Once Twitter banned the API used by third-party programs, popular Twitter clients Tweetbot and Twitterrific stopped functioning overnight in January. The apps were not given any prior notice that they would be unable to access Twitter information, and Twitter remained silent about the issue for more than a week.
The Twitter app then officially amended its terms of service to prohibit all competing apps. With no notice from Twitter, no warning, and no ability for the developers to find a means to wind down their operations and carefully communicate the shutdown to customers, Twitter clients that had been in use for more than ten years were abruptly blocked.
Two of the most popular Twitter clients, Tweetbot and Twitterrific, featured subscription options and thousands of yearly subscribers. Next month, prorated refunds will be automatically delivered to subscribers due to the applications’ inability to work, which will significantly negatively impact businesses by cutting off their source of income.
Rather than Apple, Tweetbot and Twitterific will cover most of those refunds. As John Gruber notes on Daring Fireball, this is comparable to someone being fired and required to pay back their past six months’ wages. It is a big financial hit for the app creators forced out of business by Twitter’s rash action.
Customers who want to assist should do the following: Tweetbot and Twitterrific have partnered to provide customers who are due refunds numerous options.
Launch Tweetbot or Twitterrific, or download the programs again if you deleted them.
Choose “I don’t require a refund” from the menu. As an alternative, move the subscription for Tweetbot to the brand-new Ivory Mastodon app.
Customers of Tweetbot and Twitterrific who have been satisfied with their services and want to support the developers must manually opt out because refunds are now being granted automatically.
Consumers who request a refund can wait and will be given one on March 28. When the applications stop working, anyone who did not click the “I don’t need a refund” button will receive a refund for the months remaining on their membership.
As the apps haven’t been accessible for more than a month, Tweetbot and Twitterific cannot contact users who are probably no longer even opening the apps or have already removed them completely. Since it is an automatic process without a manual opt-out, many customers will receive refunds without choosing to do so.
Remarkable developers of Iconfactory and Tweetbot Although Tweetbot and Twitterrific were the two main apps for Tapbots, they had other apps. Depending on how long each person subscribed, Apple will compel them to pay between 70 and 85 percent of each return (70% for those who subscribed for less than a year and 85% for those who subscribed for over a year). As that is the percentage Apple has been keeping from membership fees, Apple will cover the remaining 15 to 30 percent.
Although Iconfactory concentrates on its other applications like Linea Sketch, Tapbots has already switched to Mastodon and offers the Ivory client for iPhone and Mac.
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