{"id":7033061,"date":"2026-08-08T03:42:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/apple-2\/michael-tsai-blog-dark-hours-rejected-from-the-app-store\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:42:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:42:07","slug":"michael-tsai-blog-dark-hours-rejected-from-the-app-store","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7033061","title":{"rendered":"Michael Tsai – Blog – Dark Hours Rejected From the App Store"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Terry Godier<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

On the web, if I build something that works within the standards, it works. Whether people use it is up to them. On iOS, there is another question entirely: whether Apple decides it should exist.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

In the past couple of years I\u2019ve built three apps that were rejected from the App Store on various grounds.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

A while ago I tried to submit an iOS app for Dark Hours<\/a>, my astronomy website for normal people. It was rejected on the grounds that it was astrology.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

I see countless ChatGPT wrappers with nearly identical icons and eye-watering subscriptions. I see astronomy apps requesting permissions that have nothing to do with looking at the night sky. My kids download games that interrupt play every few minutes to advertise the developer\u2019s other subscription apps, each with their own $20\u201350 yearly plans.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Via John Gruber<\/a> (Hacker News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\n

But if you actually look at Godier\u2019s Dark Hours<\/a>, for even just a few seconds, it is instantly obvious that it pertains to the science of astronomy and has absolutely nothing\u2009\u2014\u2009zero, zilch, nada\u2009\u2014\u2009to do with astrology.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

Godier proceeded through a series of escalations up to the App Review Board and the Review Board responded that they determined the original rejection was valid<\/em> because, I shit you not, \u201cWe understand that the app includes a live tarot reading feature.\u201d Which isn\u2019t even about astrology. It\u2019s straight out of Kafka.<\/p>\n

[\u2026]<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just contrary to the benefit of developers, like Godier. It\u2019s obviously contrary to the benefit of Apple itself, which should not just accept<\/em> an app like Dark Hours, but celebrate<\/em> it as an exemplar of the platform.<\/p>\n

Mistakes happen. But in a functioning system mistakes get corrected, and mistakes as obvious as this one get corrected almost instantly and include a quick apology for the conflation. The App Store is not a functioning system.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Previously:<\/p>\n

App Store<\/a> App Store Rejection<\/a> Dark Hours<\/a> iOS<\/a> iOS 26<\/a> iOS App<\/a> Science<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>
\nComments
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Terry Godier: On the web, if I build something that works within the standards, it works. Whether people use it is up to them. On iOS, there is another question entirely: whether Apple decides it should exist. 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