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Comment by throwthere | Hacker News Reader

Meh. The problem is FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access. This, Apple perceives as a major privacy issue-- one for the possibility of keylogging, but also for the broader possibility of the always-on logging that the weather apps are infamous for.

edit: Sorry, I didn't include the source, the Developer License Agreement. Here's a link (relevant section on page 23) -- https://developer.apple.com/support/downloads/terms/apple-de...

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You’ll be surprised to know that Apple is quite fine with keyboards using network access. That is literally why the “Full Access” switch exists. Without it, the keyboard is fully sandboxed. It can receive input from the container app, but nothing can get out. It is surprisingly a user choice, something Apple will rarely give up on iOS.

The rejection was only because the app existed on the Apple Watch, and it was only rejected after the reviewer knew the new Apple watch would include the same feature (Note, you can’t use this feature on < 2021 apple watches, you have to pay to play.)

The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. The idea of bringing a full keyboard to the watch isn't exactly the groundbreaking innovation many people here are acting like it is. Do people really think Apple stole the idea from this guy?

>The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch.

Weird because it did.

-offer to buy the keyboard. -don't come to agreement. -refuse to remove scam copycats. -ban keyboard. -release own keyboard.

Apple has a history of taking features from apps and calling it their own. Instapaper is an example.

You're missing the point.

They rejected his app while going ahead and releasing a clone. Why?

No, these two events were separated by more than a year. The rejection was appealed in 2 months.

There is no list of types of applications that are allowed or not allowed.

According to this tweet from the author, that isn't the reason Apple gave for removing it: https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321

They simply said keyboards on the watch are not allowed.

You’re kidding right? There is no such restriction on keyboards. How do you think the Bitmoji keyboard works?

The weird thing is: it only required network access if you used it while VoiceOver is off (https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22627515/flicktype-ios-ke...)

I can’t think of a technical reason for that.

As with all things on the internet, and especially people complaining loudly about something, there's obviously more to the story. The guy complaining isn't going to tell us the entire unfettered truth and explain why his app needs this network access, and Apple isn't going to say anything because they literally do not care what a bunch of techie people think. The whole story stank of BS from the beginning, but people online love supporting the person who portrays themselves as an underdog battling the big evil company, so they set their critical thinking skills aside and jump on the bandwagon.

Go read your link carefully. Page 23 not only does not disallow network access, it specifically allows logging it and stipulates what can be done with that data.

“ keystroke logging done by any such extension must be clearly disclosed to the end-user prior to any such data being sent from an iOS Product, and notwithstanding anything else in Section 3.3.9, such data may be used only for purposes of providing or improving the keyboard functionality of Your Application (e.g., not for serving advertising);”

>FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access

This is 100% false. Apples own keyboard as well as gboard from google both require network access to facilitate gif, search support etc

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