Calling out apps that break the App Store Review Guidelines and use dark patterns. Receipts + guideline numbers. Tips → DMs open. Not affiliated with Apple.
Joined February 2024
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@AppleSupport @AppStore what is this?? how is this allowed? Songless is #1 in Trivia and if you cancel the free trial it locks you out within minutes, even though your own page says access lasts until Oct 1. then it's $19.99/week. it's built to trap people
No wonder why she never shared the app
teapawt.net/ShadyAppsExpose/status…
Google does this as well, and a lot more often than Apple. Apple only recently started terminating accounts.
The worst part is that they don't tell you why and intentionally keep the message vague to make it harder to challenge their decision.
Unless you're a very large company or someone with a large following, there's almost nothing you can do.
teapawt.net/JasonLBaptiste/status/…
Urgent! 🚨🚨🚨
If you are using railway rotate your keys!!!
teapawt.net/Railway/status/2113025…
An urgent notice from the Railway team
blog.railway.com/p/security-…
Glam AI just got pulled from the US App Store. Look at the dark patterns on its paywall:
1. Yearly plan sold as "$1.15 per week". The $59.99 you're actually billed is the smaller number (3.1.2).
2. "Limited Offer" countdown, no discount anywhere. It's only there to rush you into paying (5.6).
Apple hasn't said why it was removed, but it rejects both of these. Copy this paywall and yours could be next.
teapawt.net/Siron93/status/2112590…
Glam AI is no longer available on the US App Store!!
launched in Feb 2021.
est. $550K revenue in Sep 2026.
I went back through its recorded onboarding:
- AI photo and video previews.
- gender and creative-goal questions
- a “Preparing…” checklist
- paywall with a 10-min countdown
I don’t know what happened here, no confirmed reason, but it’s a reminder that years on the store don’t guarantee the next one.
App Store Police retweeted
No price information showing on paywall. Is Apple finally starting to detect these scammers? We’ll see.
App Store Police retweeted
How is this allowed @johnternus
We spent $400,000 on the iPhone Duo drop for October/November delivery...
You didn't even need a bot to secure units. I was able to place 12 orders for October 23rd-Nov 9th delivery manually.
Meanwhile, we also had auto checkout running for members who weren't awake for the drop.
Hundreds of dollars in potential profit PER UNIT without even getting out of bed.
@AscendFBA
Looks like Apple is cracking down on apps that hide functionality behind a remote switch
teapawt.net/mcflyDev/status/211039…
App Store Police retweeted
cal ai got removed for genuinely illegal web-to-app purchases, then re-added within 24h
most of us small builders are removed for “manipulating apple review” (purposefully broad and non-descriptive) and don’t even get a response from apple within 3 months - where by all our customers have been automatically churned
the game is rigged, but then again - most are
don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Yes. @erbybody had the exact same situation but Apple won't help him because he does not have 50,000 followers
Do not celebrate this dictatorship.
@AppStore how did this pass review?
Every price you can tap on ReciMe's paywall says FREE, $2.99 or $0.00. What you're actually billed: $49.99/yr, in grey fine print.
Same rules you cited when you pulled Cal AI in April (3.1.2, 5.6).
ALT Four ReciMe screens, left to right. 1: Apple's rating prompt shown mid-onboarding, Guideline 5.6.3. 2: the paywall's options say "FREE 7 Day Trial" and "$2.99 30 Day Trial" and the button says "Redeem 7 days for $0.00"; the $49.99/yr price is small grey text under the button, Guideline 3.1.2. 3: Apple's purchase sheet shows $49.99 per year. 4: after closing the paywall, a "One Time Offer!" for a 14-day free trial at the same $49.99/yr, Guideline 5.6.
It also asks you to rate it mid-onboarding, before you've used the app.
Apple's 5.6.3 rejection text: apps "should only ask for a rating after the user has sufficiently engaged with the app."
ALT ReciMe's onboarding, progress bar nearly full, with Apple's rating prompt on top: "Enjoying ReciMe? Tap a star to rate it on the App Store." Guideline 5.6.3.
Close the paywall and you get a "One Time Offer!": a giant "14 Day Free Trial" gift box. The $49.99/yr is one line of small text under the button.
Same 3.1.2 problem again, plus a second offer after you said no. Apple cited that when it pulled Cal AI:
teapawt.net/adamlyttleapps/status/…
Whenever you see an app that gains large amount of ratings quickly, it's almost always manipulating ratings some way or another
