Applications using the Dropbox Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS are being accepted again for the App Store. Apple was rejecting apps using the SDK because of an external purchase option. Dropbox modified its SDK to remove the “Make Account” feature.
Filip Radelic, developer of the Cambox application for iPhone, informed AppleInsider on Friday that his software was accepted into the App Store. The approval came after Dropbox modified its development kit with a temporary fix removing the “Make account” feature.
Dropbox has officially confirmed the changes to the SDK on its developer forums. Dropbox’s Brian Smith said the issues with Apple were resolved after “the worst game of telephone you’ve ever played.”
With the changes to the SDK, apps will no longer offer an option to create an account with Dropbox. If a user uses an application that relies on Dropbox, and the Dropbox app is not installed on their device, the SDK will open a login view for the service directly within the 3rd-party app, instead of the Safari browser.
The issue that was causing rejection of apps using the Dropbox SDK was that Dropbox offers users the ability to purchase more cloud-based storage for their files. By linking to the Dropbox website to ask users to login, they could also register for a Dropbox account, and purchase more storage space.
Apple explicitly bans links to out-of-app purchases. Out-of-app purchases through a web browser can be used to bypass the App Store, and remove Apple from the equation. Thereby cutting Apple out of its 30 percent share of the transactions.
Enforcement of the rule has affected some big names in the App Store, including Amazon, The Wall Street Journal, and Barnes & Noble. All of their apps had to be updated to remove links to out-of-app purchases to remain available in the App Store.
