Apple · Apple App Store Review Guidelines · View original document ↗

Prohibition on monetizing built-in hardware and OS capabilities

High severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 124 of 352 platforms
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This analysis describes what Apple's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This prohibition prevents developers from placing paywalls on device capabilities and Apple services that users already have access to by virtue of owning their device or subscribing to Apple services.

Interpretive note: Both categories use 'such as', indicating the named items are examples. The full scope of prohibited monetization targets is broader than the named examples.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 9, 2026

The updated guidelines state that developers must ensure kids receive age-appropriate experiences within their apps and must remove user-generated content that violates the guidelines, terms of service, or community standards. Under the revised policy, if Apple identifies policy-violating content, the developer will be asked to remove it and provide a compliance improvement plan. Based on the developer's response, the app may be removed from the App Store until compliance is demonstrated. This establishes a formal escalation pathway where developer inaction or inadequate remediation can result in app suspension or removal.

View change record →

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
4
Months Monitored
Jul 10, 2026
First Seen
Jul 10, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 371 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Developers cannot charge you separately for access to built-in device features like the camera or Push Notifications, or for Apple services such as Apple Music, within their apps.

How other platforms handle this

RunPod Medium

Resell any credits purchased through the Service without the prior written consent of Runpod.

Atlassian Medium

charge its customers a specific fee for use of the Products, but Customer may charge an overall fee for its own offerings (of which the Products are ancillary)

Tinder Medium

the license granted to you in Virtual Items will terminate in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, on the earlier of when Tinder ceases providing our Services, or your account is otherwise closed or terminated.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
You may not monetize built-in capabilities provided by the hardware or operating system, such as Push Notifications, the camera, or the gyroscope; or Apple services and technologies, such as Apple Music access...

— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines

Applicable regulations

DMA
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Entity
Apple
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
July 9, 2026
Last verified
July 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-019044
Document ID
CA-D-00025
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
4757c78422154f6dba5cf35af2a90cf427e5b7c56e974238344df717cb9eb93f
Analysis generated
July 9, 2026 03:44 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Apple
Document: Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Record ID: CA-P-019044
Captured: 2026-07-09 03:44:30 UTC
SHA-256: 4757c78422154f6d…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/apple/apple-app-store-review-guidelines/provision/CA-P-019044/prohibition-on-monetizing-built-in-hardware-and-os-capabilities/
Accessed: July 13, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apple's Prohibition on monetizing built-in hardware and OS capabilities clause do?

This prohibition prevents developers from placing paywalls on device capabilities and Apple services that users already have access to by virtue of owning their device or subscribing to Apple services.

How does this clause affect you?

Developers cannot charge you separately for access to built-in device features like the camera or Push Notifications, or for Apple services such as Apple Music, within their apps.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 124 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Apple?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple.