What you need to know
- Rewound has been pulled from the App Store.
- The app allowed users to turn their iPhone into an iPod Classic.
- Apple says the app infringes on the company's design.
Rewound, the viral app that lets you turn your iPhone into an iPod Classic when listening to Apple Music has been pulled from the App Store. Reported by MacRumors, the app developer published an article on Medium announcing the action taken on the app as well as what the future of Rewound might be.
Rewound was initially launched on the App Store last week and had already hit 170,000 downloads before it was pulled. The idea behind the app was simple: it allowed users to turn their iPhone into a 2000s era iPod, click wheel and all, and enjoy some nostalgia while listening to their Apple Music library. It quickly garnered a fan base from anyone who had used an iPod before the advent of the iPhone.
The app's developer took to Medium to explain that the app was killed off by Apple because it infringed on Apple's design and that the app could be mistaken for an Apple-designed app. The developer disputes these accusations.
"Rewound was specifically designed not to infringe on Apple's trademarks and we didn't. Rewound could look many ways. Not until users started sharing/using click wheel skins did they ban the app."
Another reason for the ban was the developer's decision to charge a fee to access Apple Music features. They also dispute the validity of this as well, saying that the app was approved with this fee already in place.
"This is less unreasonable BUT they already approved the in-app purchase before Clickwheel skins started proliferating… then they decided it was not ok. Double standard?""We can't update the app to get it re-approved without breaking the app for all 170,000+ users. So we're going to have to upload a separate version but feel it is barely worth the time or effort to even try and humor them, they're just going to keep saying no until users can't possibly make it like their favorite music player."
The developer says that "we can't update the app to get it re-approved without breaking the app for all 170,000+ users". Instead of fighting with Apple to try to get it approved, they are hoping to fund an effort to continue the Rewound app as a web app or Android app through GoFundMe.
