Having Multiple Similar Apps

Like many developers of travel apps, I have different guides for different cities.


The main reason for this is search, an app can only be optimized for so many keywords and if multiple cities were combined into a single app, it would not show up in search for people looking for a guide for most of those cities even though the app has guides for them.


Another reason it to not require a separate download. For travelers with poor internet connections, having a container app that requires multiple in-app downloads is less desirable than just downloading the whole app up-front.


I notice many developers are allowed to have dozens of apps like this. All the same app with just different content for numerous cities. Here are some examples:


https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/ulmon-gmbh/id306906820


https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/travel-guide-offline-maps/id1086721423


https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/etips-ltd/id330954824


I just had my apps rejected with this note. Can someone explain how other developers are allowed to do this and not me and what I could do to be allowed to do the same as they are?


"2.20 - Developers "spamming" the App Store with many versions of similar Apps will be removed from the iOS Developer Program


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


Specifically, all of your travel guide apps have identical icons when installed on the device.


Apps that use the same - or very similar - icons make it difficult for users to find apps and are considered a form of spam.


Please combine apps with a common features set into a single "container" app that uses the In-App Purchase API to deliver different content."

Post not yet marked as solved Up vote post of tomkincaid Down vote post of tomkincaid
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Replies

Hi!


I have the same problem as you, before could upload similar applications with similar characteristics and apple approved me without problems, now when sending an update I have removed the almost 20 applications that had this is crazy!


Apple is changing the rules and have made a very bad changes

well if no one else will say it, thank God Apple is doing this, anyone who is spitting out 100 apps a year is not writing legit apps and this really is filling up the app store with spam. Seriously? 400 apps in 4 or 5 years.... that is the very definition of spam/churning templates, the "this isn't fair" has been used for every Apple rule to date, and well yes Apple is not fair, but eventually your "competitors" will get the same Apple email, I would hope because I really can't stand these spammy apps all doing the same exact thing from anyone, including multiple developers sharing templates, remember the flappy bird, and all the just incredibly spammy copies... well that is what Apple is after, and God's speed Apple on that rule.

Only resolution we have come up with (container app is not a solution for our high end clients) is to get each client to set up their own developer account. It is a lot of extra work for them but the only way for them have the app they want. Each of our apps have different designs, colors and different content (data), yet was labeled with the same rule.

There are legitimate reasons to white-label an app. For example, there are white-labeled apps for restaurants. The functionality is exactly the same but the branding is different. I think its nice that Apple is cleaning up the store, but a blanket ban on white-labeled apps is going way too far.

Alguma solução encontrada?

Solution found?


My contact +55 47 9 9923 4948


Thanks
Obrigado
Bruno Grahl

Guys, if you have enough resources there's still another way: you could create separate account for each of your apps (would work fine for white label and similar business models).

I've tried that way and also got 4.3 rejection, so our aim now is to figure out how apple's review algorithms find identical or similar apps and how we could pass through it. We should find a way to confuse/obfuscate code and app's structure, so the bot can't identify copies.

If there's no fair review, we should find our own way to make it fair. I understand that this method would help those who just spam on AppStore, but at least that'll attract apple's attention to our problem and problem in its algorithm

4. 3 Design: Spam

Guideline 4.3 - Design


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. Creating multiple Bundle IDs of the same app is not appropriate.


Next Steps


To resolve this issue, please combine apps with similar feature sets into a single "container" app. You should differentiate varied content within your app by categorizing elements into groups, using the in-app purchase API, and location services to deliver content to users.


Once you have done so, please reply to this message via Resolution Center indicating the app name and Apple ID of any "container" apps submitted under your Apple Developer Program account.

Note that you may be able have the client contract to you, the developer, the work of setting up the client's own Apple developer account. This can potentially be a source of billable hours. Make sure to get a proper legal agreement to (temporarily?) use their corporate documents, trademarks, contact info, credit card account, and an email address in their domain, for enrollment and app submission purposes. Then Apple will see the app as being submitted by (an agent or employee of) the client, not the container dev.

What did you figure out? Can you describe how this affected your business? Your end-users? Also can you describe what if anything Apple Review did to pressure you to resolve this in that way?

Did you find any solution to this problem ?