Is Apple going too far with app rejection asking for app name change
I have tried to submit an updated version of my application called hueShow to the Mac App Store but Apple keep rejecting it. 1st time there was a legitimate reason related to UI standard in the new version of the app but now they want to force my to rename my app… that is already under the name of hueShow in the app store… Yes, they accepted this name in the past but now they apparently want me to change it:
18.2
The app contains content that could be misleading to users.
It would be appropriate to remove or revise that app name, “hueShow.”
In addition, we recommend adjusting the title of your application so that the misleading element is used as a descriptor, not as part of the product name. For example, the following styles are acceptable formats for names:
GreatApp – with tagline “for Hue”
GreatApp – with tagline “Hue edition”
GreatApp – with tagline “Hue version”
What do you think? Is apple bullying small app developer with silly request? I mean, would they ask Microsoft to rename MS Office because the name could be misleading in having users think the are buying an actual office from Microsoft? Are they right to ask me to change the name?
Hi Bernard,
actually I do only know very little about the MAS, but I think, that Apple owes a good explanation for their reasons to reject an app – and even more an update to an existing app – to the MAS, if they have concerns with the name of the app.
hue by itself seems to be a generic term and even though Philips has chosen it for the name of a product line, I don’t think that this justifies a rejection of an app to the MAS that incorporates hue as a part of its name.
Regards,
Stephan
Since I’ve just purchased HandyPrint and I’m on your site and came across this, I’ll add my two cents. First, I’m a web programmer not an app developer. I’ve been only tangentially involved in submitting apps to the App Store. Developers can and do argue endlessly about Apple’s requirements and sometimes rather arbitrary reasons for rejection.
The bottom line is that I looked at your various apps on your website and I feel that HandyPrint, mDNSBrowser and RSSSurf all immediately tell you something about what each app does, but I do not think that hueView does.
From your hueView description, it is an app that configures and runs preset Smart Light cycles, so it seems logically that your app would be named Smart Light Controller or HandySmartLight Controller – control Phillips Hue Smart Lights.
Again, just my uneducated two cents.
An honest reply for you. Not knowing what hueShow was, I made the wrong assumption that is was for adjusting colors (or hues) in photos or displaying their digital values for modification.
hueShow does look like a cool program if I had some Philips Hue bulbs to control. I WOULD suggest changing the name too so people with those bulbs could find your useful program. Plus you could also modify your program with other versions, keeping the same basic app name, to work with other styles of bulbs too, making more money for you..
Just my thoughts…
I’m guessing that putting a registered trade mark in the name of the app is regarded as leading people to believe that he app is official. The suggestions are less likely to do that.