes_Web_UI_Features BigGo News Article]</ref> Users have expressed frustration over the loss of functionality and the increased complexity of managing MinIO deployments via the command-line. Some users have explored alternative S3-compatible solutions with management UIs, while others have forked the last version of the Object Browser before the changes.<ref>[https://github.com/OpenMaxIO/openmaxio-object-browser openmaxio-object-browser fork]</ref>

==Lawsuit==
At present, there are no known lawsuits directly related to the changes implemented in Object Browser version 2.0. The matter remains largely confined to community discourse and debates about open-source licensing and commercial strategy.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Incidents]]

MinIO Object Browser: removal of management features

2026-02-20T15:36:25Z

DriftArray: Add in-text link to GitHub PR for ease of navigation; remove extra space /* Removal of Management Features in Object Browser 2.0 */

{{IncidentCargo
|Company=MinIO
|StartDate=2025
|EndDate=
|Status=Active, Pending Resolution, Resolved, Unresolved
|ProductLine=
|Product=Object Browser
|ArticleType=Service, Product
|Type=Poor Quality, Rent-seeking
|Description=Previously free features were paywalled in Object Browser 2.0 or removed entirely.
}}
In May 2025, MinIO, Inc. released version 2.0 of its Object Browser, a web-based graphical interface for managing object storage. This update removed many previously free management features, leaving only basic browsing capabilities.<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/releases/tag/v2.0.0 MinIO object-browser Release v2.0.0]</ref>

This update was '''rolled out without prior announcement''' or community discussion, leading to surprise and concern among users who had come to rely on the full feature set. Advanced functionalities were deprecated and redirected to the command-line interface (<code>mc</code>) or moved behind a commercial paywall, sparking community concerns.

==Background==
MinIO is a high-performance, distributed object storage system designed for large-scale data storage and management. It is widely used for cloud-native applications, data analytics, and backup and archiving. MinIO is known for its S3-compatibility, making it easy to integrate with existing cloud infrastructure. <ref>[https://min.io/ MinIO Website]</ref> The MinIO Object Browser is a web-based graphical interface that allows users to manage their MinIO deployments through a user-friendly interface. Prior to version 2.0, the Object Browser provided a comprehensive set of features for managing buckets, users, policies, and configurations. <ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/tree/f4a08fc0af8f776aa667677fb943aad137808f7c/ MinIO object-browser Release Release v1.7.6]</ref>

==Removal of Management Features in Object Browser 2.0==
In May 2025, MinIO released version 2.0 of its Object Browser, which significantly reduced the functionality of the web-based interface.<ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509 GitHub Pull Request #3509]</ref>

The update removed key management features, including:

*Account and policy management
*Configuration management
*Bucket management

These features were previously accessible through the Object Browser's UI but now require the use of the <code>mc</code> command-line client or a paid upgrade to MinIO's commercial offerings. The changes were implemented via [https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509 GitHub Pull Request #3509]. The official release notes framed the update as a simplification, but critics argued that it effectively limited the utility of the free version.

==MinIO's Response==
MinIO, Inc. stated that the removal of management features was necessary due to maintenance challenges and security concerns. The company argued that maintaining separate graphical consoles for the community and commercial branches was unsustainable, and cited past vulnerabilities in the admin UI as a reason to prioritize security by removing unmaintained features <ref>[https://github.com/minio/object-browser/pull/3509#issuecomment-2910994229 Comment by harshavardhana on PR #3509]</ref>.

However, MinIO’s commercial pricing has been widely criticized as excessively high. The entry-level commercial offering, AiStor, starts at '''$96,000 per year''' for a platform fee, covering up to 400 TiB of storage. <ref>[https://min.io/ MinIO Website]</ref> This makes self-hosting MinIO more expensive than using Amazon S3 itself for many users, especially those with smaller storage needs. There are no lower-cost or tiered options, effectively pricing out small businesses and individual users. <ref>[https://aws.amazon.com/de/s3/pricing/ Amazon S3 pricing]</ref>

In addition to the high cost, MinIO has been criticized for its handling of community feedback. After the release of Object Browser 2.0, users raised concerns and objections in GitHub issues and pull requests. Instead of engaging in open discussion, MinIO maintainers have closed and locked threads where the feature removal is discussed, effectively silencing community concerns. For example, in [https://github.com/minio/object-browser/issues/3544 GitHub Issue #3544], a user wrote:<blockquote>"This dreadful PR forces users to pay for a license by removing all the useful features. It’s outrageous - no technical considerations justify this decision; it’s purely greed and an abuse of the OSS model. Please either revert this ASAP or explain your reasoning with clear arguments rather than blocking responses."</blockquote>This issue, like others, was quickly closed and locked, preventing further discussion. Similar patterns have been observed across other issues and pull requests related to the feature removal, with maintainers providing minimal explanation and then restricting conversation.

While MinIO has stated they are open to community contributions for developing an alternative management UI, their actions—disregarding prior community contributions and shutting down discussion—have raised questions about their commitment to open-source principles and community collaboration.

The absence of prior communication or community consultation raised questions about the transparency of the decision-making process. <ref>[https://blog.min.io/ MinIO Blog]</ref>

==Consumer response==
The removal of management features from the MinIO Object Browser has generated significant criticism and concern within the MinIO user community, exacerbated by the fact that these changes were implemented without prior notice or community consultation. <ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1kva3pw/avoid_minio_developers_introduce_trojan_horse/ Reddit Discussion]</ref> <ref>[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44093987 Hacker News Discussion]</ref> <ref>[https://biggo.com/news/202505261334_MinIO_Removes_Web_UI_Features BigGo News Article]</ref> Users have expressed frustration over the loss of functionality and the increased complexity of managing MinIO deployments via the command-line. Some users have explored alternative S3-compatible solutions with management UIs, while others have forked the last version of the Object Browser before the changes. <ref>[https://github.com/OpenMaxIO/openmaxio-object-browser openmaxio-object-browser fork]</ref>

==Lawsuit==
At present, there are no known lawsuits directly related to the changes implemented in Object Browser version 2.0. The matter remains largely confined to community discourse and debates about open-source licensing and commercial strategy.

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Incidents]]