So the BullyingUK app version 3 has been rejected, you remember version 2 was rejected because Apple ban donation buttons from their apps they want us to give them a 30% cut... well get this NEW policy time from Apple and this one is the biggest STUFF U's to Non-profit I have ever witnessed by a corporation.
Now Apple says you must include content from multiple sources in your iPhone apps, so that means any advice charity will have to include information from other sources not just their own websites RSS if your using sites like APPMakr, all though this new policy seems to be across the board even if your having a bespoke app built.
BullyingUK will NOT be publishing under these new rules any more apps to the app store, for us it's a matter of user protection we can not include feeds or content in our apps that we do not have direct control over and the same will be true for every charity / non-profit I would of thought.
This is just another example of Apple making changes without considering who it impacts.
It's time Apple added a Non-profits section to the appstore with lighter restrictions, either that or I will no longer recommend ANY charity /non-profit develops for Apple products, we simply can't trust them not to change policy and destroy our apps.
Below is the complete policy change as supplied by AppMakr, oh and for now Forget the iPhone and start looking at Android at this rate Apple won't have many developers left as they all jump ship to Google's Android Platform...
If you want to put your organisation forward to help raise awareness of this issue leave a comment below maybe together we can get a fair deal with Charity / Non-profits in the Appstore.
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Submitted Feb 22 by AppMakr Support Recently, Apple has notified App developers that they have tightened their standards for approval into the App Store. Simply put, they are requiring Apps to contain sufficient amounts of content to appeal to a broad audience. They will not be accepting Apps that are solely intended for an individual blogger with a small audience or a company attempting to create an App used entirely as a promotional tool. Changes to Apple Policy
Apps that contain low number of feeds and very specific content have been explicitly targeted for Apple rejection. For this reason, we have implemented new standards which are required for the submission of your App to the App store. Those standards can be found here: http://help.appmakr.com/forums/117312-faqs/entries/114349-top-10-th...
Additionally, we have a few suggestions which may be beneficial in maximizing your App's chances of approval within the App Store.
How to appeal to a large audience – Make sure your App isn’t focused on one specific aspect of a topic. We suggest that you add content that may appeal to the larger group and add sections that are specific to your organization. So, if we take a local high school football team App, we recommend that you consider adding content regarding football in general, content that includes your sports district, and even perhaps your school district in addition to information that is specific to your team, and your school. The approval process is completely independent of AppMakr, and is fully controlled by Apple alone, and while there is no guarantee for approval, there have been successful Apps that have followed this formula.
How to create an App for your business – Simply creating an App with your company blog and Twitter account is a surefire way to run into Apple rejection. Instead, complement that information with industry news. Use a site like Alltop (www.alltop.com) or Google News to create a feed that can appeal to your entire industry, not just information about your specific company. Your App needs to be more than just a "virtual business card."
The key seems to be content. The greater the mass appeal and quantity; the more likely that Apple will find a place for your App in their store.
Need help creating a feed? Here is a helpful tutorial on creating an RSS feed if you don’t already have one: http://help.appmakr.com/forums/117312/entries/95222-how-to-create-a...
Here is some helpful content on searching for feeds that can complement your current content: http://help.appmakr.com/forums/90342/entries/115151-how-can-i-get-a...
