## Apple Loosens App Store Grip: Developers Can Now Redirect Users for Payments
Apple has announced changes to its U.S. App Store rules, allowing developers to guide users to their own websites for subscription and digital goods purchases. This significant shift follows a U.S. court ruling that sided with Epic Games, compelling Apple to permit apps to include features that redirect users to external websites for digital transactions.
“The App Review Guidelines have been updated for compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps,” Apple stated in a blog post.
The Epic Games lawsuit, initiated in 2020, challenged Apple’s control over in-app transactions. The subsequent 2021 injunction mandated Apple to provide developers with more options to redirect users to their own websites, bypassing the tech giant’s customary 30% commission.
Following a failed appeal against the injunction, Apple began allowing apps to link out to non-Apple payment systems last year, but still imposed a 27% commission and included “scare screens,” as critics dubbed them. This week’s ruling compels Apple to remove these “scare screens” and associated guidelines. The company has already removed guidelines around how these screens and links should contain certain language.
Whether Apple will cease charging commissions on payments made via external links remains uncertain. A request for confirmation from Apple is pending.
Despite the changes, Apple is clearly resistant. “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal,” the company declared.
Spotify, which has also contested Apple’s App Store policies in various regions, has already submitted a U.S. App Store version of its app featuring external subscription links. This move signifies a tangible impact of the ruling and highlights the potential for increased developer autonomy within the Apple ecosystem. The decision could reshape the App Store landscape, giving developers more control over their revenue streams and ultimately providing consumers with more choices.
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