
App Updates for HTML5 Apps - DeusExMachina
https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=09062019b
======
saagarjha
Note that this probably has less of an impact than you’d think:

> Apps may contain or run code that is not embedded in the binary (e.g.
> HTML5-based games, bots, etc.), as long as code distribution isn’t the main
> purpose of the app, the code is not offered in a store or store-like
> interface, and provided that the software (1) is free or purchased using in-
> app purchase; (2) only uses capabilities available in a standard WebKit view
> (e.g. it must open and run natively in Safari without modifications or
> additional software); your app must use WebKit and JavaScript Core to run
> third-party software and should not attempt to extend or expose native
> platform APIs to third-party software; (3) is offered by developers that
> have joined the Apple Developer Program and signed the Apple Developer
> Program License Agreement; (4) does not provide access to real money gaming,
> lotteries, or charitable donations; (5) adheres to the terms of these App
> Review Guidelines (e.g. does not include objectionable content); and (6)
> does not support digital commerce.

You’re free to make a web app as long as you don’t try to sell things through
it.

~~~
writepub
> as you don’t try to sell things through it

Why? Why does Apple insist on playing middleman, if not for totalitarian
control over all commerce on the platform? How is this not monopolistic anti-
trust behavior?

~~~
scarface74
The above statement is not correct. You’ve always been free to sell non
digital goods through the App Store. For instance, you can buy anything
through the Amazon app that is actually shipped to you.

Can you set up your own independent shop in Walmart and sell stuff?

~~~
pxeboot
> Can you set up your own independent shop in Walmart and sell stuff?

With permission, sure. I see people selling girl scout cookies, kettle corn,
etc in the entry to Walmart all the time.

~~~
scarface74
Try doing that with a for profit business....

------
js2
> Apps that provide core features and functionality dynamically with web
> technology like HTML5 are best delivered to everyone in Safari, rather than
> through the curated App Store

The various financial/banking/utility apps I use at best provide maybe half
their functionality directly. Some really egregious examples of apps that are
mostly HTML5 are myAT&T and the Discover card apps. The Discover card app is
100% useless w/o a network. Ditto the AmEx app. Actually, all eight
finance/banking apps I have on my phone are useless w/o a network.

~~~
eco
I don't use those apps so I'm curious what functionality would you expect out
of them if they didn't have network access?

When I use any banking apps I'm looking at transactions or making transfers
both of which require internet access by their nature (queuing up transfers
for later or showing stale transactions seems like a bad idea).

~~~
js2
Without network access, I can still see recent messages I sent in Messages,
recent email in the Mail app, and so forth. I would expect to see the most
recent data the app had available to it. In addition, I expect these apps to
work over a low-bandwidth connection. The Discover card app is useless without
an LTE connection.

But that isn't even my main complaint, it's that these apps are mostly paper-
thin wrappers around a web site and bounce you into a web view for much of
their functionality.

------
dragonsh
Majority of the Chinese app eco-system is based on this HTML5, including
WeChat mini-apps and Alibaba's Alipay and Taobao apps.

I hope Apple apply this guideline equally to all developers and do not Grant
exceptions to WeChat or others in China being a bigger market.

Since WeChat mini-apps in HTML5 is a very large eco-system in China with its
own security risks, let's see how this works in reality.

~~~
zenexer
It has always seemed like Apple has granted exceptions to this policy for any
influential entities outside of the IT industry as long as they don’t compete
with Apple.

Apps for brick-and-mortar organizations, such as banks and retailers, are a
good example. They’re all almost exclusively simple wrappers around a
practically unusable website. Many of them work worse in the wrapper than in a
browser; for example, bank statement downloads are often broken.

------
_bxg1
It sounds like web apps are fine as long as the code is part of the package
and isn't loaded after the fact? If so, I don't see a problem. Without this
policy it would be impossible for them to enforce any other app policies.

------
yannikyeo
Does it mean mobile apps built with Ionic frameworks are not allowed?

~~~
Nextgrid
This seems to be less about the language the code is written in and more about
whether the code is contained within the app bundle. So an
Electron/Cordova/whatever app that runs JS from the local bundle will still be
OK, while loading the code from a remote server will not.

------
jeremy_wiebe
I take this to mean that apps that are just a chrome for a website will no
longer be approved. I also wonder if they’re targeting apps that use services
like CodePush.

> This means that the core features and functionality of the app must be
> contained within the binary of the software, rather than made possible by
> referring users outside of the approved app, including through the use of
> HTML5.

~~~
hutattedonmyarm
Good. The „app“ for my mobile carrier is entirely a web view, to the point
that I got a „please download our app“ banner _within the app_. Until recently
it wasn’t even updated to support anything bigger than a 4.7“ iOS device. So
the website pinned to the springboard provided a better experience than the
app

~~~
tobr
Sorry, this is completely off topic, but let me guess - you are German? That
style of quote isn’t used in English.

~~~
hutattedonmyarm
Yep. I usually don't use this style, but didn't pay attention to my phone's
smart quotes thing where it selects the "correct" quotes style

------
jon889
Does this include native shopping apps, but that use a web view for the
checkout flow? Can’t quite wrap my head around the wording.

------
baggy_trough
Are Electron style apps banned because "core features and functionality of the
app must be contained within the binary of the software"?

~~~
detaro
In what way would that not be the case for an "electron style" app?

------
villgax
So basically any form of real money payment/purchase hybrid app is banned or
just gaming ones?

~~~
junglejoose
I’m literally about to launch an app that has a crowdsourcing feature -

------
pjmlp
Good riddance.

Either native or mobile web.

------
lightedman
"(6) does not support digital commerce"

Apple appears to be outright stating they wont allow competition from other
market sources. I say it's about time for the anti-trust suits to begin in
earnest.

------
alephnan
Does anyone know if this is related to the announcement regarding the exploit
targeting the Uyghur community reported by Project Zero?

~~~
SimeVidas
Apple stated that those vulnerabilities were fixed in February, so I doubt
that this has anything to do with that.

~~~
alephnan
Apologies, I meant the PR announcement rather than the vulnerability itself.

------
jbverschoor
Thank you for protectief me and the rest of the World from fraudsters and
conpanies that trick you info buying things and make it reeeaaaslllyy
difficult to cancel any subscription

------
SimeVidas
It’s 2019. Apple still uses the term HTML5.

~~~
rolltiide
Compared to...?

SPA/PWA/specific non-native solution entirely based on JS?

~~~
ravenstine
Unless HTML6 happens and is adopted, which I doubt, calling it HTML5 is just
kind of pointless; I really don't care if people say HTML5, but I say HTML
because that's what it is, and adding on '5' doesn't provide any useful
information since all browsers support HTML version 5 by default and without
the need to specify it.

~~~
rolltiide
Okay interesting, so thats not what Apple was referring to

Its a suite of best technologies that have little to do with the version of
html supported by a browser

This gives a lot of insight into this whole comment thread

