William Gallagher
Users in Australia are complaining that the App Store is featuring "slime relaxation" apps that may not do anything, except charge steep subscriptions.
Scam apps have made their way onto both Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store before, with some making millions of dollars. Now, however, Apple is being accused of actively promoting apps that reportedly do little or nothing, and yet can charge users up to $500 (AU$676) per year.
This is infuriating. How is Apple *featuring* these scams?
— Simeon (@twolivesleft) August 5, 2021
Let's take a look at one of these apps!
"Jelly: Slime simulator, ASMR"
1/https://t.co/lDTn8eEVfz pic.twitter.com/VyYKUSLdJE
In a Twitter thread started by developer Simeon, Apple is shown to be promoting an app called Jelly: Slime simulation ASMR in its list of "featured" apps.
This app has a free three-day trial, then charges $9.64 (AU$13) per week.
"[As] as a developer who is not looking to scam people (I don't want your money accidentally! Nor do I want to charge obscene amounts for trivial things)," continues Simeon, "this makes it hard for anyone to trust us & the App Store."
Another Twitter user by the name Beau Nouvelle, claims that Apple has promoted these apps before. "One of them doesn't even do anything," he says.
Apple has not commented. However, it has previously and consistently maintained that it curates the App Store to protect users.
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8 Comments
A failure so huge it can be seen from space.
I don't get it. Every app I've ever used that had a free trial needed me to confirm and authenticate the subscription renewal, and made clear clear how much I was being charged. Is that not the case for these apps?
This is likely the result of one of two things:
1) an algorithm running promotions
or… more likely…
2) an overworked (or possibly lazy but I doubt it) App Store marketer who simply saw some hot keywords and thought it looked cool snd had some medicinal value. Sounds like a win, right? Perhaps this person put too much trust in those vetting apps.
Slime relaxation?
weekly subscription? Slimy apps.