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I actually did this policy to get one of my apps in the store. As more people eventually use it (and presumably good reviews roll in), I anticipate that I will

• phaus 13y ago
  >I anticipate that I will be able to remove the features which I didn't think were needed. This is a really bad idea. While you might think that its impossible, some of your users are going to absolutely love the useless functionality that you added to appease Apple. When you remove it, you are going to receive an influx of 1-star reviews.
  • rplnt 13y ago
    I think you can make moderately safe choice if you have the usage data. I.e. if you see 0.5% of active users use some functionality, you can remove it. It can help rest of the users (make the app more simple) and you as well (smaller code base). Also adds possibility to add another feature without cluttering the app.
    • cabalamat 13y ago
      > I.e. if you see 0.5% of active users use some functionality, you can remove it. Grrr. The implication behind this statement is that if most users don't use something, the one's that do don't find it useful. I regard this implication to be false, and damaging. > It can help rest of the users (make the app more simple) If a user interface is well designed, then features that someone doesn't use won't get in their way.
      • cwp 13y ago
        > The implication behind this statement is that if most users don't use something, the one's that do don't find it useful. Not at all. The implication is that if few people use a feature, few people will be affected if you remove it. They may be really, really upset, but there won't be many of them.
        • levosmetalo 13y ago
          Would you refund those people automatically after removing the feature they use? Since this is not anymore the same value proposition as before. One small feature can make the whole app not anymore worthy those original 1.99$ user paid for.
          • clarky07 13y ago
            Can we get rid of the absurd disgust over the huge price of 99 cents people pay for apps? If he thinks the app is better being simpler, let him make his app better. It doesn't matter if he "offers" a refund or not. They can ask Apple for one, and Apple will give it to them. Don't act like the guy is a jerk for removing a feature he deems unnecessary because someone might be upset over the 12 cents of value lost when it very well could improve the experience of the other 99.5% of his users. I'm sorry, but for 99 cents you don't get complete control over my time and decision making process. Feel free to make suggestions, but for the love of God don't "tell me" that "I need" to make feature X for you. I particularly enjoy 1-3 star reviews that say it's great but it needs X to improve review. As if they would actually come back and change it when it gets X. I promise they don't.
            • levosmetalo 13y ago
              Noone is complaining about 99¢, but the principle stays. One small feature that noone except me uses if removed makes the product/service unusable for me. I could have paid 99€, I could have paid 99$ or 999%, it doesn't matter for the topic. If you remove that one feature under my feet, the app is to me worth nothing. I would be ok using the old version of application that still has that feature, but in case of a service or phone app where I simply can't use the old version or easily rollback to the one, I would ask for refund, regardless of the original price.
  • wsc981 13y ago
    You could set the release data of the app like 2 weeks in the future and have some sort of webservice that you use to enable or disable app features. You could disable the bogus features after the app has passed Apple's review, but before the app is visible to end-users.
    • iSnow 13y ago
      I think deceiving Apple is the very worst idea ever. If they catch you cheating, your app will be booted from the app store - and rightly so.
      • Joeri 13y ago
        Legally so, but not rightly so. Apple has arbitrary and unreasonable rules. They are not in a morally justified position when they exert those rules, even though they are legally able to. Now, in this case, it is obvious what the right move is for the developer. They have to ship their app on android or windows phone instead of iphone. If apple refuses entry into their walled garden, the developers should take their app and go somewhere else. If enough apps do this and become popular, apple will change their rules.
        • Jare 13y ago
          I think the jump from unreasonable to immoral is rather larger than you seem to imply.
          • sferoze 13y ago
            Shouldn't we think of the App Store in the same way that people and companies cannot force a retailer to stock their own product.
            • Touche 13y ago
              Why do people continue to use this terrible analogy? The App Store is not like Walmart. A better analogy would be a car company that forced you to come to them for all of your service and for any after-market work you wanted to do.
  • Tyrannosaurs 13y ago
    That's fine - they have a road map of useful functionality - just add that and don't have to worry about removing it later.