One of the problems with apps purchased from Apple’s App Store is that there are no free trials. This means that users will need to either rely on reviews of the app, or pay for it first to find out for themselves, after which they can then try to get a refund if the app does not live up to their expectations.This is something that has not only irked users, but developers as well in which some have banded together to form a union that petitioned Apple to improve the App Store. Now we’re not sure how much of it was because of the union or if this was something Apple was already working on, but it appears that Apple is now allowing for free trials for apps.
This is according to an update to the App Store review guidelines in which it reads, “Non-subscription apps may offer a free time-based trial period before presenting a full unlock option by setting up a Non-Consumable IAP item at Price Tier 0 that follows the naming convention: ‘14-day Trial.’ Prior to the start of the trial, your app must clearly identify its duration, the content or services that will no longer be accessible when the trial ends, and any downstream charges the user would need to pay for full functionality.”
Yup, that basically means that apps can now offer free trials to users before they decide to buy which could encourage adoption and purchase of apps. Given that free trials aren’t new, it’s surprising it took so long for Apple to enable it for mobile, but better late than never, right?