What Apple doesn’t want you to know about the App Store
twitter.com
twitter.com
- A developer has no control if someone else decides to buy them fake reviews. That's why Apple could never punish a developer for fake reviews on their app, just like Twitter can't punish an account holder for fake followers. Otherwise you could remove any app by just buying them fake reviews and then "exposing" them on twitter and complaining to Apple.
- When apps ask for a rating, most users will tap a star rating and not bother to leave a review. On the other hand, angry users will be more likely to take the time to write a review. That's why for MOST APPS there are many ratings (usually more positive) and less reviews (usually more negative).
I appreciate the effort to "clean up" the app store, but how about the app that is in OPs twitter bio? It has similar reviews as the "scams" he is "exposing"!
- Jan 18 '...very deceptive'
- Jan 16 'scam!'
- Jan 14 'cheated I want a refund of my money...'
- Jan 14 'They change for the app to download then charge 3.99 to unlock features. Terrible'
- Jan 12 'Horrible i payed to get the app just for me to pay $4 dollars more to unlock the feature of using the keyboard'
Makes me wonder if it's all not just a vendetta against a competitor.
Something that will never allow me or any watch keyboard to have stellar ratings is the fact that Apple does not support keyboards system-wide on watchOS, like they do on iOS. Yet my competitors casually had 4.5 stars - and one of them is still up.
As for some of the particular claims, there were a couple of days where the app was paid, and had an IAP - as part of my transition to a free app. Still, the initial paid download let you use the keyboard as long as you want on the watch, but without swipe, themes and other premium features. It was an awkward transition, unfortunately, and those are the battle scars.
Anyway, my point is that my rating truly reflects how people feel about my product - as it should. A 3.4 rating is currently preventing most people from even checking out the app, and I'm fine with that.
I support your effort to improve the App Store and get Apple to be more fair. I don't support using public outrage to accuse other developers of purchasing reviews, without proof, in a way that could harm their income. It's immoral and possibly a tort of defamation.
I don't doubt that you have good intentions but going down this path will just lead to developers using public outrage to try to damage each other, not to Apple adjusting their rules and review process. Someone with enough twitter followers could easily do this to someone else.
That is not the case - at all - for the app(s) I mention in my Twitter thread.
It was out of my imagination that these apps not only pass it through the review, but also get pushed by apple. Can't decide if they look away to get the bucks, if it is an algorithm problem that pushes high revenue apps or if there are just too many apps to control.
The more I think about it - in times of machine learning it should not be a problem to figure out scam apps at least after some negative comments. The fact that it is a known problem for over two years also does not look good on apple.
I also cannot blame users who fall for these scams because it is really easy to start a subscription, especially if you confirm with your fingerprint while trying to exit the sh*itty app.