I created a crypto price alert app. Apple rejected it for nonsense

16 points by alirsgp 4 years ago | 22 comments

So I'm someone who created an iOS app that tells you whenever either bitcoin or ethereum moves x% up or down.

I made this app because I would check prices too often and knew others would want this app too.

There are no in app purchases, or ads. I think this is why Apple really rejected it. They don't like the fact that I'm not trying to charge, just providing a free app for the masses in my spare time.

The app requires users to use the 'Sign in with Apple' sign in method, so that I can associate price move alerts with accounts.

They are rejecting my app because it also shows real-time prices of crypto assets. They say I need to move these price checks to be before the sign-in prompt.

I can do this, but the whole episode just irked me the wrong way. What's their freaking problem? Coinbase makes you sign in before showing you crypto prices, so why am I being singled out? Or do you just reject new apps for no reason because you have to show you're doing something?

I try to see the best in Apple, I really do. I've shipped 15 iOS apps for them, but they irritate the hell out of me.

Tomte 4 years ago |

> They don't like the fact that I'm not trying to charge, just providing a free app for the masses in my spare time.

That's obviously wrong, as tens of thousands of free apps in the App Store prove.

I guess you have a legitimate grievance, but this over-the-top accusations and guessing at motives doesn't make you look good.

Hackbraten 4 years ago |

> They say I need to move these price checks to be before the sign-in prompt.

> I can do this, but the whole episode just irked me the wrong way. What's their freaking problem?

Manually smoke-testing the app is part of the review process. If the reviewer can’t get past your loginwall, they won’t be able to review much.

imron 4 years ago | |

The review process allows you to provide reviewers with a login account, so that’s unlikely to be the issue.

khaoztopsy 4 years ago |

Don't worry you are not alone, I got an app update rejected because the reviewer did not like one of my iPad screenshots. The iPad screenshot they were upset about was multiple months old and I had been pushing weekly updates without issues.

The human element of the reviews is in my opinion the weakest part of Apple's reviews, most of the time they don't catch rule breakers and just reject based on silly 'issues' for some sort of power trip. The Google Play Store review is the other extreme, its super easy to push something broken to production

secretsatan 4 years ago |

There's plenty of free apps in the App store, that is not the reason.

An app you download and immediately asks for a login before showing you anything? You don't think that's a bit suspicious? You could just be some shady app harvesting data, why not just ask the user if they would like to sign up for alerts?

londons_explore 4 years ago |

So wait... The reviewer wants you to make your app more useful to the public by allowing them to get more functionality before signing in?

Seems logical to me. Why not just do what they ask?

alirsgp 4 years ago | |

Well they approved it finally: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1577343755

But the idea is that the app store is too restrictive. Esp since apps like coinbase don't have to.

wodenokoto 4 years ago |

Doesn’t coin ads do a lot more than just showing prices?

I can see why a app reviewer might think you are trying to collect logins, as you are not charging and you can send notifications without login (and you can probably associate rules for notifications with whatever ID you send notifications to)

BrissyCoder 4 years ago |

Wow you come off as incredibly arrogant and myopic.

Why should anyone need to sign in at all for this functionality?

evolveyourmind 4 years ago |

That’s my exact same app with almost the same appstore experience.

It’s called Crypto Rocket and they initially rejected it just because of the icon (it had a frog on the Rocket, just for the meme). Then they rejected it because they associated it to simulated gambling. And now a month after the release they are going to remove it until I provide proper privacy and support information…

The app is also open source here https://evolveyourmind.github.io/CryptoRocket/

omegalulw 4 years ago | |

Pretty cool. Question, your lock reset resets the lock state without regard to of the lock is held on not, isn't it better to acquire before reset?

evolveyourmind 4 years ago | | |

Thanks. Yeah that would be better and bring a little more consistency, but since js is single-threaded it doesn't cause big issues.

alirsgp 4 years ago | |

sweet, ill try it out

edit: nice app! I had to click around a lot to find the notification page, but overall seems like it does what it says. best of luck

underseacables 4 years ago |

I would be very interested in your app. My Coinbase account doesn’t seem to give me this functionality, and I would really love to kind of get alerts when things start to move up or down.

As I understand the App Store, even though your app is completely free and you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart, you still have to pay that fee, correct?

alirsgp 4 years ago | |

Yes. I pay $100 a year. I do have 14 other apps, that generate me about $2.5k a month in profit, which covers the $100 yearly fee for me.

I'm super happy to hear you're interested in this app! I hope to get the word out on it. I couldn't think of a way to charge people while being fair, so I decided not to charge at all.

If it gets approved (hopefully eventually) it will be called 'BitAlert'. Feel free to email me at alirsgp@gmail.com if you want me to email you upon app release

runawaybottle 4 years ago | |

I don’t want to steal the OPs thunder, but if you want this app now, Cash app sends you text alerts when Bitcoin moves 5% in either direction.

alirsgp 4 years ago | | |

my app just got approved! here it is: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1577343755 (might not be ready to download for few hours as approval happened few mins ago)

Also the edge we have over Cash App is we can set custom movements at ANY percentage.

alirsgp 4 years ago |

it ended up approved: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1577343755

ckrusk 4 years ago | |

How did you make those iPhone screenshots? They look great

thunkshift1 4 years ago | |

Pls expand the app to add support for stocks as well

alirsgp 4 years ago | | |

I was looking into stocks and options as well. Would be a much larger project. I'll keep this feedback in mind

joshxyz 4 years ago |

Dark patterns I guess?