Apple is keen on developers adopting the subscription model and it’s not hard to see why. It creates a constant stream of revenue as long as users are subscribed. However it seems that some developers have taken advantage of the subscription model by tricking users into signing up for subscriptions without their knowledge, and this has created some problems.
However the good news is that Apple is aware of this and has recently updated its developer guidelines (via 9to5Mac) where they state that apps that offer monthly subscriptions need to make it clear and obvious to users. The apps will also need to fully describe the terms of a purchase, and show how users can manage or cancel their subscriptions.
This means that developers can no longer trick users into signing up for a subscription by hiding these terms behind a button or requires users to scroll down further for that added information. This is good news for users who might have found themselves tricked into paying for subscriptions in the past that they did not want to.
However whether or not these rules will be strictly enforced remains to be seen. Like we said, subscriptions represent a more consistent stream of revenue which will help bolster Apple’s services division, but hopefully it won’t come at the cost of users.