I had a very pleasant, albeit disappointing, conversation with the folks at Apple about my WiFi application, WiFi Checker. They’re trying to crack down very hard on applications using private APIs – I’m sure the debacle around all of the camera applications moving from 2.0 to 3.0 was quite a mess! To make a long story short, WiFi Checker’s update to run on 3.0 will not be approved.
Though I will miss having a WiFi application that had, at one point, been downloaded by nearly 10% of the sold iPhone/iPod devices, I think this policy is totally the right call for the store. Consistent treatment of your developers is a good thing.
Let this serve as a warning to others thinking about using undocumented / private APIs – don’t waste your time! And diversify soon if private APIs are how you’re planning to put your kids through college…
