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Apple just removed Airfoil Speakers Touch 3 from the iOS app store, despite claims from developer Rogue Amoeba that the app complies with all of Apple’s rules and developer agreements. What gives, Apple?
Airfoil Speakers Touch is rad, which is why this bothers us. Since 2009 the app has allowed you to stream audio from your computer—Mac or PC—to your iOS device. Last month, Rogue Amoeba released Airfoil Speakers Touch 3, introduced the ability to push audio from one iOS device to another. All signs point to the removal being somehow linked to this new functionality. Still, Apple hasn’t given Rogue Amoeba Software a concrete reason for the app’s removal:
We first heard from Apple about this decision two days ago, and we’ve been discussing the pending removal with them since then. However, we still do not yet have a clear answer on why Apple has chosen to remove Airfoil Speakers Touch. Needless to say, we’re quite disappointed with their decision, and we’re working hard to once again make the application available for you, our users.
Rogue Amoeba has appealed the app’s removal.
In fairness, it’s possible that Apple has some security concerns about this type of functionality. On the other hand could it be that Apple is using its hand of god to keep Airfoil from competing with its curent or forthcoming products? [Rogue Amoeba Software via Techmeme]
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Sounds normal practice to me, if the third party app is doing something close to what Apple offers, they will remove the third party app.
Nothing like good competition, and Apple like nothing more than no competition.
Just because it’s normal practice, doesn’t make it good practice. Removing an App without explanation of any kind is at the very least rude and if it turns out that it has been removed to clear the field for an Apple App, Anticompetitive.
It’s their ecosystem, that gives them the right to do what they want.
Absolutely. They would piss off developers less if they explained the reasons though.
So the spotify app should be disappearing soon then? I would not appreciate that since it’s how I get new music at work
I really don’t think it would surprise anyone at this point if Apple did pull the Spotify app.
“Sounds normal practice to me, if the third party app is doing something close to what Apple offers, they will remove the third party app.”
This isn’t true. Apple didn’t remove Instapaper when they added the reader functionality, and they don’t remove all the third party browsers/music players/mail clients etc.
Here’s a lengthy explanation on the possible reasons for it’s removal if you’re bothered http://daringfireball.net/2012/05/more_on_airfoil_speakers_touch
It sucks this was removed and Apple should be more clear, but it’s a myth that Apple doesn’t allow apps because they do what Apple’s software does.
I’m always skeptical of reading too much into these sorts of stories. Apple approves a phenomenal number of apps and updates every day, and it’s inevitable that some will be incorrectly processed due to human error. It’s been seen to work both ways too with tethering apps slipping out into the App Store before being pulled a day later, so without a full explanation of the reasons, I wouldn’t get up-in-arms about it just yet.
Having said that, it does seem like there are few and poor communication channels between the developers and Apple. If an existing app is found to contravene the terms, how about contacting the developer to resolve the differences first rather than yank it from the store and potentially lose them sales. And too often it seems that Apple provides inadequate explanations of why an app fails to meet guidelines, tending to just quote a specific point in the agreement and leaving the developer to try and interpret what they mean (from what I’ve heard of it anyway.)
“how about contacting the developer to resolve the differences first rather than yank it from the store and potentially lose them sales.”
I think they do, and they did let the developer know a few days before. But they weren’t clear on their reasoning, and they definitely should be if they don’t want to put off developers.
It needs to be more than letting them know though, they need to enter into a discussion, say ‘could you change this particular thing’, or ‘this is in violation so your next update needs to include the removal of X and should be submitted within the next X weeks’.
I’m not against Apple’s ‘curation’ process, I think it’s probably a good way to get decent apps on the platform rather than crap, but a little bit of communication would definitely avoid these PR errors that make people think that the whole process is a bad thing acting only in Apple’s interest.