iFlash Touch: Rejected
Update (5/6/09): I have been contacted by Apple! Read the full explanation here.
I never imagined I would have to say this, but iFlash Touch has been rejected from the iTunes App Store. I was originally going to leave it at just that, but I feel that I owe a full explanation since it’s already been such a long wait (short story: I don’t know why it was rejected. I’m looking into it).
On Monday, April 27th, I received an email from the App Review team stating that they couldn’t get exporting to work from iFlash on the Mac into iFlash Touch. I found this strange, since I had posted in the original submission notes that an unreleased version of iFlash was required to export, along with a download link. I promptly replied to explain the situation, and didn’t hear back from them again.
On Friday, May 1st, I called Apple Developer Technical Support to find out what was going on with the review process, and to see if my earlier comments had been received. They then told me the shocking news that writing an iPhone app that requires a desktop “companion” app was prohibited.
I say this is shocking since I have seen many, many other apps in the store that require a companion app (including Apple’s own Keynote Remote). When I mentioned this to the support person, he said that Apple could not comment on that. When I asked to speak to whoever approves or denies the applications, he told me to send an email to the same team which hadn’t responded to me in a week.
I have no idea whether that conversation led to iFlash Touch’s rejection, but thirty minutes later iTunes Connect said it was rejected, so there may be a link. However, at this moment I am stuck in a state of limbo, since I have not received any official communication from Apple as to why iFlash Touch was actually rejected.
So that’s where everything stands right now. I can’t start fixing anything, since I have no idea what Apple found wrong with it. All in all, I wish that it would be simpler to get in touch with someone at Apple about this matter. This could probably be solved with a three minute phone call with an App Store reviewer, but that’s impossible to do.
I’m really sorry for this delay. I know many of you have been waiting a long time for iFlash Touch, and I’m going to keep emailing Apple until I find out what I need to do.
- Davey
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Wow. Another example of Apple’s reach exceeding its grasp. We all appreciate your hard work, Davey, so keep fighting the good fight!
I’m sorry to here that, David. I am still looking forward to the eventual release of iFlash. What you mention is strange since another app I use, 1Password, while it can operate as a standalone app, it’s full power comes when mated with the desktop version. Perhaps if iFlash Touch were able to tap into the same online libraries of cards as the desktop version…
I’m only conjecturing as I have no idea either what the issue was and how to even go about making an app. That said, I applaud your efforts and will be cheering you on to your success. We’ll all benefit when that happens. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that!
The only work around I can think of (worst-case scenario) is to make the desktop version upload a users flashcards to your website, which the iflash Touch can then download.
Sure hope Apple changes their mind.
How about adding something to add new cards via the app? Would it be that much additional work?
Btw. I only know Apple’s applications that need a desktop-app to function at all – anything else can function at least somehow by itself, even so they only become completely useful with a desktop-app they can sync to (like Things, 1Password, Omnis GTD-app).
And Apple doesn’t actually have to restrict themself in the AppStore in the same ways, they restrict the developers -it’s their store, thus they can do what they want. Heck, if they want they can use undocumented APIs w/out being rejected.
The capriciousness and inconsistency of the review process never ceases to amaze. I could sort of understand it at the beginning, because it was a new thing and they probably rushed into it. But Apple has been reviewing people’s apps for nearly a year now. They’ve had plenty of time to set down solid guidelines and procedures and yet they have completely failed to do so.
I read now the iPhone Standard Agreement (http://developer.apple.com/iphone/terms/program/iphone_standard_agreement_20090317_v05.pdf) and nothing in there states that an app isn’t allowed of being functional only with an accompanying desktop-app.
Thought about re-submitting it? I heard that some people submitted after getting rejected w/out any changes, have got another reviewer and suddenly it got accepted.
Even NiN have these problems — their program was allowed, now there’s an update which doesn’t add any content and suddenly it gets rejected because of unappropriate content (Tweetie had the same problem once)
Fight On Davey, I know you put a lot of good work into it, and I can tell that you would like us all to benefit from your great work, iFlash Mac is still the best, take it one day at a time, we support you, stay up
Mike’s right, the process is arbitrary. I would suggest resubmitting the app without a single change. If you get a different reviewer, the process may unfold in a completely different way.
Thanks for the update and the hard work Davey.
I use the program “Papers” on my Mac, which comes with an iPhone app as well.
Like iFlash Touch, this program on the iPhone is used to mainly download papers onto the iPhone while the desktop version is used for getting papers mostly.
Theoretically, it’s possible to download papers using the iPhone’s application, but in practical terms, it is impossible as downloading journal articles requires subscription (which most people get through schools) and the application does not work well with WiFi for downloading papers for some odd reason.
Anyway there is one clear precedent of an application that would be of little use, if at all, without the desktop companion.
Apple is really becoming an oversized Microsoft of sorts and I really don’t like it.
Also, apps that do mouse control like Snatch and AirMouse require a desktop companion.
This has certainly put a cramp in my plans, I had some good ideas for apps that required a desktop companion, I guess I better put them on hold until I see how your situation plays out.
Best of luck!
Would releasing the new desktop app version help any? It seems it would prevent some new reviewer at Apple once again making that same mistake again, and it might show that your motivation and purpose are pure.
Okay, fine. I just want to get my grubby mitts on v. 2.8.
Best of luck with this infuriating setback. Sounds like all your customers are supporting you all the way, and personally, I really appreciate it when developers communicate well.
There is a similar program called iVocabulary which requires a Mac program for it’s implementation. The only difference I can see is that the Mac ProVoc program is available for free from the iVocabulary site. …
One suggestion. Why don’t you just include a few starter stacks that are fully operational. Then the user can have a product that is both of immediate use and also expandable by purchasing your Mac iFlash program. Might even work better for you, as it would show those without iFlash the potential of the program and entice them to buy the Mac program. Hope this helps.
I am sorely disappointed, but please don’t give up. A lot of people appreciate what you are doing and we are counting on you, because your iFlash is the best! I use it every day. Thanks for communicating and good luck.
I’d like to add my voice to those expressing disappointment about the rejection of the app. I’ve been using this tool for my Chinese studies for a few years now, and it has been invaluable. I always have my iPhone with me in Chinese class for the C-E/E-C dictionaries. Having a portable iFlash would be such an enormous addition to my studies.
As others have suggested, perhaps there’s a way to make iFlash Touch more usable as a standalone application? The app would become even more powerful when coupled with iFlash desktop.
Best wishes getting this app out to the public. I hope this works out for you…and all of us!
Unbelievable. Apple’s acceptance/rejection policy needs to be clear and concise. It needs to state an app must contain a, b, c, & d and can’t contain e, f, g, & h. That way developers like you wouldn’t waste time and energy playing their “game!” Their guidelines should also state exactly what you need to submit to have the app approved.
I am disappointed the iFlash was rejected as I have been checking this blog daily for months. I am also sorry that you had to experience this. I hope you at least try to re-submit in the hopes of having a more reasonable reviewer. I liked the idea of a few of the prior posts: get the desktop version released prior to resubmission, and include a few example stacks in iFlash Touch that allow a reviewer/user to get a feel for the app without having to download anything. Perhaps even the ability to download stacks directly from the Web site instead of having to sync through iFlash.
I don’t think I would utilize card creation on the iPhone if it was a feature, although editing may indeed be useful…on the fly. If it isn’t too difficult to code, maybe you should consider it.
Good luck…I’ll be continuing to watch your blog daily. I’m also going to post some ugly feedback on the app store approval/rejection notice.
Keep on fighting Davey! We’ve waited this long, so I think we can wait a bit more.
Couple of suggestions:
1) release your update. It could be that they don’t want to release something that does not work “immediately” upon release.
2) If you talk to someone from Apple, mention Mental Case. It is another Mac flashcard program and its initial release (version 1) is exactly like your version 1, it only synced. The next version introduced card creation on the iPhone, which is something you’ll have to speed along.
2) Give us an email to send a complaint too :-)
Quite a few guys in my medical school class use iFlash and also have iTouch or iPhone. Some of us use Mental Case because of it’s ability to synch w/ an iPortable device but prefer the iFlash program. I wish you the best in getting iFlash iTouch approved so that I can stop wasting time w/ daily disappointment because the program has yet to appear on App Store.
There are some things we can do to show our support. We can hit up Digg.com to show our support for the developer while raising awareness of App Store discrepancies (link is at the bottom of the comment). We can also alert Mac enthusiast sites (like TUAW) and let them know about things like this.
I found this story when searching Digg.com; if enough people vote for it, then it will probably get some major attention.
http://digg.com/apple/iFlash_Touch_Rejected_for_no_good_reason
Man, such a bummer. Thanks for keeping us all in the loop, and here’s hoping the issue is resolved sooner rather than later!
This really sucks, it really seems like Apple’s approval process is completely arbitrary and subject to the whims of the person doing the approving. I never imagined that the App Store would get this ridiculous.
I agree with whoever said to just try submitting it again for the time being, since the whole thing does seem to be completely arbitrary.
I can’t believe this! I also have been checking your blog for months. Hang in there, know that you have alot of users who appreciate all of your hard work, and I am sure that you will find some way to get your app approved.
If you’re not going to charge for the iphone version anyway, there’s no reason to be tied to the app store. Please share the beta or release it on cydia! The developer of anki for iphone did this when apple shafted him the first go-round. I think it’s now called studycard arcade. I bought iflash 2 years ago for med school, but I can’t carry a laptop around the hospital during 3rd year. I don’t want to reformat all my cards and switch to mental case or anki!
Whats the email address where we can send complaints to apple?
WT…I’m really pissed at their confusing criteria. Please don’t give up!
See. So many of us is supportig you Dave. Keep the good work up. Hope to hear good news from you soon.
Gah, ridiculous. I second those who say resubmitting is worth a shot – you are right that it seems arbitrary and unfair.
Any possibility of releasing this in a way it can be used with Jailbroken iphones?
This sucks!
Keep up the good work nevertheless!
I’m also looking forward to your new app. I hope you are able to work this out. One wonders why Apple would put obstacles in front of people that provide useful tools such as yours.
So sorry to hear such bad news.
I wish you all the best and that Apple gets a grip and accepts iFlash Touch. :( Fingers Crossed
I am verry sorry to hear that they rejected the app. I would really like to work with the iFlash Touch application. I hope you don’t give up and try to find a way to get the app into the store. Probably re-submitting with an updated version makes sense. I also liked the idea of submitting it with a basic set of cards, so even users who did not buy iFlash could work with it. If they like it then and want to make usage of iFlash for the Mac, they can buy it and achieve full support of iFlash’s possibilities.
Good luck!
Hi Davey,
very sorry to hear that.
You should refer the Apple-Decision-God to the iPhone-App “Merlin” that is also dependent on the desktopversion and has no stand-alone capacity.
Looking forward to a Hollywood-End very soon with your app triumphing as top-number-one app in the store ;-)
here is the form for Apple feedback on the iPhone:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
One word to describe this:
“Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!”
Thanks for continuing to push forward, Davey. There are a lot of us hoping for the best for you and the iFlash outcome!!
[...] David McGavern: On Friday, May 1st, I called Apple Developer Technical Support to find out what was going on with the review process, and to see if my earlier comments had been received. They then told me the shocking news that writing an iPhone app that requires a desktop “companion” app was prohibited. [...]
I think part of the reason you got rejected is because you’re putting an app up for free and charging on the side for the desktop version needed to run it. You stand to gain a lot of popularity from the appstore which will translate to sales for 2.8, with nothing going to apple. The reviewer probably thinks youre trying to get over on the system. If every developer did this, apple wouldn’t make any money on the appstore.
Funny, but they do allow a recording app that has no other way of accessing the recording than to jailbreak it.
http://www.newpea.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28
#36 Daylite Touch is free, but you need a yearly license on a server og mac-client to use it
Does Daylite Touch work without Daylite?
No. Daylite Touch is not a stand alone application, but rather a companion application to Daylite on the Mac. You must have Daylite 3.9 or higher, along with Daylite Server installed to use Daylite Touch.
Hmm … I’ll defer to you on this one since I’ve never used that app. The screenshots look to me like the app can playback what it has stored on the phone (var/mobile/whatever), which would give it some usefulness on it’s own as a basic recorder even if you can’t connect to your server. Im sure you wouldnt have access to anything on the server. Let me know if I’m off base.
I read your post wrong. It looks like you’ve got a good point with daylight touch. My counter would be that 1) they do give you a dummy schedule to play around with, so the app technically isnt completely crippled without the server, and 2) the appstore doesn’t seem to have any way of handling yearly subscriptions. Those two points aside, this example should be brought up to apple.
I do still think that these wheels can be greased by releasing 2.8, charging something for iflash touch, and putting in a dummy set of cards before it is resubmitted for approval. In the inevitable 2-3 month interim delay by apple, please let those of us with jailbroken phones get by with a beta. No worries about bugs, 1)our warranties are already voided anyway and 2) if you’re savy enough to jailbreak, you should be savy enough to restore if something happens.
Is there any way we can get in touch with apple about that? It just seems ridiculous to me. I want to let them know how I feel about it.
We could all send emails to the person in charge. Maybe a flood of emails will change their mind. Also, why not charge $0.99 for the app. If the person is right that Apple wants a piece of the pie, they can have a few cents.
Yeah man, charge $.99 for the app, post the newest version of desktop iFlash on the web, and resubmit.
Well, 1Password requires not only a companion app, but a PAID companion app. Sooo……
I’ve resubmitted iFlash Touch to the App Store in hopes that the denial was over the first reason (that they couldn’t get exporting to work). We’ll see how it goes…
[...] McGavern postedyesterday that Apple rejected his iPhone application because: I called Apple Developer Technical Support to find out what was going on with the review process, [...]
No, think about it people. That rule is to prevent people from purchasing apps that are lemons out of the box and require you to spend extra money to get them to work. My bet is that if your app was free but required iFlash on the desktop they’d take it. Better yet, if you had a ‘lite’ version on the desktop that was free and allowed your app to work they’d take it. Just make sure you don’t double dip into your customer’s wallets.
Good Luck with this. My kids and I have also been checking the blog and the App Store every day for quite a while. We’ve been loving iFlash for almost 3 1/2 years. I sure hope the App gets through this time.
Am I right that the specific reason for rejection, if there is one, is still just a matter of conjecture? It clearly isn’t that Apple won’t be making money on it. They don’t make a cent on any of the many, many free apps.
I have to believe that this is an arbitrary decision that is contrary to the mission and values of Apple and the App Store. I am sure that Steve Jobs would be royally pissed to find out that the App Store provides kids with Pee Monkey Toilet Trainer (#3 free app) and The Moron Test (#1 paid app)—but not iFlash Touch!! If we could get some media attention the way the Pull My Finger and iFart communities did , I’ll bet this would be cleared up pronto. I’m pissed for us and for David McGavern. I’m going to start writing to Mac media folks see if we can draw some attention to this ridiculous situation.
Dave b: It could all be a simple error on the part of Apple, but the problem is that they have not communicated with me at all, or responded to my pleas for information :-(.
Thanks though for letting others know. Apple needs to get the message that communication is key!
Hope you get better communication from Apple this time around.
Not sure if it is useful information but FM Touch (an app that runs Filemaker databases on thi iPhone or iPod Touch) also requires a desktop application (Filemaker).
Hey Davey,
I’m very sorry you experienced this hassle! This seems unfair indeed.
But as already about three users pointed out, the reason why you got rejected seems quiet obvious: if every developer would just benefit of the popularity of the Apple Application Store to distribute free applications that require the users to pay then directly to the developer for a companion-desktop app, then Apple wouldn’t make any money.
Hmhm…the question is how to solve this, if this was really the reason.
Resubmitting and hoping for a new and “fairer” reviewer might indeed help.
But if it doesn’t: think about the possibility to release a free desktop-lite-app, which does not allow to create cards, but just to download them from the web and upload it to the iPhone. This might help….
Anyway: just an idea :-)
Best of luck! I’m still looking forward to iFlash touch and totally supporting you with anything that might be of help!
Matthias
Dude, the DTS guy made a mistake. But I think you should have posted the original response that Apple sent you rather than a remembered phone call. Rather, post the original response, see that it was rejected due to bugginess (and yes, the reviewer installed your beta build) and resubmit it.
Hi,
Sorry you have had trouble with your submission. But it’s not Apples fault.
If the current version of IFlash available for purchased right now, doesn’t work with your I Touch App. How do you expect them to approve it? You really expect them to follow some special link to some beta version? Don’t they expect everything to be ready to and available for purchase? Those teams probably are swamped with hundreds of apps that have to evaluate in a single day. An app that doesn’t work right out of the gate going to be bounced right away, so they can move to the next app on their list.
I’m excited as the next guy about IFlash Touch. I’ve been waiting too. I think IFlash is the best study aid out there and I have a bunch of cards I can’t wait to put on my touch.
Have you every considered updating the current version of IFlash on the website right now, then submit your app?
Good luck. Cant wait for IFlash Touch.
Thanks for all your hard work.
“Homer” : The original message from Apple stated that they couldn’t get exporting to work to the iPhone. This was because they didn’t read my notes to them stating that they must use the newer (and unreleased) 2.8 version of iFlash.
yk: I would never release iFlash 2.8 before I knew iFlash Touch was going to be approved. What if something happened (like it did) where it got rejected? Then I’d have a bunch of users who expect exporting to work, but it doesn’t. I can’t take back a release :-).
[...] the rules differently, and communicate their decisions very poorly to developers. For instance, this guy was told it was because his app needed a desktop client, when many other such apps were in the app [...]