Fortnite Maker Epic Games and Spotify are testing Apple's new app store policy by submitting apps for reviews that were previously unauthorized. On Friday, the companies submitted new versions of their respective apps to Apple's app review.
For epic games, that means Fortnite will return to the App Store. Apple dismissed the game in 2020 and terminated its Epic account after disputing the App Store rules by adding support for direct payments in Fortnite before filing antitrust laws against Apple.
Meanwhile, Spotify wants to allow users to purchase individual audiobooks directly, allowing premium subscribers to purchase “top-up” time for audiobook listening. (These times can be purchased when subscribers receive more than the 15-hour free time each month.)
The latest update to Streamer came just after Apple's approval of the Amazon Kindle app this week, adding the “Buy Book” button for the first time. It also follows the Spotify approval I received last week. This allows users to access pricing information for subscription plans within the streaming app.
Over time, more apps may join Epic Games and Spotify to take advantage of the new App Store policy.
For tech companies like Epic and Spotify, the judges needed in App Store policy change lawsuits are to boost their revenues, but for small developers it could have a total impact on the capabilities that exist, as it allows new business models to flourish.
The updated App Store policy was rolled out last week when a federal judge ruled that Apple failed to comply with court orders for in-app purchases after Apple lost a massive antitrust legal battle filed by Epic Games. Apple won the case very well, but the judge directed that the tech giant to be more competitive when it comes to processing payments.
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Instead of allowing developers to link to their website and provide consumers with alternative ways to pay for virtual products or subscriptions, Apple had requested developers to apply for that permission. If granted, developers also had to format how the links were displayed in the app to Apple's preferences. This included the use of a “scary screen” that warned consumers of the risk of purchasing made outside of Apple's walls.
Most importantly, Apple continued to charge large commissions for web sales of 30% to 27% before the change.
It wasn't something the judge had in mind, so Apple dropped the anti-competitive barrier and allowed developers to jump over additional hoops and link to web purchase options without a committee.