Technology @lemmy.world jeffw @lemmy.world 3mo ago

Patreon will have to use Apple's in-app purchase system or be removed from the App Store

www.engadget.com Patreon will have to use Apple's in-app purchase system or be removed from the App Store

Patreon will use Apple's in-app purchase system before the end of the year.

59 comments

Fuck Apple. They deserve 0%.
Why does patreon even need to be an app? What value does the app bring that the website can't deliver?
- There are a lot of people out there that will not use a website and only use an app for things. I'm willing to bet there's some users of patreon on ios that don't even know there is a website.
  
  lots of people caught mobile brain rot
  
  OnlyFans doesn't have an app but they're still in business. We must educate people about not relying on apps for everything.
  
  definitely. i know so many people from my school who’s iphone home screen is just… pages full of apps. we’re talking 40+ apps on average. they always say it’s weird how i use a website for almost everything, and then they complain about their storage space :/
  
  I tend to use whatever has the best user experience. I don't use a browser for lemmy as an example.
  
  Notifications of new content are nice.
  
  Does this mean Patreon too will have two tiers of billing system: standard billing via the Web and slightly higher prices if done in app. I think if one purchases a YouTube Premium membership in app on iOS, it costs more than when done via the site.
  
  Unfortunately, I think you hit the nail on the head. Apple knows this too. Also, unfortunate for those Apple-sheep 🙄
- Background play of exclusive podcasts for one thing. I suppose that might be possible in a browser but playing media from a media player app instead of a browser is certainly going to be a better experience.
  
  Just offer file downloads. I swear the society is regressing technologically speaking (not aiming at you OP)
  
  Every podcast I support on Patreon provides a link that you can plug into your podcatcher to subscribe. I don’t need the Patreon app to listen to the podcast then, just Pocket Casts or whatever I’m using for all my podcasts.
  
  Even the video links are YouTube links.
  
  I don’t doubt that the app makes life easier in some ways, but the website works just fine.
  
  They should just take the route BandCamp takes and tell you to go to the website to make purchases
- PWA should be the way. As long as the website is mobile responsive, PWA should be preferred in cases like this.
- A functional user experience?
EU to the rescue?
I thought Apple lost this war already?
- A few times. But the old man don't seem to learn.
  
  They lost it in the EU, but did it change for the rest of the world? Can't really read from the article what region they are talking about.
- They'll hinge their position on the least good faith interpretation of EU's anticompetitive lawsuits, and why wouldn't they, they make more money in between these lawsuits than they pay EU for breaking the rules.
Grats to Patreon and/or the EU for the easy payday🎉
Hold up (fta):

By this November, all creators can only offer a subscription-based plan on iOS as the app store doesn't support other formats, such as first-of-the-month or per-creation plans. As a result, Patreon is rolling out a 16-month-long migration process that will shift all memberships to subscriptions by November 2025. At that point, subscription-based plans will be the only option available, unfortunately proving Apple's far-reaching power.

I'm unclear on what this means: is Patreon eliminating first-of-the-month and per-creation plans on ALL platforms? Or just on Apple platforms?
- THIS is why we hate Apple. Their bullshit affects EVERYONE. There is no "don't like it don't use it" with these people.
- Seems like it's a backend change and they're removing per creation entirely. Got an email from one of the creators I follow about getting suggestions on how to restructure their tiers for the new system. My guess is it would be tricky to setup a way to have creators do android/web tiers and apple tiers, not to mention confusing. And of course they can't just pull a Spotify and have a pop-up that says 'sorry you must use the web to subscribe' on iPhones.
- Because using a web browser is soo 1994
  
  They removed this feature from web browsers too. Not just the app.
Easy solution: the app only redirects you to the website via browser intent.
- That is no good with Apple policy.
  
  App cannot tell user that they get better deal anywhere.
  
  So wait, Apple effectively mandates that users of their store lie to their users? Wonder if that's something that can be tackled legally.
- From my understanding, thats also very much not allowed on the app store, and is something they check for.
- Get this, they don't allow that either. There are multiple clips from LTT talking about dumb things like this that Apple doesn't allow
Apple needs to be regulated
Why don't they just do what Kindle does? Say that you can no longer subscribe from the application and to subscribe from the site?
- Apple has explicit rules against redirecting customers to other sites for payment. I think they have a special deal with Amazon for that wording.
stop using apple products people
Glad I only use the website

59 comments