Nuked A new crop of shady apps are being peddled through the app store. This time they’re using pop-ups that make it difficult to quit an app without agreeing to outrageous subscription prices.
The app that started the hunt, which seems to have been discovered by Edoardo vacchi, is called my metronome. It locks up and wo n’t let you quit using keyboard shortcuts or the menu bar until you agree to a $ 9.9999-a-month subscription.
I did n’t think this was possible: this app store app immediately asks you for money and then *disables.
Apple did n’t respond to the verge’s request for comment on whether it was the one to take the app down, or how it passed app review in the first place. Trying to open the link pops up with a message saying that it’s no longer available in my region.
The company that made the metronome app, music paradise, LLC, has a connection to another app store developer. The privacy policies listed on both developers’ websites say they’re registered at the same address, and both mention the same legal entity.
This developer appears to be the exact same developer as’groove vibes’. Both apps lock up your Mac and ca n’t be quit.
Music paradise’s other app, music paradise player, had an immediate pop-up asking for money in the form of a recurring subscription. All of the apps worked appropriately – you could quit them with the menu bar or by pressing command+q.
I spammed command+q, command+q, command+w, and the escape button. Keyboard shortcuts stayed open even while I spammed the standard red close button.
Music paradise player has an’X’ button on its offer screen. Once you press it the subscription screen goes away and you can quit the app normally.
App review should’ve tried them out and rejected them for violating Apple’s guidelines. In theory, the apps should’ve been tried out for violating the rules.
Eleftheriou previously discovered an iPhone app that wo n’t work unless you give it a good review. The company has updated its policies in an attempt to make building scammy apps less appealing.
Apple continues to argue that iPhone owners should only be able to install apps from its store. The company vehemently opposes legislation that would force it to allow sideloading, or installing apps from other sources.
