Apple had forced WordPress to monetize its free app, forcing it to sell premium plans and custom domain names. On Friday, the Internet erupted in a small way to learn that Apple had successfully forced word-press to monetized its free free app.

The company is issuing a rare on-the-record apology. It says WordPress will no longer have to add in-app purchases now that all is said and done.

Apple says the issue with the WordPress app has been resolved. Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app.

Apple is positioning this as the developer – WordPress – having removed the’display of their service payment options from the app’. But as far as I’m aware, that did n’t happen today: it happened weeks or months ago.

The WordPress app did n’t sell a single thing and did n’t mention a paid’WordPress.com’ plan.

WordPress developer Matt Mullenweg told us Apple had forced him to add in-app purchases (IAP). Originally, he’d said Apple locked him out of updating the app unless he added Apple IAP within 30 days.

Mullenweg had previously offered to strip other mentions of the paid plans out of the app. But Apple rejected the suggestions, including workarounds and workarounds.

Apple seems to have decided that trying to extract its cut from a free app – by forcing in-app purchases – is n’t a hill worth dying on today.

WordPress’s Matt Mullenweg has a new Twitter thread. The news apparently came as a surprise to WordPress.