Apple will allow some developers to link out to their own sites from within the apps, the Cupertino-based tech giant has announced. The new rules let ‘reader apps’ developers link out to their sites for activities such as account management or creation.
Reader apps are primarily meant to provide access to digital content, such as Kindle, Netflix, or Spotify.
The new rules should help improve the bad user experience for these apps caused by Apple’s previous rules. Earlier, Apple didn’t allow a downloaded app such as the Netflix app to give users a link to sign up or create an account. That made apps frustrating for users who didn’t already have accounts, forcing developers who didn’t want to use Apple’s payment system (and give up 30% revenue) to make a worse experience for customers.
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However, developers can’t just immediately add a sign-up link to the home screen. Apple’s developer support page said developers will have to request an “entitlement” before being allowed to add an external link. Apple has also made it mandatory to have a specific flow.
Developers will also have to link to an Apple page that explains the risks associated with giving info to a third-party developer.
Among other rules that developers will have to follow are:
— The link must open in a browser and not an in-app view;
— No additional data or parameters will be allowed to pass to the website;
— The app cannot contain text explaining how much things on the website will cost.
Apple will also review the changes to apps before they go live.
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Apple announced the change in September 2021 and said it would help close an anti-monopoly investigation by Japanese regulators. At that time, the implementation details were unclear. The guidelines Apple has released seems to suggest that only a single URL will be allowed. The URL, however, cannot redirect to a landing page.