Apple to allow Flash and AdMob in iPhone apps, takes aim at poor-quality apps

The tech industry has welcomed Apple’s decision to update its iOS developer program, allowing app makers to now use programming tools including Adobe Flash to make their apps before submitting them for review.

The announcement also comes alongside a suite of “guidelines” released for app developers, with the tech giant saying it wants to clamp down on low-quality apps and promote a higher standard of programming within the store.

Apple was criticised earlier this year for introducing a ban on using certain developer tools, (namely Adobe Flash), to create apps. As part of that ban, it also restricted the use of third-party analytic data by companies owned by developers of mobiles – effectively banning Google AdMob on the iPhone.

However, the updates to the developer program now allow users to create apps using Flash, and Google AdMob platforms will now be allowed on the iPhone. Both Adobe and AdMob have welcomed the move.

“We have listened to our developers and taken much of their feedback to heart,” Apple said in a statement. “Based on their input, today we are making some important changes to our iOS Developer Program license… to relax some restrictions we put in place earlier this year.”

AdMob former chief executive and current Google vice president of product management Omar Hamoui said in a blog post the new guidelines will allow more competition between ad providers, “and enable advertising solutions that operate across a wide range of platforms.”

Adobe, which has been embroiled in a fierce war of words between itself and Apple, said in a statement “we are encouraged to see Apple lifting its restrictions on its licensing terms, giving developers the freedom to choose what tools they use to develop applications for Apple device”.

Some commentators suspect Apple may have lifted its restrictions following a probe by the FTC. Earlier this year the New York Post reported the FTC was organising an investigation and would speak with developers about how the new guidelines would affect development.

But the biggest update in Apple’s announcement was the release of a series of “app guidelines”. The publication comes as the number of apps on the App Store reaches over 250,000, and quality control is becoming an issue. Several thousand of these apps are merely aggregators or don’t provide any sort of function, making browsing for a new app purchase an arduous task.

While each app needs to be passed through a vigorous approval process, Apple says the guidelines will help stop the amount of poor-quality apps vying for approval – “we don’t need any more fart apps”, the guidelines state.

Among the new guidelines, Apple states that “if your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted”.

Apple states in its new guidelines:

• “We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don’t work unless the parents set them up (many don’t). So know that we’re keeping an eye out for the kids.”
• “We have over 250,000 apps in the App Store. We don’t need any more Fart apps. If your app doesn’t do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.”
• “If your app looks like it was cobbled together in a few days, or you’re trying to get your ?rst practice app into the store to impress your friends, please brace yourself for rejection. We have lots of serious developers who don’t want their quality apps to be surrounded by amateurs.”
• “We will reject apps for any content or behaviour that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, “I’ll know it when I see it”. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it.”
• “If your app is rejected, we have a Review Board that you can appeal to. If you run to the press and trash us, it never helps.”
• “This is a living document, and new apps presenting new questions may result in new rules at any time. Perhaps your app will trigger this.”
  But MoGeneration chief executive Keith Ahern says the new guidelines don’t necessarily change much for app developers. And while they do clarify some issues, there are still huge “grey areas”.

“There is some ambiguous language in there, and there are a few surprises in there, but I think they’re saying there are these grey areas of approval, there are some fuzzy areas, and you’re going to have to handle that.”

“In our category, this is never an issue for us. But there are people who are playing on the edges and are getting burned, and I think Apple is trying to direct this to more of those types of developers.”