In a recent turn of events, tech giants Apple and Hey have reached an agreement, ending a brief yet familiar App Store battle. The dispute arose when Apple initially rejected Hey's new calendar app last week, claiming that it lacked functionality for users without a Hey account. This echoes a similar rejection in 2020 when Hey's email app faced a similar issue.
37signals co-owner David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) shared the news of the resolution on Monday, stating that Apple had accepted the revised version of Hey Calendar. Originally scheduled for a January 2nd launch, the rejection prompted Hey to quickly update the app and resubmit it to align with Apple's guidelines.
The revised Hey Calendar now includes a new feature allowing users to browse through their Apple history within the calendar even without a Hey account. DHH, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed reluctance about the situation, noting that Apple's rejection letter referred to the very section of the App Store Guidelines stating that such a requirement should not be necessary.
"Do we really want to do this? No," DHH remarked. "Because HEY Calendar is a free companion app to an existing, external paid web service." He emphasized the inconsistency in Apple's application of rules regarding app functionality for users without an account.
Despite the initial rejection, the addition of the new history feature seems to have met Apple's criteria, as the tech giant has now approved Hey Calendar for the App Store. Apple has not immediately responded to requests for comments on the matter.
Users can now access Hey Calendar on the App Store, and for further details on the approval process, DHH has shared insights in a blog post.