Hybrid Apps and the Apple App Store Registration Issue
2012.11.19
Both in the project I worked on recently and in projects coming up,
interest in hybrid apps has been rising sharply lately... It feels a bit late, and there are many issues...
but I'm taking this chance to go over those topics again.
1. Hybrid App ?
: An app that has the same environment as a native app, but is partially written in HTML/CSS
2. Apple, 'Hybrid App' App Store Registration Restriction Controversy
According to the industry on November 4 , Apple is rejecting App Store registration for some apps on the grounds that they take the form of web pages and thus do not meet the app review guidelines. Apple permits the use of some web technologies, but has started to disallow apps whose main pages, menus, etc., are built with the web.
> Source : iNews24 http://news.inews24.com/php/news_view.php?g_serial=702004&g_menu=020800
3. Tighter Guidelines for Building Hybrid Apps
In the past, when apps were built as hybrid apps, some apps that simply opened a URL link in a web view and controlled that URL natively were allowed,
but Apple's current principle is that to build a hybrid app, the web sources must be included inside the app so that at least some or limited features can still be shown even when there is no network access
In addition, when you try to build a hybrid app, it must behave very similarly to a native app in terms of functionality, and if a hybrid app is functionally lacking or does not provide lasting entertainment or useful information to the user as a baseline, that is now grounds for rejection.
> Source : App Store Review Guidelines
2.12 Clause ) Apps that are not very useful, are simply web sites bundled as apps, or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
(Apps that are not useful at all, are simply bundled web sites, or do not offer lasting entertainment will be rejected.)
12.3 Clause ) Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected
(Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or link collections may be rejected.(Translator's note : if every feature can be accessed through Safari rather than through an app, it will be rejected.)
Email received when a hybrid app is rejected, content ) If your app doesn't do something useful or provide some form of lasting entertainment, it may not be accepted.
(Apps that are neither useful nor consistently entertaining may not be approved.)
