"We're Experts at Getting Apps Approved by Apple"

Anyone that wants to get an app in the iTunes store has at least heard that Apple has to approve an app before it becomes listed and available. And most of those people have heard that not all apps are approved. So there are more and more developer web sites making claims and statements like "We're experts at getting Apps approved by Apple". Those statements are very appealing, yet they are very preposterous too. Here's why:

Apple's guidelines for app development are free and public. Any developer has equal access to the same information as anyone else and thus, equal opportunity to follow the rules and regulations. No matter how perfectly one follows the guidelines, there is no guarantee of approval. That's because there's a big, seemingly arbitrary gray area, that Apple doesn't discuss or even acknowledge. In fact, the word "arbitrary" is used most often by bloggers and writers describing the apparantly inconsistent approach to Apple's thumbs up or down.

Therefore, the only way anyone, a developer, personality, or mere mortal can be certain that an app they submit WILL GET APPROVED, is to know someone inside Apple that has the decision making power to give an app the green light. Certainly that's possible, but highly highly unlikely.

If you are thinking of hiring someone to build an app for you and you are considering their claims of special abilities to get your app published (approved), do yourself a favor and try the following:

  • Ask them to give you a written, 100% money-back guarantee that your app will be approved, exactly as you want it to be.
  • Ask them to provide the name and e-mail address of their special Apple insider contact that will see your app through the process to success.
  • Ask them why any other developer that follows Apple's guidelines has any less of a chance at approval than they do.
  • Scrutinize the responses you get to those questions in the harsh light of reality and see if you really believe their claims.

So far, no one that we've talked to (and we know developers) has been making these types of statements. They're either reputable enough or smart enough to know better. As with anything that sounds too good... caveat emptor.


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SPIA is a 2012 UX Award Winner!