In 2024, we completed a major project: planting one million trees in Penang, Malaysia, in 24 hours on April 22nd. To support this effort, we developed an app to track our progress. Once the app was ready, we submitted it to the Apple Store, Play Store, and Huawei Store. However, we faced several challenges, especially with the Apple Store.
When you upload an app to the Apple Store, they check it very thoroughly. They look at your app’s functionality and review every page. It’s not a simple approval process; they carefully examine everything. For example, since our app tracks the number of trees planted, the Apple reviewer asked why we needed to record the number of trees. They also questioned why users needed to input their gender during registration.
The reviewer then asked a second question: why do we need to record user coordinates? This relates to the app’s use of location data and privacy concerns. We explained the necessity and reasons behind these features.
Additionally, the reviewer mentioned a third requirement: our app needed a feature allowing users to delete their accounts and data. This is a privacy and data protection requirement from the Apple Store.
From this experience, it is clear that the Apple Store conducts a meticulous review of every aspect of your app. This is different from other stores like the Play Store and Huawei Store, where the process is relatively straightforward—you can upload your app and have it available for download in a few days.
Is this strict review process good or bad? It depends on the perspective. Such careful checks can enhance app security, ensuring user data privacy and protection. While it can be challenging for developers to meet these rigorous standards, the benefits of improved security and user trust are invaluable. This experience highlights the importance of thorough app review processes in today’s digital landscape, where data privacy and security are crucial.
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