iOS 11: Apple To Reject ‘Antivirus’ Software From The App Store

Ahead of the launch of iOS 11, Apple has updated its App Review Guidelines to improve the quality and security of applications submitted to the marketplace following the launch of Face ID and ARKit with the iPhone X.

Apple can ban any application it wants from the App Store but even still, a number of misleading and poor quality apps have made it through.

This includes ‘antivirus’ software which promises to rid your ‘infected’ device of malware. However, there is no technical way for this to be achieved as iOS is a walled garden.

IOS antivirus

Under the new guidelines, developers must offer an alternative method for children under 13 to authenticate their identity instead of Face ID, while apps are also forbidden from attempting to identify people or their profiles using ARKit’s facial mapping tools. Both measures aim to safeguard user privacy.

Developers will also be required to deliver “rich and integrated” augmented reality (AR) experiences to be accepted into the store, indicating demos and poor apps will be rejected from the store.

Finally, Apple will no longer take a 30 percent cuts of in-app gifts, with the entirety of donations reaching the recipient.

IOS 11 will be rolled out to compatible devices this week and will come pre-loaded onto the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, both of which were revealed by Apple in California last week.

The iPhone X marks the tenth anniversary of the original model, while the iPhone 8 is an incremental upgrade to the iPhone 7, boasting wireless charging and faster components.