Guideline 4.3

Question

SMARTCIS OP

Created Apr ’24

Replies 1

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Participants 2

Hello,

We have two chat applications that are based on the same source code but are owned by different individuals. These apps have distinct names, color themes, and user bases, although they share the same underlying source code. Both apps were uploaded to the App Store over three years ago. However, when we attempted to update one of the apps recently, it was rejected for violating Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam. The rejection message stated:

"We noticed your app shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept as apps submitted to the App Store by other developers, with only minor differences. Submitting similar or repackaged apps is a form of spam that creates clutter and makes it difficult for users to discover new apps."

We are seeking guidance on how to obtain approval for this update. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Answer 1

Claude31 OP

Apr ’24

Reviewer message is very explicit:

"We noticed your app shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept as apps submitted to the App Store by other developers, with only minor differences. Submitting similar or repackaged apps is a form of spam that creates clutter and makes it difficult for users to discover new apps."

Even if you showed agreement between the 2 developers, that would not solve the issue.

AFAIK, the only solution is to cancel one of the apps (the one that was rejected) and remove from Appstore. And post a comment to reviewer when you update the other app that the similar app has been withdrawn.

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