Introduction Of Apple
Apple has revised its App Store policies in the United States, now allowing app developers to include links that direct users to their own websites for purchases such as subscriptions and digital goods. This significant policy shift comes as a result of a court ruling in the long-running legal battle between it’s and Epic Games.
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In a recent update to its App Review Guidelines, acknowledged the change, stating it is “in compliance with a United States court decision regarding buttons, external links, and other calls to action in apps.”
The change stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Epic Games, which challenged it’s tight control over in-app purchases and the 30% commission it charges on transactions within the App Store. In 2021, a judge issued an injunction requiring Apple to give developers the option to redirect users to external sites for payments—potentially avoiding Apple’s commission altogether.
Although it’s began allowing some external links in 2023, it continued to impose a 27% commission on those transactions and introduced warning messages—dubbed “scare screens” by critics—that discouraged users from leaving the App Store ecosystem.
This week’s development marks a further rollback of those measures. It’s has now removed the requirement for developers to include those warning screens, and the language developers must use when linking to external sites has been relaxed.
We’ve reached out to Apple for clarification on whether it will continue to take a commission on purchases made outside the App Store, and will update with any new information.
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