The new year was supposed to begin with a brand-new calendar app. However, barely 72 hours after the premium email service Hey announced its newest feature — an integrated calendar — co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson received some unwelcome news from Apple: it was rejecting a standalone iOS app for Hey Calendar because non-paying users couldn’t do anything when they opened the app up.
Hey Calendar would not allow new users to sign up directly through the app. Instead, people must first register on Hey’s website to sign up. Apple’s App Store rules say most paid apps need to let users pay within the app. This gives Apple a cut of up to 30% of sales.
But Hey founder David said Apple rejecting the app was “insulting” for another reason. Almost 4 years ago now, Apple also denied the original Hey email app for the same reason about paying inside apps. David called Apple’s tactics “bullying.”
In 2020, after discussions, Apple suggested Hey offer a free trial on iOS. New mobile users got a temporary random email and 14 days free to test Hey. But people still had to pay through the browser later.
Now Apple told Hey Calendar had to let non-payers do something in the app. But since it needs active Hey accounts, that wasn’t possible. Hey plans to challenge the rejection. Will they find another compromise, or will Apple lose another antitrust case over app policies? Stay tuned as this battle continues!
