Email service for Basecamp founders Hey Apple is fighting again — this time over the rejection of its new Calendar app from the App Store. Apple’s reasoning is similar to what happened when the Cupertino-based tech giant rejected Hey’s email app four years ago — non-paying users couldn’t use the app after downloading it. Additionally, new users cannot register through the Hey Calendar app.
Last week, Basecamp was launched Integrated calendar service with Hey, in addition to a new standalone application for that. On Saturday, Hey co-founder David Heinemeier Hansson posted on X that Apple had rejected Hey’s standalone calendar app.
Apple requires apps to allow users to sign up for the service and possibly pay for a subscription if necessary. If users pay through in-app purchases, Apple gets a 30% discount (or less in some cases). These rules allow some apps like Netflix, Kindle, and Spotify to allow users to create accounts outside the app.
In 2020, Apple first rejected Hey’s email app because users couldn’t sign up for the service on the app. So the two companies came up with a compromise where users can download Hey and start using it using a random email ID. To upgrade, they had to pay for the service through the browser.
in Blog postMany apps like Google Calendar and Netflix are signed in by people who pay for the service outside of Apple’s ecosystem, Hanson says. Additionally, he says, Apple uses a single iCloud ID to provide a subscription to a range of apps. So the Hey Calendar app must be allowed in the App Store.
“So what’s going to happen? I don’t know, but I know we’re going to keep fighting. We’re never going to back down and pay Apple 30% security money to leave them alone. Last time we found a way, and we’ll do it again.”
Apple did not immediately comment on the story.