Netflix iOS app spotted with sign-up button that redirects to its website

In a contrast to what Apple follows for the App Store, Netflix’s app on iOS has been spotted with a sign-up button that redirects you to the Netflix site so that you can subscribe to one of its plans.

So, this means that Netflix is not paying any App Store fees.

As TechCrunch points out, this change (where a company can provide an external link) has come in after Apple announced in March that “reader” app can offer an external link to their websites for users to create an account. Reader apps are those apps that provide digital content to users like books or videos.

This external sign-up link was first spotted by 9to5Mac, and one can spot a button that takes you to netflix.com/join. Now, before you are taken to the Netflix site, users are warned that they are not transacting via Apple’s system anymore and the process, going forward, is managed by a third party, which is Netflix in this case.

“Any account or purchases made outside of this app will be managed by the developer ‘Netflix’. Your App Store account, stored payment methods, and related features, such as subscription management and refund requests, will not be available. Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of transactions made with this developer,” the warning reads.

Reports mention that this button is now rolling out to users globally and TechCrunch reports that Apple has asked developers in South Korea and the Netherlands (dating apps only) to use similar warning modals if they are using alternative payment systems for in-app purchases.

Apple charges a 30 per cent fee from apps, 15 per cent if you are a small developer, for selling subscriptions through App Store’s payment system. Now, Netflix has always allowed users to sign in for its services on the iPhone and it dropped the iTunes billing in 2018 to avoid paying that 30 per cent fee. The iOS app instead provided only a sign-in option with no connecting in-app process or link that would take you to the website to create an account. So you could not create an account on your iPhone, but you could sign in. With this new button, Netflix is hoping more users will be brought on board.

Obviously, one of the first people to comment on this was Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney. Apple and Epic had a huge showdown with the former pulling off the very popular Fortnite game from the App Store. Epic had created a way for players to make in-app purchases externally, away from the App Store.

Sweeney pointed out in a tweet that while Apple has allowed the likes of Netflix, games are still not allowed to furnish external links for third-party payment methods for in-app purchases.

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