# An argument about Apple's relationship with iOS developers

DevFeed: [An argument about Apple's relationship with iOS developers](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/developer-relations-38589.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://marco.org/2021/06/03/developer-relations>)

Author: Marco Arment

Published: 2021-06-03T18:14:59Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Marco.org](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/marco-org.md>)

Topics: [developer-relations](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/developer-relations.md>), [iOS](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ios.md>), [iphone](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/iphone.md>), [Mobile](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mobile.md>)

Tags: [app-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/app-development.md>), [app-store](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/app-store.md>), [apple](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/apple.md>), [developer-relations](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developer-relations.md>), [developers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/developers.md>), [fees](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/fees.md>), [ios](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ios.md>), [iphone](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/iphone.md>)

## AI overview

The article argues that Apple undervalues the contributions of iOS developers and incorrectly treats the App Store as the primary source of customer relationships. It contends that Apple's hardware profits already support the App Store and related developer resources, while commissions and fees impose additional costs.

## Source excerpt

Apple's leaders continue to deny developers of two obvious truths: That our apps provide substantial value to iOS beyond the purchase commissions collected by Apple. That any portion of our customers came to our apps from our own marketing or reputation, rather than the App Store. For Apple to continue to deny these is dishonest, factually wrong, and extremely insulting -- not only to our efforts, but to the intelligence of all Apple developers and customers. This isn't about the 30%, or the 15%, or the prohibition of other payment systems, or the rules against telling our customers about our websites, or Apple's many other restrictions. (Not today, at least.) It's about what Apple's leadership thinks of us and our work. * * * It isn't the App Store's responsibility to the rest of Apple to "pay its way" by leveraging hefty fees on certain types of transactions. Modern society has come to rely so heavily on mobile apps that any phone manufacturer must ensure that such a healthy ecosystem exists as table stakes for anyone to buy their phones. Without our apps, the iPhone has little value to most of its customers today. If Apple wishes to continue advancing bizarre corporate-accounting arguments, the massive profits from the hardware business are what therefore truly "pay the way" of the App Store, public APIs, developer tools, and other app-development resources, just as the hardware profits must fund the development of Apple's own hardware, software, and services that make the iPhone appeal to customers. The forced App Store commissions, annual developer fees, and App Store Search Ads income are all just gravy. The "way" is already paid by the hardware -- but Apple uses their position of power to double-dip. And that's just business. Apple's a lot of things, and "generous" isn't one. But to bully and gaslight developers into thinking that we need to be kissing Apple's feet for permitting us to add billions of dollars of value to their platform is not only greedy, sting