Mar 4, 2020 - Technology

Apple allows push notifications for ads

Orion Rummler

In this image, Facebook and Instagram apps are featured — Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp displayed on an iPhone. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Apps on Apple products can now send push notifications for ads and promotions as long as customers explicitly opt in to get those alerts, according to the company's updated App Store guidelines.

Why it matters: Apple has long prevented ads in notifications. Including marketing material alongside alerts for personal messages and breaking news runs the risk of further cluttering peoples' feeds.

Separately, Apple also made a few other changes to its App Store rules:

Apple will reject pitches for "fortune telling" and dating apps "unless they provide a unique, high-quality experience," citing an over-saturation of those apps.
App developers now must use Apple's own API for prompting customer reviews. In the past, developers could push app users to review products by asking leading questions.

Go deeper: Apple's growth areas rely on its shrinking iPhone business

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Apple allows push notifications for ads

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