App Store guideline 3.1.2: Subscriptions

What it means

• (a) Permissible uses: an auto-renewing subscription has to deliver continuing value, run for no less than seven days and work on every device the user has. Appropriate examples: new game levels, episodic content, multiplayer support, apps with steady substantive updates, access to big or constantly refreshed media libraries, software as a service and cloud support.
• A subscription can sit next to one-off offerings, such as a film library subscription alongside buying or renting a single movie.
• Games in a streaming game service subscription may use one subscription valid across third-party apps and services, provided each game is downloaded straight from the App Store, the design avoids double payment and customers who do not subscribe are not put at a disadvantage.
• People should receive what they paid for without doing extra chores, for example posting on social media, uploading contacts or opening the app a set number of times.
• A subscription may bundle consumable credits, gems or in-game currency, and may give access to discounted consumable goods.
• When an existing app moves to a subscription model, the main functionality that existing users already paid for is not to be taken away. For example, customers who bought a full game unlock keep the full game.
• Auto-renewable subscription apps can offer a free trial by entering the relevant details in App Store Connect.
• Cellular carrier apps may bundle auto-renewing music and video subscriptions with new mobile data plans, with Apple's prior approval. Other auto-renewing subscriptions may also be bundled with new data plans, with prior approval, if the carrier app supports in-app purchase. Such subscriptions cannot cover consumable items or discounts on them, and must end when the data plan ends.
• (b) Upgrades and Downgrades: users are to have a seamless upgrade and downgrade experience and should not be able to subscribe by accident to several variations of the same thing.
• (c) Subscription Information: before a person is asked to subscribe, the app is to spell out what they get for the price, for example the number of issues per month, the amount of cloud storage or the type of access. It is also to communicate the requirements set out in the second schedule of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement.

What reviewers look at

The guideline says apps that scam users, including by luring them into a subscription on false pretenses or through bait-and-switch practices, will be removed from the App Store and the developer may be removed from the Apple Developer Program.

Apple's text

This page is an unofficial explanation in our own words. Unofficial explanation, not affiliated with Apple. Apple's text prevails. Apple's wording is on its page, linked below.

• Apple's App Review Guidelines, guideline 3.1.2

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