
Ask HN: What would happen if Apple removed Uber from its App Store? - soheil
There is always a risk (no matter how small) of any app being deemed inappropriate by Apple and, hence removed from the App Store. I&#x27;m not particularly interested in why Apple would do that. If that were to happen, hypothetically, what would Uber, a $63 billion company, do without its primary way to generate revenue?
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greenyoda
If Apple arbitrarily removed Uber's app from their App Store:

1\. Uber would file a lawsuit for a huge amount of damages. (They have enough
money to be able to afford lots of lawyers.)

2\. A large percentage of Apple's customers who are also Uber customers would
be hugely pissed off and switch to Android phones.

3\. There would be huge amounts of negative publicity. There would be
congressional inquiries into anti-competitive behavior, and demands for
government regulation. Apple's board might even fire the CEO.

It's almost inconceivable that Apple would do something so harmful to its own
self-interest.

~~~
petra
>> congressional inquiries into anti-competitive behavior

Anti-trust law requires having a monopoly(which Apple doesn't have) or acting
together with other companies. So in this case it's probably legal.

EDIT: that's basically the opinion of Keith Rabois, who litigated several
anti-trust laws.

[https://www.quora.com/Why-was-Microsoft-punished-for-
violati...](https://www.quora.com/Why-was-Microsoft-punished-for-violating-
antitrust-laws-while-Apple-which-is-even-worse-now-is-not-punished)

~~~
cm2187
I think it requires having a dominant position, which in the in app purchase
market is pretty much the case (by revenues).

Lots of android in the market but sold to people who couldn't tell the
difference with iOS and wouldn't even know how to buy an app.

~~~
cgm616
I think anti-trust also requires a non-privately administered market. In
Apple's App Store, they own the servers serving the app market, giving them
control.

I don't think the government could force them to keep an app on their server
and continue to serve it to consumers running their software if they didn't
want to.

------
loumf
I just went to uber.com in Mobile Safari and it seemed willing to sign me up
without even suggesting I use the app instead. I don't have or want an
account, but did you check to see if the web app "just works".

I assume that would be a stop-gap while Uber tries to come into compliance
with whatever AppStore rule is keeping them out.

I think it's impossible that there would be reason they could not comply, but
to answer your question, I think they would mobilize their users by having
them contact Apple support en-masse until Apple relented.

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rloc
I disagree with some other comments. I think it is totally possible that Apple
removes Uber from their Store. That's the danger of all the "closed" and
"restricted" app stores.

1- Uber has a web app that works on all platforms that can run a modern
browser (pretty much all in fact). Right after the app is taken down, they
would publicly push all iPhone users to use the web app.

2- People would buy other devices where it run natively (Android,
smartwatches, etc.).

3- I bet Uber is already working on a plan B to mitigate that. Like building
their own device, integrating with car manufacturers, etc. They could be even
working on creating an alternative mobile OS. Having Uber natively integrated
in a mobile OS could be a huge opportunity to grow with other features and
become the next generation iPhone. It would also be a differentiator to the
iPhone.

The mapping API they use could also be taken down or blocked. Same risks there
and that's why they are working on their own mapping technology. They tried to
buy HERE maps but it failed.

~~~
ojm
>> Like building their own device, integrating with car manufacturers, etc.

Integrating with car manufacturers only helps drivers. But drivers can just
quickly buy a cheap Android phone to run the partner app.

Not very useful for the end user. Unless they have a car with Uber installed,
and are drunk so get an Uber driver to pick them up at their car.

------
cballard
I've been wondering about this short of thing, especially related to the App
Store rules around APNS[1], numbers 5.5 and 5.6.

A little while ago, Yelp began spamming me with a "Yelp Weekly NYC" APNS
message every Friday. I also believe Lyft has been doing this with promotions.
Under these rules, both of those apps should be immediately removed from the
App Store, and I'd support that.

[1]: [https://developer.apple.com/app-
store/review/guidelines/#pus...](https://developer.apple.com/app-
store/review/guidelines/#push-notifications)

------
lifeisstillgood
1\. it would have a severe negative impact on their new customer rate,
probably leading to a "fail" in whatever cities they opened that month.

2\. It would however lead to a very important debate that has not happened yet
- who "owns" the platforms of iOS and android and who can play gatekeeper?
Because Apple has not yet abused its position, the problem has not arisen.

But there will be plenty of political and economic incentive to force Apple
and Android / goggle play to open their gatekeeper roles to "some other
bodies", possibly with public service remits.

Ultimately access to the platforms will always be a privilege, but the
platforms are rapidly becoming a public good and as such will one day be
regulated differently - just as the electricity industry did.

One day soon the Apple Car App will be directly competing with Uber - I would
not like to be Uber then if I had not spent the intervening years quietly
lobbying for a "open platform" reform.

------
neximo4
1) Uber would offer an alternative web app immediately

2) Uber would sue Apple for damages and try to get back into the app store &
using its monopoly to influence other businesses.

3) Uber would encourage users to use Android and possibly raise awareness of
Android and begin supporting its development in OSS circles. It would also
support OSS projects that improve the app experience of web apps.

4) Uber would also start offering incentives to its api developers to make
their own Uber apps for the app store as an alternative. So none of that
referrals crap, proper cash incentives. Maybe even invest in a couple of
startups creating these apps.

5) Undoubtedly Uber will use its PR team to write negative articles about iOS
and use it as an opportunity to 'fight back' and gain customers. It will ask
users to also write to Apple or ask them to boycott Apple products.

~~~
eli
They already have a web app [https://m.uber.com/](https://m.uber.com/)

------
arihant
I think if that were to happen Uber will tirelessly and ferociously push their
API. They will probably finally start giving money for taxis booked from the
API so other apps could be used to book Uber. I think they will heavily push
their Messenger integration. I don't believe they will improve web app booking
by a factor.

Following week, we would hear that Uber acquires Lyft. It will probably give
option to Apple to either provide Uber app installed by default on all Apple
devices, just like YoutTube and GMaps used to. If not, it will pull every
single taxi booking app from Apple's platforms.

One may think there would be an expensive lawsuit. But I think with already
too many legal strikes against them, Uber will muscle their way out of it. I
know I would if, hypothetically, am put in that situation.

------
petra
Distribution channels:other distribution channels, be it the web, or other
apps. Those might be harder to ban, maybe due to laws(net-neutrality), user
expectations about the web or maybe to the power of said apps together.

Politics: pulling strings, getting people Angry and channeling that Anger ,
pressuring Apple. might have all kinds of side effects on politics, the stock
market, people that use phones as a critical tool(work, etc).

Technical solutions: In paralel , they could also shift to a model of virtual
bus-stations ,maybe they will put large public touch screens(like in china) ,
maybe they will create a very thin iphone case with embedded electronics and
an eink screen , sell cheaply, just for UBER and some other stuff. Or they
will build an automated voice/sms activated ordering system.

End result : Unless other distributions channels works for them, the rest will
take too much time, and UBER will probably lose.

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cornellwright
Does Apple get a cut of Uber fares from in-app purchases? (I think the
standard amount is 30%.) If that's the case, the money lost would be one more
reason for Apply not to do this, or perhaps a reason to reject the Uber app if
Uber refused to pay.

~~~
ropiku
It doesn't, Uber processes their payments themselves. You don't have to pay
the Apple tax for physical goods or services.

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Spooky23
They'd be forced into using a web app and living with the limitations.
Depending on Apple's hypothetical reasoning, they may hold out for money, or
not be interested in a resolution.

I've been connected in the past in labor disputes where unlikely/impossible
things suddenly become the new normal. Given Apple and Google's interests and
upstream market position vs. Uber, I don't think this scenario is that
difficult to envision.

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sftcore
They wouldnt because that would be a poor decision for everyone involved. Huge
lawsuit... mayors office calling... public outrage...

idk create a decentrilized service?

If you think that would be bad imagine if AWS stopped service all together.

Or the human race dying out from BIRD FLU

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ianatiev
I think this open question should lead many founders to overthink risks which
comes by working with any app store, and always keeping an alternative option
like Uber did with their web-app which all users can use.

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autopov
Users can request rides via Uber's website.

I believe users requesting (and getting) rides is Uber's primary revenue
generator, so not having the App Store access would be inconvenient but not
catastrophic.

------
sashka69
I removed UberX from my wife and my daughter iPhone. Not trust them. Using
Flywheel for taxis only. Working perfectly in San Francisco. Recommend it.

------
jayadeeptp
What if Uber started distributing free Uber-requesting devices to its
customers?

~~~
CodeWriter23
I'm not in favor of bring back the Bat Belt. It wasn't too long ago, on one's
belt you would find: cell phone, iPod, Palm Pilot, perhaps even a pager.

