Ryan Jones Profile picture
Founder CEO @Flighty ( 2023 Design Award,  2023 App of the Year Finalist) • Sold @weatherlineapp • Alum @dukeu @apple • Product, strategy, curiosity.
Sep 10, 2021 14 tweets 4 min read
Holy shit.

Every single app is going to replace IAP with Apple Pay + Stripe.

Holy shit.

Games will have direct CC access for your kids to buy gems with way less confirmation than IAP. Yikes This is EXACTLY what I feared. EXACTLY. 🙈 Damn it Apple.

Still reading, but off the bat, seems like:
- Apple Pay + Stripe ~replaces IAP
- tons of email spam with deals
- difficult to unsubscribe
- fraudulent billing
- impossible refunds
- unlimited sub terms, i.e. $9.99/day
Aug 27, 2021 30 tweets 10 min read
I’m gonna read and summarize Apple’s proposed App Store settlement on a class-action lawsuit (not Epic).

Source docs:
Apple’s Press Release apple.com/newsroom/2021/…

Proposed Settlement to Judge PDF s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2104… 1. Apple’s press release says “clarifies”, not “changes”. 🤔

This part *sounds* like Apps can use non-App-Store purchase options – but no. It just says Apps can email offers to the customers.

Like this example email. That’s literally all this says.
Jun 7, 2021 34 tweets 11 min read
iOS 15: You can mute notifications. Image iOS 15: New location access option. Image
Jun 6, 2021 4 tweets 1 min read
Fight night!

Please lord, let Money win by KO. Image Showtime engineers not having fun. ImageImage
Mar 1, 2021 11 tweets 6 min read
Well… this certainly wasn’t ever the plan or goal, but the stars aligned.

📣 Weather Line is being acquired 📣

✓ All active subs are extended until shutdown for free
✓ No personal data was sold
✓ Service will stay on for 13 months (Apr 1, 2022)

weatherlineapp.com/blog/weather-l… Storytime?

It was 2013, and I left a veeery cushy oil job to create Weather Line 1. My goal was Top 100 in the App Store. I used my wife’s 11” MBA while sitting at the local Whole Foods. Here’s the first drawing.
Feb 7, 2021 5 tweets 3 min read
Wow, new Ad type. That’s a HELL of a placement. ⁦@eric_seufert⁩ ⁦@Thomasbcn New search suggestions in App Store! (iOS 14.5 beta)
Aug 11, 2020 7 tweets 3 min read
WTF

Apple is allowing a subscription to iOS apps which is unlocked with a QR code (bypassing the App Store 30% fee).

I can’t take this anymore. These “rules” are a fucking joke. @gruber @benthompson THIS BREAKS A GAZILLION RULES. We spend weeks making mental pretzels to understand the latest rule bullshit, and the something that breaks multiple explicit rules is allowed. macrumors.com/2020/08/11/set…
Aug 7, 2020 5 tweets 3 min read
@gruber @ditheringfm Honestly, possibly everything.

It reminded me of a gun nut saying AR-15’s are just metal, and metal isn’t illegal, so how can weapons of war be.

It’s like... where does one even start? @gruber @ditheringfm Try this. Let’s say MS is fine with the 30% commission. They just want to make 1 app called Xbox with all their games, for $15/mo. And Apple is saying no - make them all separate.

What say you?
Jul 11, 2019 17 tweets 14 min read
As product, strategy, app maker, and Apple nerd the App Store is critical and interesting to me. As you know I tweet about it a lot, because I think about it a lot, because it affects me and Apple listens. The scammers that are ruining the App Store WILL erode consumer trust, Apple's advantage, viability of good products, and services revenue.

Again, I think and talk about it a lot, because these things change slowly, then all of a sudden.
Jun 27, 2019 8 tweets 2 min read
The Jony narrative is so obvious.

Jony loved Apple Watch, it didn't become a jewelry product. Jony loved Apple Campus, it's done.

As some of us have been saying for years: He checked out. LOTS of people should eat crow on that, but clearly won't, easy to weasel out. OH GOD.

Apple: "Williams has led the development of Apple Watch since its inception and will spend more of his time working with the design team in their studio."
Oct 29, 2018 19 tweets 4 min read
Apple pulled Apollo from the App Store for charging for Push Notifications saying: provides

"your IAP subscription product provides access to built-in Push Notification capabilities, which is not appropriate for the App Store” 2/ Warning, I’m pissed.

This is f’ing bullshit trash. The IAP is for server-side push, but *even if it wasn’t this is trash*.

Apple is policing guys like us for this ticky tap crap when everyone making sustainable money is using scam IAP's.
Jul 31, 2018 5 tweets 3 min read
Remember this when making apps: Dark Sky is #2 paid app in the entire App Store. A weather app.

Notice what they prioritize:
1. Differentiated function
2. Visual candy
3. Fun

They don’t have:
1. Modern flat design
2. Freemium
3. Good UX Let me elaborate:

1. Function. Function. Function. What does your app **do** that other’s cannot?

9. Looking visually cool is more important than “good" UI/UX
10. People want to have fun