On Friday, the web emerged in a little way to find out that Apple had actually successfully forced WordPress to monetize its free app– forcing it to sell premium strategies and customized domain names relatively so that Apple might get its traditional 30 percent cut.
However one afternoon and evening of surprise and outrage later, Apple is backing off. The business is providing an uncommon on-the-record apology, and it says that WordPress will no longer need to add in-app purchases now that all is said and done.
Heres Apples complete declaration:
Our company believe the issue with the WordPress app has been dealt with. Since the developer got rid of the screen of their service payment options from the app, it is now a complimentary stand-alone app and does not need to use in-app purchases. We have actually notified the designer and ask forgiveness for any confusion that we have caused.
Youll see that Apple is placing this as the designer– WordPress– having actually done the ideal thing and removed the “screen of their service payment choices from the app,” and to my understanding that is technically real. As far as Im conscious, that didnt take place today: it took place weeks or months earlier.
While since yesterday, the WordPress app didnt offer a single thing and didnt even mention a paid “WordPress.com” plan unless you followed a not likely workaround, I was able to track down a fellow journalist this weekend who had a much older version of the app, one with a dedicated “Plans” tab that noted a few of the various plans offered to premium consumers:
It was already a “free stand-alone app,” no?
We believe the concern with the WordPress app has actually been dealt with. Considering that the developer got rid of the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app and does not have to provide in-app purchases. We have informed the designer and ask forgiveness for any confusion that we have triggered.
That stated, my source informed me there was no ability to purchase any of those plans– and I can confirm the whole “Plans” section had actually already been eliminated by the time WordPress designer Matt Mullenwag told us Apple had actually successfully forced him to add Apples in-app purchases (IAP). (Originally, he d said Apple locked him out of updating the app unless he included Apple IAP within 30 days.).
To the best of my knowledge, this isnt WordPress caving yet again. Apple merely seems to have actually decided that attempting to extract its cut from a free app– by requiring in-app purchases– isnt a hill worth passing away on today.
Whats more, Mullenwag told us that he had previously provided to strip other mentions of the paid strategies out of the app (even workarounds like when a user sees a preview of their own WordPress website and then browses to WordPress.com), only to have actually those suggestions declined by Apple.
