"container" app

A container app is a single app that can be individualized by the user for their particular use. So if your app is an app for Nancy Drew books you don't make an app for each Nancy Drew book. You make one app and you sell each Nancy Drew books one at a time into that app. Or if your app is an app for a Barber Shop you don't make one for each Barber Shop; you make one app that each Barber Shop can individualize for their purpose.

Thanks!!

And what exactly does that phrase mean?

You make an application that each hairdresser can individualize for its purpose.

Does it mean that each hair salon has its own section within the app?

But my client wants the app to be Smith Barber Shop. With the container how will the app need to be called, "Hairdressers" simply? Thank you

If the app is meant to be individually branded then I'd appeal the 'spam' objection since that app has its own icon and look-and-feel. But if the app for "Smith Barber Shop" and "Jones Barber Shop" and "Mack Barber Shop" all have the same icons and look-and-feel except for "Smith" and "Jones" and "Mack" then the App Store is quite reasonable to demand that you sell one app that is individualized through IAP. The one app would be called "Hairdresser" and the user would select "Smith Barber Shop" from some sort of drop down list or log in procedure.

Where's the line? If I have a "Coke" app and a "Pepsi" app, should those be released under a single "Soft Drink" app? The customer's branding on the home screen and the app name matter.

The line is wherever App Review draws it.

IMHO - it depends on the branding. In your case if you are making the app for the user who is purchasing only 1 Coke or Pepsi to drink it - then the apps are different. But if you are making the app for the grocery store that needs to monitor its inventory of Coke or its inventory of Pepsi then one app. And if you are making the app for Kroegers and Shop Rite and Target to monitor their inventory of Coke and Pepsi then one app.

i am facing a same problem as you,please help me if you have created container app, send me a link of your container app or name please so that i will make a container app.any body if you have face this problem please help me...

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as many of the other apps you've submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language.

Apps that simply duplicate content or functionality create clutter, diminish the overall experience for the end user, and reduce the ability of developers to market their apps.

Next Steps

To resolve this issue, please combine apps with similar feature sets into a single "container" app (using the in-app purchase API to deliver different content if appropriate).

Please reply to this message to indicate the app name and Apple ID of any "container" apps submitted under your Apple Developer Program account.

Having the same issues and struggling for more than 2 months with them, I think this is exactly what Apple is doing though. They reject apps that are built for separate stores without caring about the individualization and integration these apps have with them. When the app is connecting to the store's backend, like a POS system and it's contents are managed by the store and the only similarity between apps is that they all have a sequence like splash -> list of items -> add to cart -> checkout and they have different colors, images, content, I don't understand why Apple classifies them as Spam. These apps are the only ones representing that individual store and it targets this store's clients in an effort to provide advanced services to them like online ordering. If the publisher is not a Mall that wants to build a separate app for each store that is located in it but separate (many times in other countries, other currencies and other language) businesses that are trying to market their inventory to their online users. In that case does is the similarity because of a tabbar with icons like "inventory, history, settings" THAT crucial to Apple to classify an app as spam and reject it while insisting so stubbornly to create a "container" to cases that this is impossible? Imagine a developer that never designed a business model to become a "marketplace". They built an online system and have only 10 - 20 clients worldwide. A container app would seem quite stupid with such small selection especially if this business is focused in quality and not quantity. There HAS to be a level of tolerance in such cases. We, having this issue now have published several apps for our clients without iOS support and this is shameful. The end-users ask the stores why, the stores try to respond in a reasonable manner and all that has drawbacks that are not doing any good to anyone.

"Where's the line? If I have a "Coke" app and a "Pepsi" app, should those be released under a single "Soft Drink" app? The customer's branding on the home screen and the app name matter."

That's actually a terrible example, and here is why:

Pepsi and Coke are two competing companies. What if they both hired you, and you made an idential app with just different branding for them? It would look terrible for them, and it would make Apple's App Store look low quality.

Think about this from Apple's perspective. They want HIGH QUALITY CUSTOMIZED experiences for each brand. They don't want twenty different soft drink apps to all have essentially the same look and feel and UX. Android has that kind of crap.... Apple is trying to rise above. Look at their recent App Store redesign for proof.

You need a new business model. Apple doesn't like yours anymore.

i am facing a same problem, my all apps are rejected by this Reason.but one thing i cant understand i have seen other developers app that recently launched and that too similar with other apps functionlaity,so there apps accepted too.our apps are rejected i cant understand.

Hi,

We are experiencing the same problem. We are creating container app and we have to promote our in-Apps too. We are confused with the names of in-Apps. Can someone suggest us the names for in-App as earlier we had three types of in-Apss like unlock languages, remove ads etc.

For Example: If our App name is Ketogenic Diet Recipes. Then what should be it's in-App name?

in-App name is limited to 30 characters only.

It would be really helpful if anyone can suggest us in-App names.

We are facing also the same issue with games for kids. All new games get rejected for

Guideline 4.3 - Design

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as other apps that have been submitted to the App Store (either under your own account or across multiple developer accounts) and simply varies in content or language.

Apps that simply duplicate content or functionality create clutter, diminish the overall experience for the end user, and reduce the ability of developers to market their apps.

We encourage you to review your app concept and incorporate different content and features that are in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.

Creating a container app for kids games seems crazy too. Kids cosume apps more like TV episodes (fast) so we create new app with new content, new topic and release as a sequel. It does not make sense to have one huge app (2-6 Gb) that combines all content inside. I really don't understand Apple vision for this kind of content.
The worst part is, they do not comment or contact us back. We cannot get clear understanding of how to meet their requirements.

You are the whole reason these guidelines were put in place! Quit spamming the store with similar stuff, combine them!

"Look at their recent App Store redesign for proof."

Yeah it ***** big time. The old app store sucked but it was better

than the BS they put out now that is supposedly so improved.