Apps rejected because of no parental gate

Solar2D iOS
#1

We have just been through the process of rebuilding my apps for iOS 7 compatability and took the opportunity to add to the new ‘kids’ section.

In this process we removed LaunchPad and created a privacy policy etc.

However, the apps have just been rejected because they contain external links or links to commerce. In most cases this is because I ‘forgot’ to remove the link to our website from the about page… 

I guess I can understand this, but what a PITA.

So, do I just remove the links, or implement my own parental gate? One of our free apps contains adverts for our other kids apps so we will have to implement something there… What have you been doing for this?

Update: I have been looking through: http://blog.momswithapps.com/2013/08/20/how-are-kids-app-developers-communicating-to-parents/

This gives some good ideas, looks like just a little more work to do :slight_smile:

Thanks,

James

#2

Hi James,

I read the same article and was thinking of implementing the press and hold idea. My link would have a note under it that says something like “Requires parental permission (press and hold for 4 seconds)”. That would activate the link, perhaps as a popup button. Is this something you would consider or are you going for another approach? It’s maddening that there is so little guidance on this!

Cheers,

Jeff

We have just been through the process of rebuilding my apps for iOS 7 compatability and took the opportunity to add to the new ‘kids’ section.

In this process we removed LaunchPad and created a privacy policy etc.

However, the apps have just been rejected because they contain external links or links to commerce. In most cases this is because I ‘forgot’ to remove the link to our website from the about page… 

I guess I can understand this, but what a PITA.

So, do I just remove the links, or implement my own parental gate? One of our free apps contains adverts for our other kids apps so we will have to implement something there… What have you been doing for this?

Update: I have been looking through: http://blog.momswithapps.com/2013/08/20/how-are-kids-app-developers-communicating-to-parents/

This gives some good ideas, looks like just a little more work to do :slight_smile:

Thanks,

James

#3

I have just submitted an app with a parental gate - tap and hold for 3 second on the buttons with external links (one to the app store and one to a website) and it then asks a simple arithmetic question that has to be answered as a word e.g. four + six (= ten). Should defeat most kids in the desired age range (and maybe some grown-ups too!).

I’ll let you know if Apple approve this!

Stefan

#4

We ended up implementing a maths based question (multiplication) with a message saying an adult was required. Have had our seven kids apps accepted by Apple now thank goodness.

#5

Thanks for your replies guys. Sounds like from jcborden’s answer that your’s will work as well Stefan. Please do report back so we hear how it went!

I wonder if the math part is required along with the press and hold. Anyone else tried just the delayed button press successfully?

Cheers,

Jeff

#6

Just had my app approved by Apple! Look out for Snow Globe: A Christmas Treat, free on iTunes and Google Play later in November to promote the relaunch of Angel’s Great Escape: A Christmas Story which I did last year. This will also now have the parental gate added to restrict access to the online links.

Stefan

#7

Great news Stefan, congrats!

I’m still wondering if the extra step of having a math problem is necessary. I haven’t heard directly from anyone who has submitted an app with just the “press and hold x seconds” technique, but I’m pretty sure there are some apps in the store that work like that.

Cheers,

Jeff

#8

I suspect that it is not at all necessary and that just asking a question like “Are you over 13 years old?” is probably sufficient! It depends on whether you just want to satisfy Apple’s lawyers (i.e. cover their backside, and yours, if someone complains!) or actually do something meaningful to your intended audience (i.e. really attempt to restrict access). My inclination is not to be cynical about it but do something specific and useful - but then I’m not a lawyer …

#9

Makes perfect sense, although most 8-12 year old kids can solve those math problems pretty easily.

#10

Well I had TWO math questions and my app was rejected.

They asked “How can user locate the parental gate within the app?” which I told them that the math questions before opening the IAP store was the parental gate.

I then got the same question again (or was it the old one…) with status “Metadata rejected” (whatever that means).

So I am stuck and dont really know what their problem is. The same app was accepted without the “Kids” category.

Any suggestions?

#11

@jeff15 My app was for under fives, so the math question should defeat most of them!

@renato.bugge What does the user have to do to trigger the IAP? Whatever is tapped then should trigger the parental gate so maybe that wasn’t clear enough? Sounds like the metadata rejected message is referring to specifying the kids category.

#12

By the way if you want to check out the parental gateway, the app (Snow Globe: A Christmas Treat) was released today …

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/snow-globe-a-christmas-treat/id730961958?mt=8

… also on Google Play and Amazon.

#13

How do you specify kids kategory in the metadata?

#14

@renato.bugge: I expect your metadata issue stems from the following note in Apple’s docs. There’s a place to provide that online, where you specify metadata for your apps (under Manage Your Apps/View Details).

When you identify your app as Made for Kids, you must provide a Privacy Policy URL in the Metadata section.

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnect_Guide/8_AddingNewApps/AddingNewApps.html

#15

Well, my app has a privacy url so I doubt that. The free version is also in the app store (but not marked as “for kids”).

#16

Our kids apps (Leo Spanish and Leo English Spelling) were just approved by Apple using a fairly simple parental gate. Our external links to our website and to other apps in the store are on an information page within our app. To access this page, I put a two second “press and hold” delay on the button which then has a slide out “open” secondary button which must be pressed to actually open the page. It’s similar to Netflix’s exit button when you try to exit their Kids section. On our information page, I also added the “press and hold” requirement. Here’s our Spanish version (there’s a link to the free version on the same page if you want to check it out):

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/leo-spanish/id408559855?mt=8

#17

Hi James,

I read the same article and was thinking of implementing the press and hold idea. My link would have a note under it that says something like “Requires parental permission (press and hold for 4 seconds)”. That would activate the link, perhaps as a popup button. Is this something you would consider or are you going for another approach? It’s maddening that there is so little guidance on this!

Cheers,

Jeff

We have just been through the process of rebuilding my apps for iOS 7 compatability and took the opportunity to add to the new ‘kids’ section.

In this process we removed LaunchPad and created a privacy policy etc.

However, the apps have just been rejected because they contain external links or links to commerce. In most cases this is because I ‘forgot’ to remove the link to our website from the about page… 

I guess I can understand this, but what a PITA.

So, do I just remove the links, or implement my own parental gate? One of our free apps contains adverts for our other kids apps so we will have to implement something there… What have you been doing for this?

Update: I have been looking through: http://blog.momswithapps.com/2013/08/20/how-are-kids-app-developers-communicating-to-parents/

This gives some good ideas, looks like just a little more work to do :slight_smile:

Thanks,

James

#18

I have just submitted an app with a parental gate - tap and hold for 3 second on the buttons with external links (one to the app store and one to a website) and it then asks a simple arithmetic question that has to be answered as a word e.g. four + six (= ten). Should defeat most kids in the desired age range (and maybe some grown-ups too!).

I’ll let you know if Apple approve this!

Stefan

#19

We ended up implementing a maths based question (multiplication) with a message saying an adult was required. Have had our seven kids apps accepted by Apple now thank goodness.

#20

Thanks for your replies guys. Sounds like from jcborden’s answer that your’s will work as well Stefan. Please do report back so we hear how it went!

I wonder if the math part is required along with the press and hold. Anyone else tried just the delayed button press successfully?

Cheers,

Jeff