[Opinión] Yesterday we told you that Twitter could not change its name to X in the App Store due to Apple policies. It was not a matter of animosity between the parties, no, it was (and still is, actually) compliance with the rules that, for years, Apple has imposed on developers and companies that wanted to publish their apps in the iOS app store . It was (is) the uniformity that equates the greatest with the smallest.
I am aware that when citing “the rules” in a general way, some context may be missing, so it is best to start with go to the specifics, that is, to the page of the Apple developer site in which full indications are given about the rules that must be followed in relation to the information about the apps. You can consult it at this link, and the specific section that interests us in this case is the first, “Name”. On the web you can see it in English, so I translate it into Spanish:
«The localized name of your app as it appears in the App Store. The name must have a minimum of two characters and a maximum of 30 characters. It can be edited until you submit the app to App Review. You can later change the name when you create a new version or when the application’s version state allows you to edit this property.»
The norm is clear and, although I agree that we could open a talk-colloquium to try to determine if this norm makes sense or not (surely there are very interesting arguments on both sides) now we are not talking about its usefulness/sense or lack of the same, but of their mere existence and, therefore, of the obligatory nature of their fulfillment. A hoop, I repeat, through which all developers have passed without exception who have uploaded their apps so far. And also those who do so in the future, since it is still published, we must understand that it is still valid.
However, it is enough to visit the store to verify that Apple has allowed the name change of the app, from Twitter to X, in a change that took place during the last hours, because yesterday, and I personally verified it when I published the news that I mentioned at the beginning, the app was still called Twitter. For its part, the rule of the minimum of two characters, as you have been able to verify yourself if you have opened the link, is still valid.
The App Store is the Apple store and, consequently, you can do whatever you want in it (as long as it does not go against the law, of course), but demonstrating a lack of consistency like this is, without a doubt, a blow to the image not only of the store, but of the company. «These are my principles, and if you don’t like them, I have others.says a popular quote misattributed to Groucho Marx. In this case, however, the signature of it is the least important thing, what is truly important is how well it fits with the situation.
We’ve talked enough times in the past about the positive and negative aspects of the App Store, and we know that regulators (at least the European ones) are close to ending its exclusive position in the iOS ecosystem. For breaching its rules, Apple expelled Fortnite, and has regularly pressured many other developers. However, this time, they have violated their own rules, thus creating a situation of comparative grievance with the rest of the developers. And I don’t know what you’ll think, but personally I think it’s a huge lack of respect for those who, and Apple shouldn’t forget this, are primarily responsible for the huge profits that originate from the App Store.
