this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2024
142 points (93.3% liked)
Technology
59605 readers
3434 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The issue is that Apple should not advertise the app a FREE on the AppStore. It’s should advertise it as a subscription app or something like that.
The real issue is almost certainly that Hey doesn’t want to pay Apple 30% so you can’t do anything without an external subscription and they don’t allow you to pay with In App Payments/Subscriptions.
This guys entire marketing plan is generating controversy.
That’s exactly the same marketing plan as Neflix/Amazon prime/HBO Max… whatever. You download a FREE app but can’t do anything with it without a subscription.
Every single one of those apps supports in app payments/subscriptions. You can subscribe directly from the app.
So, no, you don’t.
And if Hey added that, they would be fine.
This is the reason Apple didn’t lose their antitrust cases - they apply their rules pretty uniformly unlike Google which made all sorts of exceptions and side deals.
Last I checked you cannot sub from within the Netflix app.
Have you checked in the actual app? The App Store page often shows legacy info. I know it was possible before, but afaik they changed it some years back.
The Apple developer terms actually have a specific section for “reader apps” which are primarily meant for consuming media purchased or subscribed to outside of the Apple Store. The in app purchase requirements are relaxed for apps falling in this category. I don’t think a calendar app fits that, though.
You can log in without having a sub. You just need to create an account on the web.
The OP is about not being able to do anything without paying. Not about not being able to do anything without an account.
Maybe that’s a recent change. I know I was able to log in, browse and add to watchlist a few months ago without having an active sub.