In a Likely First, Apple Issuing Automatic Refund to All Users of 'Peace' App

Advertisement
By Manish Singh | Updated: 23 September 2015 09:51 IST
In a Likely First, Apple Issuing Automatic Refund to All Users of 'Peace' App

Apple has started to issue a refund to all users who purchased Marco Arment's iOS 9 ad-blocking app, Peace. The app was discontinued by Arment within a couple of days of its release and immediate success.

Arment said that Apple is proactively refunding all purchases of Peace. Interestingly, this is seemingly the first time Apple has automatically issued a refund for a third-party app that was discontinued.

Last week, Tumblr co-founder Arment released Peace, an app for iOS 9-powered devices that offered ad-blocking capability. Priced at $3 (Rs. 190), the app disabled all kinds of ads including Deck network's which offers static, clean, and light-on-resources advertisements. This raised concerns from many, including John Gruber, Arment's long time friend and Apple pundit, who said that Deck ads shouldn't be blocked by any ad-blocking tool. Two days later, Arment pulled Peace from the App Store, noting that it "didn't feel right" to run an ad-blocking app, as it jeopardises many's earnings.

Arment's Peace app had reached the number one spot on the Top Paid Apps charts on the App Store in the US 24 hours of release. After pulling the app, Arment noted that he would continue to fix bugs in the app, though users shouldn't expect any new features. New users could no longer buy the ap once it was pulled.

Advertisement

What's interesting about this is that Apple has taken the charge on its own hands to issue refunds, instead of pointing people to its refund process.

Traditionally, when a developer pulls an app from the App Store, he or she isn't provided with an option to issue a refund to users who purchased the app or made in-app purchases. Users can, however, report to Apple for a refund, in which case, the company takes the sum from developer's account and puts the wheel in motion. This seems to be the first time Apple has "proactively" issued a refund to users -- even to those who didn't ask for a refund.

Advertisement

"As far as I know, this effectively never happens. When I decided to pull the app, I asked some Apple friends if this was even possible, and we all thought the same thing: iTunes billing works the way it works, period, and no special cases can be made," Arment wrote in a blog post. "Today, Apple made the decision for me, in a way that I didn't even think was possible, and I'm actually happy [...]"

At this point it is not clear whether users get to keep the app on their device. Chatter on Twitter however, says that Apple isn't removing the app from users' devices.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Samsung Teases 'Ultra' Foldable, May Debut Alongside Galaxy Z Fold 7
  2. Redmi Pad 2 to Pack a 9,000mAh Battery; Will Debut on This Date
  3. Apple Teases Upcoming 'Sleek Peek' Updates Ahead of WWDC 2025 Next Week
  4. NxtQuantum to Launch AI+ Smartphones in India By the End of June
  5. Telegram Update Brings Direct Messages to Channels and More Features
  6. WhatsApp May Soon Let You Copy Specific Parts of a Message
  7. Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 Said to Be in Development, but 2025 Launch Unlikely
  8. Vivo Y19s Pro With 6,000mAh Battery, 50-Megapixel Main Camera Launched
  1. Huawei Pura 80 Series Launch Date Set for June 11; Key Camera Specifications Leaked
  2. The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Shows Stunning Open World, but CD Projekt Red Warns Its Not Gameplay
  3. Adobe Photoshop for Android App With Firefly-Powered Generative Fill Released in Beta
  4. The Fire And The Moth Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
  5. The Accountant 2 OTT Release Date: When and Whee to Watch it Online?
  6. Google Pixel 10 Series to Reportedly Offer Gimbal-Like Video Stabilisation
  7. iOS 26 to Bring Message Translation, Animated Lock Screen Album Artwork and Revamped CarPlay UI: Report
  8. Vivo X Fold 5 Compared to iPhone 16 Pro Max; to Be Only Slightly Thicker When Folded
  9. Singapore Directs Crypto Firms to Halt Overseas Operations in Crackdown on Unlicensed Providers
  10. Telegram Update Brings DMs to Channels, Voice Message Trimming, and More Features
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.