Basecamp's latest calendar app sparks new conflict with Apple App Store

Apple vs Basecamp: In another dispute between Basecamp's email service, Hey, and Apple, the tech conglomerate has declined to host Hey's newly developed calendar application on its App Store. Apple's rationale aligns closely with its previous objections from four years ago, specifically concerning the application's limitation on post-download accessibility for non-paying users and the inability of new users to enrol directly through Hey's calendar app.

Basecamp recently launched an integrated calendaring feature within the Hey platform, along with the introduction of a standalone calendar application. David Heinemeier Hansson, Co-founder of Hey, communicated Apple's rejection via the social media platform X.

Apple's App Store guidelines necessitate that applications permit user registration and potential subscription transactions via in-app mechanisms, thereby subjecting such transactions to a 30 per cent commission fee. However, certain exemptions are granted to established entities such as Netflix, Kindle, and Spotify, which facilitate external subscription models.

Not-so-good relations

This marks a recurrence of the contentious relationship between Hey and Apple. In 2020, Apple initially declined to host Hey's email service due to analogous user sign-up constraints. A subsequent resolution allowed users to initiate the service through a randomly generated email ID, with subscription upgrades necessitating browser-based transactions.

Hansson contends that Apple's selective enforcement is evident when considering other platforms such as Google Calendar and Netflix, which operate on similar principles of external subscription management. 

He further underscores Apple's use of a unified iCloud ID for multi-app subscriptions, advocating for equitable treatment of Hey's calendar application within the App Store ecosystem.