App was rejected from App Store because of UIWebview

Question

This is the message I got from them:

We found that the experience your app provides is not sufficiently different from a web browsing experience, as it would be by incorporating native iOS functionality.

While your app content may differ from your web site or other existing sites, the experience it provides does not differ significantly from the general experience of using Safari, as required by the App Store Review Guidelines.

You may wish to provide convenient access to a web property for a select or niche group of users - and may enhance that experience with features such as Push Notifications. However, such apps do not include enough native iOS functionality to be appropriate for the App Store. As an alternative, you may wish to provide instructions to your users on how to create a Safari web clip to add to their iOS device Home Screen. Or, if you would like to share the app with a select group of users, we recommend the Ad Hoc distribution method. See the iOS Provisioning Portal for details on Ad Hoc Distribution.

We encourage you to review your app concept and evaluate whether you can incorporate additional features to enhance the user experience.

Has anyone gotten something similar? What types of native iOS functionality would work and how do you implement them? I'm new to the app store so I don't know if just by adding what they say about providing instructions on how users can create safari web clipping will get my app approved. Also, if the instructions can just be written in a pop up message?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Update I see what you guys are saying, let me better describe what I'm doing and maybe that way you can help me.

My app is a radio app where I can listen to my favorite radio station and read the news at the same time with out leaving the app (news from a web view).

Solution 1

From that message (and since you didn't give a description of the app at all), it seems like you just made an app that encapsulated an UIWebView to load an specific page, since you can do that via Safari, they reject apps like that.

You can:

• Make the app fetch the data from the web server, BUT, display it with native controls (with UITableViews, UIButtons, UIImages, etc). This would require quite a bit amount of work.

• Drop the app and tell the users, on your site, that they can add that website as a web clip on their phones.

Solution 2

They're saying that you can't just make a UIWebView that is linked to a website and call it an app. You have to incorporate more features. According to the description, your users can accomplish the same tasks by just going to your website. Are you able to incorporate push notifications, tabs, any features that makes your iOS app unique?

Solution 3

As of 2018 App Store Review Guidelines:

4.2 Minimum Functionality

Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is not particularly useful, unique, or “app-like,” it doesn’t belong on the App Store. If your App doesn't provide some sort of lasting entertainment value, or is just plain creepy, it may not be accepted. Apps that are simply a song or movie should be submitted to the iTunes Store. Apps that are simply a book or game guide should be submitted to the iBooks Store.

Assuming:

Apps that are simply a websites should be submitted to the Safari. ;-)

Solution 4

They want to ensure that all app's include functionality beyond the base components in the SDK that they provide to you. It seems from reading their response that there is a UIWebView in your app, yet there is not really any new functionality provided to the end-user beyond the standard UIWebView.

Would need more details about your app to better understand the circumstance though. Could you expand a little on what it does?

View more solutions

Comments

[zvzej]

my app does more that display the web view thats just a part of it, I just edited my question with a description at the end.

[Jack Humphries]

Well then you should express this to Apple! If it's a radio, that's obviously a lot of functionality besides a UIWebView. Ask questions in the Resolution Center. Appeal your case to the App Review Board.

[zvzej]

Thanks Jack I'm asking questions and explaining my app in the resolution center but haven't got answers so far, I will do review board if that doesn't help.

[Jack Humphries]

Yeah, it takes them some time to respond. They'll get to you though. Good luck!

[The Muffin Man]

So what's the difference if he recreated the app using all iOS controls and it looked exactly like the mobile site in Safari? Are you saying they would accept it? Because if so that's pretty dumb.

[Dharma]

@JackHumphries in my app not only loads webview,but additionally using push notification,location services and also display offline data using native controls.Will Apple accept my application to be in app store?

[Dharma]

@EmilioPelaez in my app when user login after loads fully webview in online(web design created specifically for this app) till user logout in webview,but additionally using some features like push notification ,location services..etc and also fetch data from web server and display it with native controls in offline mode.will apple accept this app in store?

[Jack Humphries]

@aMrAhD_nAleEhS Can't say for sure, but it sounds like you have a good chance.

[yeahdixon]

so funny since websites are becoming more like apps. Its so open to intereptation

[MartianMartian]

can i use webview as main UI portal but also include native features such as audio/video chat? and even other things that solely provided by mobile app, instead of browser? will i get a rejection or will i be fine?

[MartianMartian]

can i use webview as main UI portal but also include native features such as audio/video chat? and even other things that solely provided by mobile app, instead of browser? will i get a rejection or will i be fine?

[MartianMartian]

can i use webview as main UI portal but also include native features such as audio/video chat? and even other things that solely provided by mobile app, instead of browser? will i get a rejection or will i be fine?

[MartianMartian]

can i use webview as main UI portal but also include native features such as audio/video chat? and even other things that solely provided by mobile app, instead of browser? will i get a rejection or will i be fine?