The App Store Review Process Is Actually... Good
Apple’s App Store has made a lot of news in tech and policy circles recently. Apple and Epic and Apple and the European Union have been battling it out about whether or not Apple is allowed to gatekeep via their App Store. As it currently stands, in most countries (except the EU), if you want to develop native apps for iPhones and iPads you need to submit your app to Apple for review. If you want users to be able to download your app, Apple has to approve your app. If you want to make money with your app, with few exceptions you must use’s Apple’s payment processing via the App Store. And there is no widespread side-loading of apps, like there is in Android.
And as a small independent developer, I am 100% on board with Apple’s policies. It’s actually a pretty nice experience. I can see why a multi-billion dollar company like Epic would want to funnel a larger percent of the Fortnite revenue to themselves and away from Apple. But for someone like me, I pay a 15% commission on sales (until my first million…) and in return Apple handles in one form or another:
At the large companies I’ve worked for, each of those functions would have been it’s own large department. Apple provides it all at a flat percentage (or free if your app is free). Given how little most small developers make with their apps, I virtually guarantee you that Apple spends more on the wages and infrastructure of the people working the App Store than they take back from us.
