Dropbox is one of my favorite cloud storage services. You get 2 GB of storage for free and it will sync data across all your devices. Many productivity apps for iOS include Dropbox integration allowing you to store your creations on your Dropbox account similar to how iCloud works.
But now many developers may need to rethink their implementation as Apple has started to reject apps that include integration with the popular cloud service…
Recently Apple has been rejecting apps that include DropBox functionality and integration stating it violates the terms for the App Store. These apps use the Dropbox SDK which links to dropbox.com and apparently that is the root of the problem.
Let me explain…
Apple currently receives 30% of all in-app purchases for subscription services. Since Dropbox doesn’t play ball with Apple’s kickback, the users in apps integrated with Dropbox are taken to the Dropbox website to sign up for storage. Dropbox also offers paid tiers for storage which is the reason why Apple is upset. They lose money.
Recently many developers have taken to the Dropbox forums reporting that their app has been rejected. Here’s what one developer noted:
We found that your app provides access to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app, which is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines.
Specifically, your app enables to user to create accounts with Dropbox and Google.
Another developer received a more in-depth response from Apple after some messaging action…
Dropbox is now aware of the issue and made a statement to AppleInsider that they are in talks with Apple to resolve the situation:
Apple is rejecting apps that use the Dropbox SDK because we allow users to create accounts. We’re working with Apple to come up with a solution that still provides an elegant user experience.
It’s unclear what exactly Dropbox intends to fix. Apple isn’t getting a cut of the possible money being made, so the integration won’t fly. As a temporary fix Dropbox has released a revised SDK excluding the link-back to their site in efforts to appease developers who are currently getting rejected but they hope to have a fix in the coming weeks.
Source: TheNextWeb
