Apple App Store Rejects Electron apps for Private API calls

I’m posting this because it’s an interesting article. To boil it down, Electron uses private api calls in the wrapper and Apple REALLY doesn’t like that. It’s not the apps developers fault though. It’s something that Electron needs to fix, but they probably won’t.

A bummer, for sure. Consider that there’s three (four? many more?) large companies with their own priorities colliding here. Apple, focusing on security for the many (thereby being restrictive), Github/Microsoft for the performance and cross-platform reliability of Electron and Google for their rendering engine/ad business/etc. When it all shakes out, it’s going to be pretty difficult to get them all to align.

I suspect that this issue will get ironed out, partially because it behooves Github/Microsoft to push Electron’s reach and Apple’s Mac platform will benefit for easier introduction into the App Store.

(Note, for those not following along, Electron apps DO run on the platform, but a few apps are being rejected currently from the App Store approval process. I’m not sure if it said in the article, but these rejections are probably created in some automated CI infrastructure looking for private API calls.)