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Meh. The problem is FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network acce

Meh. The problem is FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access. This, Apple perceives as a major privacy issue-- one for the possibility of keylogging, but also for the broader possibility of the always-on logging that the weather apps are infamous for. edit: Sorry, I didn't include the source, the Developer License Agreement. Here's a link (relevant section on page 23) -- https://developer.apple.com/support/downloads/terms/apple-developer-program/Apple-Developer-Program-License-Agreement-20210607-English.pdf https://developer.apple.com/support/downloads/terms/apple-de...

regnerba 5y ago
According to this tweet from the author, that isn't the reason Apple gave for removing it: https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321 https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321 They simply said keyboards on the watch are not allowed.
alisonkisk 5y ago
Why does Apple enable a feature that no one is allowed to use? assert !(KEYBOARD_ACCESS && NETWORK_ACCCESS) is much cheaper than manually checking every app.
danachow 5y ago
You’re kidding right? There is no such restriction on keyboards. How do you think the Bitmoji keyboard works?
Someone 5y ago
The weird thing is: it only required network access if you used it while VoiceOver is off (https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22627515/flicktype-ios-keyboard-discontinued-blind-visually-impaired https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22627515/flicktype-ios-ke...) I can’t think of a technical reason for that.
- amiantos 5y ago
  As with all things on the internet, and especially people complaining loudly about something, there's obviously more to the story. The guy complaining isn't going to tell us the entire unfettered truth and explain why his app needs this network access, and Apple isn't going to say anything because they literally do not care what a bunch of techie people think. The whole story stank of BS from the beginning, but people online love supporting the person who portrays themselves as an underdog battling the big evil company, so they set their critical thinking skills aside and jump on the bandwagon.
jclardy 5y ago
You’ll be surprised to know that Apple is quite fine with keyboards using network access. That is literally why the “Full Access” switch exists. Without it, the keyboard is fully sandboxed. It can receive input from the container app, but nothing can get out. It is surprisingly a user choice, something Apple will rarely give up on iOS. The rejection was only because the app existed on the Apple Watch, and it was only rejected after the reviewer knew the new Apple watch would include the same feature (Note, you can’t use this feature on < 2021 apple watches, you have to pay to play.)
- marcellus23 5y ago
  The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. The idea of bringing a full keyboard to the watch isn't exactly the groundbreaking innovation many people here are acting like it is. Do people really think Apple stole the idea from this guy?
  - emadabdulrahim 5y ago
    You're missing the point. They rejected his app while going ahead and releasing a clone. Why?
    - lostmsu 5y ago
      No, these two events were separated by more than a year. The rejection was appealed in 2 months.
  - modo_mario 5y ago
    >The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. Weird because it did. -offer to buy the keyboard. -don't come to agreement. -refuse to remove scam copycats. -ban keyboard. -release own keyboard.
  - st3fan 5y ago
    There is no list of types of applications that are allowed or not allowed.
jjcon 5y ago
>FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access This is 100% false. Apples own keyboard as well as gboard from google both require network access to facilitate gif, search support etc
danachow 5y ago
Go read your link carefully. Page 23 not only does not disallow network access, it specifically allows logging it and stipulates what can be done with that data. “ keystroke logging done by any such extension must be clearly disclosed to the end-user prior to any such data being sent from an iOS Product, and notwithstanding anything else in Section 3.3.9, such data may be used only for purposes of providing or improving the keyboard functionality of Your Application (e.g., not for serving advertising);”

regnerba 5y ago

According to this tweet from the author, that isn't the reason Apple gave for removing it: https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321 https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321 They simply said keyboards on the watch are not allowed.

alisonkisk 5y ago

Why does Apple enable a feature that no one is allowed to use? assert !(KEYBOARD_ACCESS && NETWORK_ACCCESS) is much cheaper than manually checking every app.

danachow 5y ago

You’re kidding right? There is no such restriction on keyboards. How do you think the Bitmoji keyboard works?

Someone 5y ago

The weird thing is: it only required network access if you used it while VoiceOver is off (https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22627515/flicktype-ios-keyboard-discontinued-blind-visually-impaired https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22627515/flicktype-ios-ke...) I can’t think of a technical reason for that.

amiantos 5y ago
As with all things on the internet, and especially people complaining loudly about something, there's obviously more to the story. The guy complaining isn't going to tell us the entire unfettered truth and explain why his app needs this network access, and Apple isn't going to say anything because they literally do not care what a bunch of techie people think. The whole story stank of BS from the beginning, but people online love supporting the person who portrays themselves as an underdog battling the big evil company, so they set their critical thinking skills aside and jump on the bandwagon.

jclardy 5y ago

You’ll be surprised to know that Apple is quite fine with keyboards using network access. That is literally why the “Full Access” switch exists. Without it, the keyboard is fully sandboxed. It can receive input from the container app, but nothing can get out. It is surprisingly a user choice, something Apple will rarely give up on iOS. The rejection was only because the app existed on the Apple Watch, and it was only rejected after the reviewer knew the new Apple watch would include the same feature (Note, you can’t use this feature on < 2021 apple watches, you have to pay to play.)

marcellus23 5y ago
The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. The idea of bringing a full keyboard to the watch isn't exactly the groundbreaking innovation many people here are acting like it is. Do people really think Apple stole the idea from this guy?
- emadabdulrahim 5y ago
  You're missing the point. They rejected his app while going ahead and releasing a clone. Why?
  - lostmsu 5y ago
    No, these two events were separated by more than a year. The rejection was appealed in 2 months.
- modo_mario 5y ago
  >The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. Weird because it did. -offer to buy the keyboard. -don't come to agreement. -refuse to remove scam copycats. -ban keyboard. -release own keyboard.
- st3fan 5y ago
  There is no list of types of applications that are allowed or not allowed.

jjcon 5y ago

>FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access This is 100% false. Apples own keyboard as well as gboard from google both require network access to facilitate gif, search support etc

danachow 5y ago

Go read your link carefully. Page 23 not only does not disallow network access, it specifically allows logging it and stipulates what can be done with that data. “ keystroke logging done by any such extension must be clearly disclosed to the end-user prior to any such data being sent from an iOS Product, and notwithstanding anything else in Section 3.3.9, such data may be used only for purposes of providing or improving the keyboard functionality of Your Application (e.g., not for serving advertising);”