Apple is killing white labeled iOS apps! What should we do?

Question

Many companies rely on white labeled apps to provide their services in a more personal way to their customers.

With a few adjustments we can set a logo and a splash scre

Answer 1

According to section 4.2.6 of: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#design

Apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app’s content. These services should not submit apps on behalf of their clients and should offer tools that let their clients create customized, innovative apps that provide unique customer experiences. Another acceptable option for template providers is to create a single binary to host all client content in an aggregated or “picker” model, for example as a restaurant finder app with separate customized entries or pages for each client restaurant, or as an event app with separate entries for each client event.

So, rejoice! your apps can in fact be white labeled! they just must be:

submitted directly by the provider of the app’s content

Answer 2

The current answer is out of date. Apple revised their guidelines in which the customer must have their own Apple account now, paying the $99 a year. You can then submit a white labeled app under that account. We have been doing that the past three months with no problem. They wouldnt allow this approach before but now they do.

The Apple developer account can not be an individual account, but a company, educational or government type.

Answer 3

4.3 is a complete mess. With its active enforcement, Apple has indeed opened a Pandora's box. The biggest problem is that this policy is applied randomly.

My experience suggests that there are very few App Store reviewers who are paying attention to it during the review process. However, if you stumble upon such a reviewer, they will put some flag on your file, and all other reviewers will start to evaluate your apps for spam going forward. It seems like nothing is wrong with this approach, but it can lead to a distorted market.

In our case, we are waiting for years now to see Apple apply the same rules to our competition as it did to us. And the most ironic part is that throughout these years we've been ringing all the possible bells. Emails to Apple representatives, release notes, responses in resolution centre – nothing works.

For more details about our story check my Medium post. I have also written a second part which contains the timeline of my discussions with Apple representatives in which I highlighted competitors who violate 4.3, and Apple did nothing :(

So, the first problem with 4.3 is that it distorts the competition given how selective Apple is at implementing it.

The second problem is that the policy itself is too vague. Take our company, Theory Test Revolution, as an example. We build apps which help people pass their UK Driving Test.

Although we focus on theory tests, the reality is that our apps could be used as a platform to prepare for any multiple-choice test. Imagine if we wanted to release a couple of other MCQs apps. For example, to prepare for PADI diving exam and also to prepare for some pilot's licence exam.

How would 4.3 apply in this case? Would Apple demand that we bundle all of them in one app? How would we call it? :) "Any test you can imagine"? :)

There must be some limits. There are cases when marketing needs justify releasing separate apps even if their foundation is the same, as doing otherwise would simply confuse the users. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't care about fair competition enough. I guess their goal is to reduce the number of apps using this policy, with little regard to how fair this process is.

We are waiting for almost three years now to see our competitors being treated in the same way. And who knows – how much longer do we need to wait?

Answer 4

We where having the same issue. We have talked to Apple, which where very kind and understanding. Our app is one used mainly bij employees of a company and there for Apple suggested to use B2B app distribution via Volume Purchase Program.

If your app is just white labeled app that business can use for their customers then you are out of luck. Apple will not allow any white label apps in the app store any more. Your option is to make one app which can switch between the different customers. If you app is like web store this can be difficult, but as per Apple's example of the fan app of a football club switch per club should be in one app.

Answer 5

Had a call with Apple on July 13, 2020, 5 PM (GMT)

I had a conversation with the app review team regarding this matter today and I have concluded the following.

1. You can have the same codebase, same color, and same design for multiple apps but, a big BUT, is that you need to have some unique functionality in the app which provides a different experience to users.

2. They clearly said it's a difficult thing to do for developers and should take a longer time.

3. Only a way to know if some unique feature will work out is to send it for a review. It doesn't matter how long you have spent on developing that new feature. They also said they cannot help and is not permitted to insight anything beforehand.

4. They cleared that this is not a technical or logical issue to be resolved. For example, they are not going to check if the app icon or color is going to match with other app and decide it a spam or not spam but they care how users will be experiencing this app with the "WOW" factor or the app usefulness.

In short, the app must give another perspective to the user and the app should insist the user to use it because it has something new to give.

Answer 6

There is nothing you can do to make Apple approve a copy of your app with only images and labels changed, it was their politics since iOS 3.

The only sure way you can do it is by creating a new developer account for the company you are selling the personalized version.

And B2B is also a viable option that also saves your client the 99$ yearly Apple bill.