Background
When the iOS app was released to the market recently, it was rejected by the official during the review stage.
Looking at the reason, I was surprised to find that the audit team actually said that the account deletion function is missing?
After some Baidu searches, I found out that the official has a new review policy, which is to require iOS applications submitted after June 30, 2022. If there is an account registration function, the account deletion function must be included, regardless of the account number. Manual registration, authorized registration through Apple account, or automatic registration are all required.
The following is the original text of the official release:
(Chinese version) iOS requires an account deletion option in the App
(English version) iOS required offering account deletion in app
solution
Under such an official request, I quickly came up with a solution in a panic. After all, I have also faced various audit problems, and I have experienced many battles.
Here are a few solutions:
1. Permanently or temporarily remove the account registration function
This solution is suitable for tools or stand-alone game applications that do not actually require account registration, such as weather forecasts, information retrieval, and graphics, audio, and video viewing.
If permanent removal is not possible and there is no better solution, consider making a remote switch.
Add the account registration function using the configuration switch in the server back-end program or database.
When the app is entered, the configuration switch status can be obtained through the interface or other methods, so that the registration account function can be turned off during the review stage to avoid problems, and then turned on after the review is passed.
In this case, if the user identity is really needed, a temporary account identity can also be provided, and the user can be informed that all information of the account will be destroyed after exiting the application.
2. Order the back-end colleagues to cooperate in making the account deletion function
In the current situation where the requirements for personal privacy information are becoming more and more strict at home and abroad, under the official requirements of Apple, this is the most trouble-free and correct approach in App development.
App development still only needs to provide a suitable entry location and complete the interface call, and the rest of the various data association and cleaning tasks are handed over to the back-end students.
Even if the App itself has a program background that can be highly customized, this entry is very easy to implement. Like my App, there are actually many entries that can be defined as web pages, and then there is no need to repackage and generate the App, just need to be on the web page You can quickly create a simple page on the client side and call the backend interface to perform the delete action.
3. Make a guide to delete account help articles
This is not only in line with official requirements, but also can make the deletion behavior appear more "humane" and have more room for buffering.
The simplest implementation of this method is still that App development needs to provide a suitable entry location, and the entry links to the help articles on the local or web page. This help article will guide the user to register to delete the account. This registration can use the original online Instant communication, online message, problem feedback channels, and even send emails to complete.
After registration, the person in charge of the App/customer service/website administrator or other staff will conduct a manual review, and may even actively contact the user for final confirmation before manual deletion.
The advantage of this method is that most of the actual behaviors are still under manual control, and the user experience, difficulty level, deletion range, etc. in the deletion process can be manually adjusted without prior automation procedures.
final choice
Because the time is short and the task is urgent, and there are many contents in the App that can be controlled through the back-end program, so I chose the third method.
First, an obvious entry link help guide was added on the App homepage, which explained how users should operate and how long it would take for the manual to complete the review and confirmation.
In addition, the original site message function entry is provided in the guidelines, allowing users to send text content to the background administrator in the format required by the guidelines, and then the background administrator completes the review and deletion work.
Since there is no need to change the App code, I reply and provide a screenshot of the interface entry during the review. The next day, the App status changes from rejected to approved, and the release is successful!
Well, the above is the whole process of handling the account deletion function required by the iOS App. If you have any questions, you can leave a message, and I will reply as much as possible when I am free.