

Ask HN: Apple Rejected Our App Because It Was Too "Simple". Options? - jmathai

Hello,<p>We built a somewhat &quot;complex&quot; feature which included simple mobile apps as a pretty important component. The feature, in some detail, is at https:&#x2F;&#x2F;trovebox.com&#x2F;feature&#x2F;collect<p>Trovebox is a multi-user photo services for businesses. We made a new feature named Collect that makes it easy for a business to let others send them photos (imagine attendees at a company party or event) without having to sign up, sign in or install any software. Part of that feature are mobile apps for Android and iOS if the user would rather send photos via an app than through a mobile browser.<p>The entire feature hinges on simplicity.<p>This is the reason per the app store terms.<p><pre><code>  2.12: Apps that are not very useful, are simply web sites bundled as
  apps, or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
</code></pre>
This is the reply from the App Store.<p><pre><code>  Thank you for your prompt response and providing detailed information 
  about your app. However, upon our review, we noticed that your app only 
  allows users to submit photos. We found that your app does not include 
  enough functionality to be appropriate for the App Store. For additional 
  app design information, watch:
  
  iOS Development Videos
  Ingredients of Great Apps
  iPhone and iPad User Interface Design
  
  We look forward to reviewing your revised application.
</code></pre>
We don&#x27;t care or want to add any features to this app. So where does that leave us?
======
davidkclark
I have also had a simple app rejected, then approved once some complexity was
added. It was a totally silly app that was pretty much an exercise in what
exactly they would accept as the simplest app.
([https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iuplift/id469338399](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iuplift/id469338399))

Initially, the app was just showing canned upifting phrases. This was
rejected. Second submission allowed the user to add their own phrases, using
some native controls to show/edit this list of phrases. This was accepted.

What I would suggest is perhaps adding something like a way to manage
different collect links in the app. Keep track of which photos you have sent
to a collect. They seem to also love you to do things that are not easy to do
in a web app. Maybe if you added camera access from within the app (useless I
know, but still), maybe image cropping etc before upload? Is there metadata
attached to their submissions to the collect link? Perhaps allowing them to
edit this metadata in a table view.

I think you need to come up with reasons why you can't just make it a web app
and want it to be an app (why do you want that anyway?) and be sure to
implement those things.

My reasons for wanting my apps to be apps and not web sites is because phone
apps are cool and people want an app not a website - it seems weird to me that
apple do not think the same way. I understand they don't want any more fart
apps, but most phone apps could be reasonably done as web apps now anyway.

~~~
jmathai
> What I would suggest is perhaps adding something like a way to manage
> different collect links in the app.

Good idea.

> Keep track of which photos you have sent to a collect.

We are already doing this in the app. But maybe doing it for the multiple
"collect"s that we're tracking might help.

------
kogir
Submit a more complex application with features you can disable server side
after review. While Apple doesn't approve of easter eggs they can't see during
review, I've never heard of them noticing (let alone complaining about)
features disabled after review.

You should also carefully consider why you don't support email and MMS. You
should allow your customers to to say "Text Pictures to 12345 or email them to
company@trovebox.com"

Downloading an app is unlikely to be easier than using the native sharing
features for most users, so keep that in mind if you really care about
simplicity and ease of use.

~~~
jmathai
Thanks. That's a good idea.

We'll definitely consider email/sms. But the app isn't required at all. What
this feature enables is one link that works across devices without requiring
any software installation. The app is optional.

Here's an example, [https://trvbx.co/8f890593c5](https://trvbx.co/8f890593c5)

------
josephlord
Is the app slick and native feeling? Are there useful features the app can
have like knowing what photos are newer than last run/upload or excluding
those already uploaded from what is offered?

~~~
jmathai
Yes, it's slick and native feeling. We spent a bit of time on the UI.

One useful feature it has is that it keeps track of the photos you've already
sent. But again, it's a small part of a much larger feature which is actually
pretty awesome.

We could add something else but the problem is that it _is_ a simple app and
adding something doesn't guarantee that it'll be enough to get approved.

~~~
josephlord
Tweak it, doesn't have to be a major change and resubmit with information
about what it does that a native app can't in the review notes (tracking sent
images).

If that doesn't work maybe add basic image editing options (cropping etc.) or
think about whether there are useful offline features you could add.

Note that I don't have much experience with rejections but that is what I
would do.

~~~
jmathai
Good point. I also wonder if we can basically resubmit it and hope we get a
different reviewer. Based on 2.12 it just doesn't violate any of the points.

------
bushido
Why don't you want to add any additional features? Specially if there are any
that can make the experience easier for users.

For example: You say users can easily send photos, but the premise is wrong,
in the sense that it takes the same number of steps for a user to:

1\. Click a picture

2\. Open the picture

3\. Select to send it via email/mms/whatsapp/etc. or share it on
facebook/dropbox/etc.

4\. Of course the next step would be select a contact, add an @user and add a
message if they choose.

5\. Hit send/share/etc. to confirm

I am guessing they would need to choose a business or contact in your
application too, so it does not really add anything "new" and is no more
convenient or simpler than other options.

On the other hand; If you added features to:

1\. Take a picture from within the app

2\. Allow users to directly load pictures from the phone

3\. Tagged pictures with the exact GPS coordinates (with the users permission)

4\. Allowed users to sort, tag and share (using a privacy first approach)

You could request businesses to pay a small fees to get access to semi-
publicly shared photos on your application that share the geo-
location/coordinates with their event location and time. This could also be
done in real-time.

You could also automate sharing/backups to other services that you can
integrate using tags and other user preferences.

Only then will you have a complex enough product, that actually simplifies the
users activity.

edit: formatting

~~~
jmathai
There's a few points in your post that don't address the needs of (our)
business users.

If you run an event with hundreds or thousands of attendees you don't want
them all emailing or SMSing photos to you.

Or if you run a travel agency and want to provide a way for people to share
photos after their group vacation your suggestion won't work there either.

There's a lot of use cases that we've been discussing with customers.

    
    
      Only then will you have a complex enough product, that
      actually simplifies the users activity.
    

Can't say I agree with that statement :).

~~~
Terretta
You are doing the right thing. Your app exists to Collect photos for a
business, that's what it should do.

Some apps have screen shots that aren't screenshots but more like
presentations explaining screenshots. You could try that to make clear the
great things going on at the other end of your Collect app?

Your real audience will be the Business's users, but in this round, your
audience is the Apple reviewer. It needs to look, to them, like it's doing
something cool.

Or, since your install vector is a link:

* Use an HTML5 app!

That was the original intent for the platform, and iPhones and iPads support
that.

Have a look at [http://forecast.io](http://forecast.io) or
[http://forecast.io/lines](http://forecast.io/lines) for examples of apps that
install as HTML5 apps w/o using app store, and do cool things.

In your case, you can upload photos and EXIF data, and you can get to an
install faster.

There are so many async js file uploaders to S3 at this point, you're golden.

------
informatimago
Port the mobile app to Android, make a killing there.

If you really insist on iOS, add a big Easter Egg.

~~~
jmathai
Sorry, not sure what that means :).

We have an Android app and yes we need an iOS one too.

------
jmathai
Clickable link to the feature in more detail,
[https://trovebox.com/feature/collect](https://trovebox.com/feature/collect)

------
millzlane
Maybe you can add a invite and rsvp feature. That lets the business send out
an invite to all attendees asking them to download the app and submit photos.

