6 ms·

after getting 100k active users, and over 2million sessions per week, which was 1 year after submitting my app, google play suspended my app without warning, an

after getting 100k active users, and over 2million sessions per week, which was 1 year after submitting my app, google play suspended my app without warning, and i lost all. they were right, i didn't accurately follow their terms, but if they reviewed my app once submitted a year ago, that could've been avoided. it was a bitter experience for me, and i decided to port my app to iOS. i heard iOS provides warnings atleast.

ceejayoz 12y ago
> they were right, i didn't accurately follow their terms, but if they reviewed my app once submitted a year ago, that could've been avoided. Couldn't they say that to you about reading the terms a year ago?
- moubarak 12y ago
  that's what i'm saying. i wish they did. when they suspended my app i was being contacted by another team from google, AdMob, to "help grow my business". so i thought i was fine as long as i can make them money. they got me excited, then suddenly removed my app.
  - ceejayoz 12y ago
    > that's what i'm saying. i wish they did. Their terms weren't secret a year ago. At no point have they said "None of these apply if you make us money".
    - moubarak 12y ago
      oh i see what you mean. yes im saying they were absolutely right. what was bitter is that they suspended the app with no warning. they couldve warned me and i wouldve had no problem fixing it. the app was completely free with no ads.
SunShiranui 12y ago
For what reason was your app removed?
- moubarak 12y ago
  infringement. my app was called Nexus Photos. before submitting i read that google was denied the trademark on the name nexus. i also sent an email before publishing the app to google play, and they said it's ok to use the word "Nexus" in the title. i provided this info in my appeal. but the appeal was refused. as i said, they were right, but removing the app with no warning was brutal.
  - valuerange 12y ago
    Was it called "Nexus Photos: Gallery KitKat"? If so, Kitkat is a Trademark. You were also using the standard AOSP gallery icon as your icon. It seems unlikely but they could say you were impersonating a system app.
tsunamifury 12y ago
If you think Apple will provide a more cooperative experience you are mistaken. I've built apps for years and many times a short discussion with Google allowed me to re-post an app with some modifications. Unless you are making apple SERIOUS revenue (think high6 to 7 figures) they will shut you down without even a response.
- s73v3r 12y ago
  "I've builds apps for years and many times a short discussion with Google allowed me to re-post an app with some modifications." The vast, vast, vast majority of people are not able to find a person at Google to have that discussion with in the first place. "Unless you are making apple SERIOUS revenue (think high6 to 7 figures) they will shut you down without even a response." Apple tells you before your app goes live.
  - tsunamifury 12y ago
    You would think that if you haven't experienced launching dozens or hundreds of apps. In reality many times the first review is cursory and approved. They actually bucket you as a low-risk and wait for you to succeed before you might flag serious concerns and be removed.
  - mathieuh 12y ago
    > Apple tells you before your app goes live. Look at the situation with PCalc and Transmit. Both apps which offered a killer feature, got approved by review and even featured by the editorial team, then pulled after having been on the front page of the App Store.
    - lordnacho 12y ago
      What on earth could be wrong with a calculator app?
      - sp332 12y ago
        It put a calculator in a widget in the notifications area. http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/30/apple-no-longer-rejecting-calculator-widgets-from-the-app-store/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/30/apple-no-longer-rejecting-c...
s73v3r 12y ago
"they were right, i didn't accurately follow their terms, but if they reviewed my app once submitted a year ago, that could've been avoided." And if you had followed their terms, it could have been avoided as well.
outworlder 12y ago
> . i heard iOS provides warnings atleast. Not necessarily. If you blatantly disregards their terms, then your app will be rejected for sure. Now, if the issue is more nuanced, then it could take some time. Source: I developed an app that, among other things, could let people know about DIU checkpoints (not in the US, mind you). It survived for more than a year in the store, only getting an email from Apple when we changed it from free (with ads) to a paid app, returning more revenue in a month than the past months put together (which nevertheless was enough to pay the monthly office rent). Instead of engaging Apple, we decided to pull the app ourselves from the store. We did get an email from an actual person, instead of getting the app pulled from the store with no explanation. I also guess that, had we decided to discuss things with Apple, that we could have reached some sort of agreement. We'll never know, but that's what I inferred from the tone of the email (surprisingly friendly, mind you).

ceejayoz 12y ago

> they were right, i didn't accurately follow their terms, but if they reviewed my app once submitted a year ago, that could've been avoided. Couldn't they say that to you about reading the terms a year ago?

moubarak 12y ago
that's what i'm saying. i wish they did. when they suspended my app i was being contacted by another team from google, AdMob, to "help grow my business". so i thought i was fine as long as i can make them money. they got me excited, then suddenly removed my app.
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  > that's what i'm saying. i wish they did. Their terms weren't secret a year ago. At no point have they said "None of these apply if you make us money".
  - moubarak 12y ago
    oh i see what you mean. yes im saying they were absolutely right. what was bitter is that they suspended the app with no warning. they couldve warned me and i wouldve had no problem fixing it. the app was completely free with no ads.

SunShiranui 12y ago

For what reason was your app removed?

moubarak 12y ago
infringement. my app was called Nexus Photos. before submitting i read that google was denied the trademark on the name nexus. i also sent an email before publishing the app to google play, and they said it's ok to use the word "Nexus" in the title. i provided this info in my appeal. but the appeal was refused. as i said, they were right, but removing the app with no warning was brutal.
- valuerange 12y ago
  Was it called "Nexus Photos: Gallery KitKat"? If so, Kitkat is a Trademark. You were also using the standard AOSP gallery icon as your icon. It seems unlikely but they could say you were impersonating a system app.

tsunamifury 12y ago

If you think Apple will provide a more cooperative experience you are mistaken. I've built apps for years and many times a short discussion with Google allowed me to re-post an app with some modifications. Unless you are making apple SERIOUS revenue (think high6 to 7 figures) they will shut you down without even a response.

s73v3r 12y ago
"I've builds apps for years and many times a short discussion with Google allowed me to re-post an app with some modifications." The vast, vast, vast majority of people are not able to find a person at Google to have that discussion with in the first place. "Unless you are making apple SERIOUS revenue (think high6 to 7 figures) they will shut you down without even a response." Apple tells you before your app goes live.
- tsunamifury 12y ago
  You would think that if you haven't experienced launching dozens or hundreds of apps. In reality many times the first review is cursory and approved. They actually bucket you as a low-risk and wait for you to succeed before you might flag serious concerns and be removed.
- mathieuh 12y ago
  > Apple tells you before your app goes live. Look at the situation with PCalc and Transmit. Both apps which offered a killer feature, got approved by review and even featured by the editorial team, then pulled after having been on the front page of the App Store.
  - lordnacho 12y ago
    What on earth could be wrong with a calculator app?
    - sp332 12y ago
      It put a calculator in a widget in the notifications area. http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/30/apple-no-longer-rejecting-calculator-widgets-from-the-app-store/ http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/30/apple-no-longer-rejecting-c...

s73v3r 12y ago

"they were right, i didn't accurately follow their terms, but if they reviewed my app once submitted a year ago, that could've been avoided." And if you had followed their terms, it could have been avoided as well.

outworlder 12y ago

> . i heard iOS provides warnings atleast. Not necessarily. If you blatantly disregards their terms, then your app will be rejected for sure. Now, if the issue is more nuanced, then it could take some time. Source: I developed an app that, among other things, could let people know about DIU checkpoints (not in the US, mind you). It survived for more than a year in the store, only getting an email from Apple when we changed it from free (with ads) to a paid app, returning more revenue in a month than the past months put together (which nevertheless was enough to pay the monthly office rent). Instead of engaging Apple, we decided to pull the app ourselves from the store. We did get an email from an actual person, instead of getting the app pulled from the store with no explanation. I also guess that, had we decided to discuss things with Apple, that we could have reached some sort of agreement. We'll never know, but that's what I inferred from the tone of the email (surprisingly friendly, mind you).