FlickType iPhone Keyboard for the Blind Shutting Down, Developer Shares Highly Charged Twitter Thread

FlickType, the iOS keyboard app for the visually impaired is shutting down, its developer introduced on Twitter. In a thread on the microblogging platform, developer Kosta Eleftheriou introduced that he’s pressured by circumstances to discontinue the iPhone keyboard performance of the app. He wrote that his choice comes after a number of “unreasonable” rejections from Apple’s App Store in opposition to an up to date model of the app. He wrote, “Apple has thrown us obstacle after obstacle for years while we try to provide an app to improve people’s lives, and we can no longer endure their abuse.”

This wasn’t the first time that the App Store forcibly tried to reject the app. Apple “incorrectly” argued in opposition to the app three years in the past. “Back then we successfully appealed and overturned their decision, and this hadn’t been a problem since. Until now,” learn the Twitter thread. The developer additionally added that their rejection historical past spanned “more than forty pages filled with repeated, unwarranted, and unreasonable rejections.”

It’s with a heavy coronary heart as we speak that we’re saying the discontinuation of our award-winning iPhone keyboard for blind customers.

Apple has thrown us impediment after impediment for years whereas we attempt to present an app to enhance individuals’s lives, and we will now not endure their abuse. pic.twitter.com/cH1HCQzeP1

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

But Apple rejected it. They incorrectly argue once more that our keyboard extension does not work with out “full access”, one thing they rejected us for THREE years in the past. Back then we efficiently appealed and overturned their choice, and this hadn’t been an issue since. Until now.

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

Our rejection historical past already spans greater than FOURTY pages crammed with repeated, unwarranted, & unreasonable rejections that serve to frustrate & delay somewhat than profit end-users. And coping with App Review is not simply time-consuming. It’s additionally very emotionally draining.

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

The FlickType developer group have filed a lawsuit in opposition to Apple. They additionally uncovered many paid rip-off apps on the App Store. Eleftheriou has been inflicting a dent in Apple’s picture for fairly a while by exposing paid rip-off apps in the App Store, realign secret playing dens and assessment frauds.

We’ve already filed a lawsuit in opposition to Apple, partially for denying us entry to our clients by the App Store for months. We’ve additionally uncovered many rip-off apps which have price customers and our enterprise tens of millions of {dollars}, whereas Apple ignored our complaints:https://t.co/YdGe9iChgS pic.twitter.com/4POKYIJA0K

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

The tweets request its customers to cease auto-update of apps to retain the FlickType keyboard on iPhone. Meanwhile, the FlickType app on Apple Watch will stay useful.

We want to hold offering the final working model that features the keyboard extension, however Apple makes it not possible to cease computerized updates for particular person apps. So until you cease computerized updates for all of your apps, you’ll quickly lose the FlickType keyboard extension.

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

Twitter customers have lashed out at Apple. A consumer (@gauravjj_1) wrote, “This is terrible. My iPhone will pretty much become useless to me without FlickType keyboard.”

This is horrible.
My iPhone will just about change into ineffective to me with out flick sort keyboard.

Is the app out there on android?

— Gaurav Jhunjhnuwala (@gauravjj_1) August 16, 2021

Another wrote with a heavy coronary heart, “This is incredibly sad to hear. I’ve been using FlickType daily for English at least and found it the best experience.”

This is extremely unhappy to listen to. I’ve been utilizing flicktype each day for English at the very least and located it the finest expertise, between the inventory keyboard’s auto right not being pretty much as good, slide typing being slower and BSI needing each arms to function and my fingers drifting

— Piotr Machacz (@pitermach) August 16, 2021

This consumer mentioned how Apple continues to deal with builders with hostility and “it certainly feels like in some cases it’s more and more unpleasant to work in this ecosystem.”

Unfortunately @Apple has lengthy demonstrated that builders are virtually third class residents, and pretty much as good as a few of their instruments are – it actually looks like in some circumstances it is increasingly disagreeable to work on this ecosystem.

— Alexei (@vega_1_4) August 17, 2021

Last yr, Fortnite makers Epic Games had additionally filed a lawsuit in opposition to Apple’s monopolised methods on App Store.