Apple’s recent crackdown on the MyFitnessPal-owned Cal AI food-logging app shows that the tech giant is still enforcing its strict App Store rules around external payments. The calorie-counting app, briefly removed from the App Store last week, attempted to bypass Apple’s in-app purchase guidelines and used manipulative tactics, Apple told TechCrunch.
The developer has since resolved the issues, and the app has returned to Apple’s App Store.
Cal AI’s App Store rejection made rounds on social media last week. Apple appeared to make an example of the company, originally founded by high school students who grew the business to $50 million in ARR before being acquired by MyFitnessPal in March.
Initially, there were concerns that Apple removed the app for using web payments instead of Apple’s in-app purchase (or IAP), despite this now being allowed.
Apple’s App Store Guidelines now allow U.S.-based developers to link to external payment systems due to a court ruling in the lawsuit brought against Apple by Epic Games. However, apps typically must offer Apple’s in-app purchase option alongside any external link. (One major exception is for “reader” apps with subscription-based access to content, like books, audio, music, video streaming, etc. Cal AI doesn’t qualify for this exception.)
When reached for comment, Apple stated the app’s brief removal resulted from multiple rule violations, including bypassing Apple’s in-app purchase flow, using deceptive billing design, and other manipulative tactics. The episode indicates that Apple is still monitoring developers’ use of web payments, even though the Epic ruling loosened earlier restrictions.
Chief among the violations, Apple said Cal AI bypassed Apple’s in-app purchases by using a third-party service (Stripe) for an in-app payment flow to unlock digital goods. This eliminated Apple’s in-app purchase (IAP) as a checkout option for users, violating Apple’s App Review Guideline 3.1.1, which requires IAP be offered alongside the external link.
Apple also indicated the company engaged in deceptive billing practices, violating Guideline 3.1.2c, as Cal AI’s paywall misled and confused consumers. The paywall displayed weekly calculated pricing more prominently than the actual billed amount and included a toggle for a free trial that obscured automatic renewal information.
Cal AI was further penalized for “manipulative tactics,” violating the Developer Code of Conduct’s guideline 5.6. An issue was that the app prompted users who declined the first subscription offer with a second, different subscription flow. Additionally, many negative user reviews accused the app of being a scam due to its presentation of third-party payment options.
After its rejection, Cal AI addressed the issues, allowing it to return to the store, Apple confirmed.
MyFitnessPal and Cal AI did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Cal AI might have tested how actively Apple’s app review team enforces its rules following the Apple-Epic court ruling. Apple’s response serves as a warning that the tech giant is still policing its App Store, even at the risk of losing out on revenue from a viral app, currently No. 4 on the App Store’s Health & Fitness charts.
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