No more IOS Tapatalk BYO

[CyberJoe]

Received via mail tonight:

I'm sorry I have to inform you of changes in Apple's App Review guidelines that will have an immediate impact on your BYO app. I like to review the changes and provide you a couple of options.

Apple has decided that they will no longer approve apps in a single Apple Developer account for the App Store hat have similar functionality, but only differ in content. The communication was from the App Review Board, and the Review Board said they will also begin enforcing this ruling with other developers of branded app for forums (as well as developers for other types of apps). On June 12, Apple will remove your app from sale.

That leaves us with a couple of options:

1. Refund payment for Premium Tier - Let us know if you want us to cancel your $10/mo BYO subscribtion. refund all payments you have made for the Premium Tier.

1. Please note that if you have a Android app, cancelling the Premium Tier will also cancel the Android app

2. If you like to cancel, please let us know if you want to return to the Basic Tier ($5/mo) or the Free Tier

2. Continue with iOS branded app by by using your own Apple Developer Account

1. You can purchase an Apple Developer account at a cost of $99 per year. We will need you to provide us access to the account, and then we can process the app through the App Store on your behalf.

2. If you are interested in continuing with your own Apple Developer license, please see the details for opening the account and proving Tapatalk access: here.

Please email us back and let us know if:

· You would plan move to Free or Basic Tier.

· You would like to continue, using your own Apple Developer account (paying Apple $99/yr) and please provide us access

Let us know if you have any questions about these options. Our apologies for this change in process. We had no idea this was going to happen.

Tapatalk BYO Team

 

[Jim McClain]

When I converted my vB 3.8 forum to XenForo last week, I was SO happy to be rid of Tapatalk. I warned my users long before the switch and often in the preceding months, right up to the last day. After the switch there were two members who asked about it. One of them complained, but agreed to see if he could live without it. He's posting, so it looks like he's doing okay. No one seems to miss Tapatalk. I sure don't.

 

[LeadCrow]

1. You can purchase an Apple Developer account at a cost of $99 per year. We will need you to provide us access to the account, and then we can process the app through the App Store on your behalf.

This sounds like a really bad idea. Unless your developper account is used exclusively for that app, it's ripe for all kinds of abuse.

 

[Joeychgo]

When I converted my vB 3.8 forum to XenForo last week, I was SO happy to be rid of Tapatalk. I warned my users long before the switch and often in the preceding months, right up to the last day. After the switch there were two members who asked about it. One of them complained, but agreed to see if he could live without it. He's posting, so it looks like he's doing okay. No one seems to miss Tapatalk. I sure don't.

Same here... I don't need an app anymore -- yeah!!!

 

[Paul M]

I'm amazed Tapatalk have been allowed to do that for so long. When IB fist started on the Mobile version, they did a similar thing, using their account to build each version for people, but apple stepped in and told them to stop. Thats why you need your own developer account.

 

[CyberJoe]

I am in a split mind over Tapatalk.

It sees a lot of use on my forum, but that also means a potential large loss of advertising revenue. I have however a long time ago decided that revenue must never become a driving force for changes as in my opinion that is your first step to closure in the long run.

Currently about 600 users are active daily, and do 4000 posts per month using Tapatalk.

So for now I will probably just dump the custom version for IOS and continue with the regular Tapatalk.

Ideally I need to get a decent mobile skin installed, but am yet to find one.

 

[mysiteguy]

This is likely to have a big impact on Tapatalk's sales.

 

[pierce]

This is likely to have a big impact on Tapatalk's sales.

Do they have an ad network within their own app??

 

[mysiteguy]

Do they have an ad network within their own app??

Yes, but I was referring to the monthly fees Tapatalk charges for the custom iOS app, verses the free one where there's an ad revenue share option.

 

[pierce]

Yes, but I was referring to the monthly fees Tapatalk charges for the custom iOS app, verses the free one where there's an ad revenue share option.

Of course.

I'm not familiar with their app for the last 2 years. They have 10million installs which is quiet a bit. Thus becoming a powerful ad network with that many installs.

What I'm trying to say is they have income diversification. This will hurt them obviously but they will still keep making money.

 

[vbresults]

What I'm trying to say is they have income diversification. This will hurt them obviously but they will still keep making money.

It will not even make a dent, it's mostly ad-driven as you said. If anything, some big boards may not want to be bothered with app store accounts and will become a new ad property for them in the shared app.

 

[Jim McClain]

...there's an ad revenue share option.

I never received a single dime in shared revenue in all the years I had Tapatalk installed on my vB forum. Even if it was going to be a pittance of what I would have lost from normal Adsense revenue, it might have strengthened my attitude toward them. But it was zilch, so it only soured my feelings even more. I don't miss them and, apparently, my members don't either. I've received no further complaints beyond those I got the first couple of days after converting to XF.

 

[Joeychgo]

I never received a single dime in shared revenue in all the years I had Tapatalk installed on my vB forum. Even if it was going to be a pittance of what I would have lost from normal Adsense revenue, it might have strengthened my attitude toward them. But it was zilch, so it only soured my feelings even more. I don't miss them and, apparently, my members don't either. I've received no further complaints beyond those I got the first couple of days after converting to XF.

Same here.

 

[zappaDPJ]

And here in terms of revenue. I did miss the functionality provided by Tapatalk when I uninstalled it as did some of my members but it became a huge liability which I had to remove.