Setup Trial Period then ask user to buy/pay to continue using App

Solar2D Monetization (in-app purchases, ads, etc.)
#1

Hello

I thought it would be relatively simple to setup a 4 week trial period (the user downloads installs app for Free), then after 4 weeks, the App will block the menus (controlled inside the App, by simple logic – if license exists then allow user to continue…) until the user purchases using IAP the App.

I have seen various IAP codes but surely this idea of a simple free trial period followed by asking user to purchase the App to continue using it, is what a lot of people want and must be doing.

Maybe I am missing something here, I have my app almost built apart form the IAP code, I have it set up in iOS for now, along with Additional features, which is the purchase of the App to unblock it but I am missing the simple code to handle the 4 week free period followed by blocking until the user buys.

It should be something like, 

  1. Record install date on the device as a file (ok people can uninstall, reinstall so have to control this, any better ideas are welcome)

  2. Once 4 weeks pass the App on start up will know this and block user menu touches until the user clicks the Buy button and successfully purchases the App at full price, then the App remains unblocked forever.

regards

Bruce

#2

The last time I read the iOS App guidelines I got the distinct impression trialware was NOT OK.

As I read Business: ‘3.2.1 --> iii’: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#acceptable

It seems to indicate the only thing you can disable after a period of time is ‘rental content’.  App features, et al may NOT be disabled.

Guide Lines Doc: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines

#3

IMHO, you would be better going down the tried and tested path of having your app completely free and charge a one time IAP to unlock premium content.

For example, if you had an email app you could throttle the amount of emails that could be sent or the length of the content.  If you had a game you could limit available levels or lock out the best weapons, etc.

If you have a business app and it is useful enough then a subscriptions may work but your app would need to be like netflix really.

#4

Hello Sphere Game…

is there a big difference between blocking a few menus under the premium method as you suggest and blocking all menus after a set period?  To me both are about the same, yes the time method means some control over when the App was installed and the current time to see if it exceeds the “free period”.

my app has 5 menu items which lead to 5 engineering calculations so blocking some of them leaves me with not much for the user to look at, and I would like the user to have a look at all features before buying, hence my idea about 4 weeks of free use, then pay to continue.

I am open to finding out the best solution to want seems a fairly basic Monetisation question.  I would ahem though a lot of people must be doing this type of thing.

regards

bruce

#5

Unfortunately the mindset is “for free”.  How about combining?

User installs and functions A,B,C,D,E are available.  After a few weeks / set amount of opens (make this long enough to be meaningful in the context of use) and then keep A,B,C free and an IAP to unlock D,E.  Assuming D and E are premium functions.  Alert user via a count down so it is not a shock.

Without knowing what your app does, the viable market size, average daily uses or length of use anymore advice is purely conceptual.

#6

hello Sphere Game

yes this idea is what I want, does any one have some simple code examples of how to achieve this “free period” tracking that makes it hard for people to circumvent?  I can see how to use a simple file that stores the first use date then recalls the file each time the user opens the app and checks the first use date against the NowTime().  But how to protect against the user uninstalling and reinstalling to get more “free time”

regards

bruce

#7

You can’t track locally, you will need a external log for this.  If you know simple PHP/MySQL then any free host will work just fine.

I would probably track opens rather than dates as users can (and do) change datetime on device.

#8

just as an update to this idea about a “free” period.  My App has 5 menu items that lead the user into various submenus.  My first idea was to block all 5 menus after the “free” period. So the user would have to buy my App to continue.

However Apple rejected this (as indicated above).  But they allowed me to block 4 menus and leave 1 open.  So my app is now in the App store with a “free” period of 28 days. 

Thanks for the inputs guys.

#9

The last time I read the iOS App guidelines I got the distinct impression trialware was NOT OK.

As I read Business: ‘3.2.1 --> iii’: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#acceptable

It seems to indicate the only thing you can disable after a period of time is ‘rental content’.  App features, et al may NOT be disabled.

Guide Lines Doc: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines

#10

IMHO, you would be better going down the tried and tested path of having your app completely free and charge a one time IAP to unlock premium content.

For example, if you had an email app you could throttle the amount of emails that could be sent or the length of the content.  If you had a game you could limit available levels or lock out the best weapons, etc.

If you have a business app and it is useful enough then a subscriptions may work but your app would need to be like netflix really.

#11

Hello Sphere Game…

is there a big difference between blocking a few menus under the premium method as you suggest and blocking all menus after a set period?  To me both are about the same, yes the time method means some control over when the App was installed and the current time to see if it exceeds the “free period”.

my app has 5 menu items which lead to 5 engineering calculations so blocking some of them leaves me with not much for the user to look at, and I would like the user to have a look at all features before buying, hence my idea about 4 weeks of free use, then pay to continue.

I am open to finding out the best solution to want seems a fairly basic Monetisation question.  I would ahem though a lot of people must be doing this type of thing.

regards

bruce

#12

Unfortunately the mindset is “for free”.  How about combining?

User installs and functions A,B,C,D,E are available.  After a few weeks / set amount of opens (make this long enough to be meaningful in the context of use) and then keep A,B,C free and an IAP to unlock D,E.  Assuming D and E are premium functions.  Alert user via a count down so it is not a shock.

Without knowing what your app does, the viable market size, average daily uses or length of use anymore advice is purely conceptual.

#13

hello Sphere Game

yes this idea is what I want, does any one have some simple code examples of how to achieve this “free period” tracking that makes it hard for people to circumvent?  I can see how to use a simple file that stores the first use date then recalls the file each time the user opens the app and checks the first use date against the NowTime().  But how to protect against the user uninstalling and reinstalling to get more “free time”

regards

bruce

#14

You can’t track locally, you will need a external log for this.  If you know simple PHP/MySQL then any free host will work just fine.

I would probably track opens rather than dates as users can (and do) change datetime on device.

#15

just as an update to this idea about a “free” period.  My App has 5 menu items that lead the user into various submenus.  My first idea was to block all 5 menus after the “free” period. So the user would have to buy my App to continue.

However Apple rejected this (as indicated above).  But they allowed me to block 4 menus and leave 1 open.  So my app is now in the App store with a “free” period of 28 days. 

Thanks for the inputs guys.