Apple blocks Launchpad‑like app update
Apple rejected updates to a Mac app that imitates a deprecated system feature (Launchpad), underscoring continuing App Store friction and developer relations issues as the platform evolves. The episode is a reminder of platform governance tensions as Apple adds new OS features. (mashable.com)
AppGrid, created by developer Attila Miklósi, has been blocked from receiving updates on the Mac App Store after roughly three months of sales, Miklósi said. (9to5mac.com) Apple told Miklósi it would accept new AppGrid updates only if he redesigned the app to look less like Launchpad, and Miklósi says he appealed multiple times before abandoning the appeals. (9to5mac.com) The App Store edition of AppGrid hasn’t received updates since November 2025 while the app remains on sale and Apple continues to collect its standard 30% cut, according to reporting that quotes the developer. (mashable.com) Miklósi now distributes a separate build outside the App Store from his website that adds pinch‑gesture support and hot‑corner activation — features he says aren’t permitted in the storefront version. (macobserver.com) Apple cited the App Store Review rule banning apps that are “confusingly similar” to an existing Apple product or interface even though Launchpad was removed in macOS Tahoe (released September 2025) and replaced by the new Apps view. (9to5mac.com) Michael Tsai and other observers have labeled AppGrid’s status a “zombie state,” noting the app continues to generate purchases but cannot receive bug fixes or feature improvements through the App Store. (9to5mac.com)
