Telegram Says Apple is Holding Back App Update That Will 'Revolutionize How People Express Themselves in Messaging'

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says Apple has delayed an update to the popular messaging app that will 'revolutionize how people express themselves in messaging'. The company has purportedly kept the update in review for two weeks without any explanation.

In a post on his channel, Durov says that Apple's abusive practices cause direct financial loss to developers.

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I love my work. What could be more exciting than improving the way hundreds of millions of people communicate? Members of our team, myself included, must be some of the luckiest people alive.


The only thing that we find discouraging is that we're often unable to distribute the new versions of Telegram due to the obscure "review process" imposed on all mobile apps by the tech monopolies.

For example, our upcoming update – which is about to revolutionize how people express themselves in messaging – has been stuck in Apple's "review" for two weeks, without explanation or any feedback provided by Apple.

If Telegram, one of the top 10 most popular apps globally, is receiving this treatment, one can only imagine the difficulties experienced by smaller app developers. It's not just demoralizing: it causes direct financial losses to hundred of thousands of mobile apps globally.

This harm goes on top of the 30% tax Apple and Google take from app developers – which, according to them, is supposed to pay for the resources needed to review apps. The regulators in the EU and elsewhere are slowly starting to look into these abusive practices. But the economic damage that has already been inflicted by Apple on the tech industry won't be undone.
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Notably, the EU recently passed legislation that will force Apple and other manufacturers to allow sideloading. This means users will be able to install apps from third party app stores or directly from developers without Apple's permission. The legislation is expected to go into force around January 1, 2024.

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