Apple has turned down the submission from UTM developers, an emulator for iPhone and iPad, accusing it of contravening its Notarization Review Guidelines. According to Apple, UTM infringes upon rule 4.7, which pertains to mini apps, mini-games, streaming services, chatbots, plug-ins, and emulation software.
Shifting Emulator Policies
Neowin reports that Apple's stance on emulation software in the App Store has fluctuated. Initially welcoming third-party emulators such as the iGBA Game Boy Emulator, Apple subsequently removed them for rule violations. After iGBA's removal, the Provenance emulator allowed gameplay from multiple consoles like NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Atari, Sega, and PlayStation.
Later, emulators like Delta, Gamma, and RetroArch broadened support for various games on iOS, with RetroArch backing over 50 consoles. Additionally, the PlayStation Portable emulator PPSSPP appeared on iOS, and the Folium emulator made it possible to play Nintendo 3DS games on Apple devices more recently.
— UTM (@UTMapp) June 9, 2024
Response from UTM Developers
UTM developers argue that Apple's rejection centers on the assertion that “PC isn't a console,” and claim that this decision blocks their app from third-party App Stores in the EU. In a bid to comply, UTM SE was submitted without the Just In Time (JIT) compilation feature, yet it still violated rule 4.7 according to Apple.
The specific reasons behind Apple's disapproval remain ambiguous. UTM's team suggests Apple reviewers might have misunderstood the app. On social media platform X, the developers announced they would not challenge Apple's decision further, deeming it not worth the effort. They also pointed out that rule 4.7 isn't clearly outlined in the Notarization Review Guidelines, adding to their confusion regarding the rejection.
Apple's rejection of UTM SE exemplifies the difficulties developers encounter when trying to align with App Store regulations, particularly with apps that provide emulation services for non-console platforms.
