Apple Breaks Own Rules for Spotify but Not WeChat

If you’re going to set a hard rule, you have to follow that for everyone and can’t pick and choose who should follow it and who shouldn’t. Apple set the rule that users of third-party apps have to go through the App Store for any in-app purchases, but now they’re allowing Spotify to break the rule, while blocking loopholes that allow WeChat to bypass the rule.

Apple Stops Fighting Spotify

Apple and Spotify have been fighting for some time over the rules of the App Store. Apple didn’t want to allow the music streaming app to charge iPhone users for in-app purchases without getting its cut. But now, it has decided to allow Spotify to show pricing and send users to the streaming app’s website to pay for a premium plan.

Apple initially rejected an update for the Spotify app that showed pricing and sent users to the website to sign up for the plan. However, the EU fined Apple $2 billion, claiming anticompetitive practices because of its decisions with Spotify.

But Spotify specified in a blog post that Apple had a change of heart. Yet, the post also said that the European Commission didn’t leave Apple much choice. Spotify will now show pricing information in the app and will allow users to complete in-app purchases directly on its website.

iPhone users in the EU will see promotional pricing in the App Store. However, Spotify mentioned in the blog post that “it’s only a small step in the long march towards giving iPhone consumers basic product experiences they expect and deserve in their apps.” This is because the streaming service still can’t include a link to purchase any of its extras in the iOS app.

FYI: would you rather not step into this fight and avoid the streaming app altogether? Learn how to delete your Spotify account, then check out these Spotify alternatives.

Apple Puts the Heat on WeChat

While Apple finally acquiesced to Spotify, it’s not wiling to do the same for WeChat – at least, not yet. However, discussions are ongoing between Apple and Tencent Holdings Ltd., the parent company of WeChat.

Tencent is working on a way to offer in-app purchases, while still wading through Apple’s ecosystem. The way the system stands now, Apple would take a cut of every in-app purchase, which, assumably, is by design.

Apple is applying more pressure to get the Chinese firms, Tencent and ByteDance (parent company of TikTok), to make changes to the popular apps. They’d like to see loopholes closed that allow app creators for Tencent and ByteDance to accept external payments. Apple wants their 30% cut.

While Tencent doesn’t currently monetize the mini games in the iOS app, there is talk of a way to do that to the benefit of Apple, Tencent, and developers.

The question remains as to whether Apple will eventually back down with Tencent and ByteDance the same way they did with Spotify, or whether they will force the issue to ensure they get their cut. Of course, ByteDance has other troubles as well, with U.S. courts looking to step in to their business model.

All images and screnshots by Laura Tucker.

Laura Tucker - Contributor

Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site's sponsored review program.