Rumors: Apple backtracks on Appageddon

We have covered what we called the Appageddon quite extensively over the last month or so.

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Here is a summary of the latest  and mostly unconfirmed events that lead to a growing preoccupation over the future of white label event apps.

– We got contacted by a planner in mid July saying that a major app provider was not accepting white label, templated apps anymore because Apple was enforcing a policy against templated apps. This is the first time we heard about the problem.

– A few providers go public with articles about the policy change and how it affects their clients.

– Still nothing happens on the App Store, apps are accepted as usual.

– Last week, two providers come forward saying their apps are starting to be rejected. They ask us to put a call out to raise awareness and lobby Apple.

– We publish this article.

– Two more providers connect with us saying they are experiencing the same rejection problems.

– One provider contacts us saying they are not affected at all.

We have covered the Appageddon in these three posts:

• Appageddon: Will Apple’s App Store New Guidelines Trouble Event Apps?
• Militant App Store Policy Already Damaging Event Apps
• Everybody Agrees: Event Apps are Alive and Well

What Has Changed?

Multiple sources are confirming that Apple is backtracking on their decision to ban templated apps. It seems this is just a temporary measure in response to the growing concern among providers.

Many small businesses have been affected by a repentine change without any notice. Apple seems to have realized that and started to re-approve templated apps in the App Store.

One developer, has in fact come back to us saying that “We’re starting to get things approved after appeals.”.

Great News, But Not So Fast

This can only be good news to many small businesses with high end, white label apps in the pipeline who got them denied without any notice.

Yet the change seems to be only momentaneous as Apple is looking to face the problem with templated apps again in 2018.

Whether you agree or not on templating and container apps, one thing for sure, Apple has the responsibility to communicate such changes well in advance, to avoid jeopardizing events that had months of planning.

Saying that, if Apple is going back to the policy later in 2018, I am sure the Event App Bible 2018 will be an edition you want to save for years. Differences will be substantial.

The new app environment will be in fact made of, as previously mentioned in our coverage:

• Container apps. As the name suggests, these apps provide the end user with a single point of entry for many events.
• Web apps. Event applications which run in the mobile web browser with no need to download a native app.
• Hybrid apps. These are a mix of native and web apps. The entry point is a native app but the content is provided via an integral web browser.
• Completely unique, bespoke apps. Although white labeling may no longer be possible, apps built from the ground up with the unique interests of the client may still be in with a shot of approval.

Keeping You Posted

We are very glad to see many pundits and app providers jumping on the Appageddon bandwagon. It can only raise the voice for event technology and create a sense of community for a sector that desperately needs it.

One thing for sure is that things are changing. In these times, it is paramount to drop the sales pitch and go back to transparency, flexibility and client interests. We will keep updating the community and offering a platform for discussion for providers and event professionals.

In Conclusion

What we are posting today is an update on Apple pulling templated apps from the App Store. This article is based on rumors and messages event professionals and app providers have shared with us anonymously. It does not represent what Apple will ultimately do as we haven’t officially heard from them, therefore if you are planner, keep talking to your app provider as only they know what is happening with your app or future app. If you are a provider, keep talking to Apple to see how your app is being affected.