RoboKiller · B2C · spam call and text blocker
Appeal App Store rejections by explaining why your app needs the feature
Apple approved the contacts permission after the appeal
Workedapp-review
What they did
RoboKiller required contacts permission so calls from known contacts (e.g. a child's school) are never blocked. Apple rejected it; the team explained the use case in an appeal each time.
What happened
Apple granted access after the appeal.
“we required contact permission. Apple didn't like that, but when we would explain our use case in an appeal, they would then grant us access to let it go”
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New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from RoboKiller
All 6 RoboKiller tactics- Only buy or build apps that could reach tens of millions without outspending giantsBuilt one of the leading app portfolios; sold to Bending Spoons
- Publish your own spam call data so reporters and regulators cite youRepeated WSJ, FT and cable news mentions; a brand halo that drove many organic installs
- After the base subscription, offer data broker removal as a paid add-onReally successful; a good way to raise revenue per user (no numbers)
- Track whether each user is getting the core value, and step in when you fail themA wrongly handled call was highly correlated with churn, triggering fixes
- Tell users how many millions of spam calls you blocked for everyone this month
More from this episode
- Use a 3-page paywall: try it free, we'll remind you, people love it~19% ARPU lift vs a one-page paywall, across many apps
- On the paywall, show one great review or an App of the Day badgeGuest says these work well across apps; results vary by app
- Test one strong testimonial against star ratings on the paywallThe single testimonial did a little better
- Let people pick: 3-7 days free, or 30 days for $4.99, both on yearly~11% pick the paid trial; first purchases jump; fails if priced $2.99 or less
- Offer the first month for $1.99Didn't beat the control; guest says $1.99 is priced too low
- Add a paid intro offer to the paywallARPU up ~30%, conversions up ~25%
- When someone closes Apple's payment sheet, offer 7 free days instead of 3~20% more ARPU than a discount offer
- Send yearly buyers to web checkout; keep weekly and monthly in the appAvoids the billing failures and fraud seen on short web plans; no numbers
- Once Apple takes 30%, send paywall purchases to a web checkoutAt least ~11% more ARPU; fewer buy up front but more stay
- Headway: Have the paywall's Continue button open a web checkout, with an in-app option
- Drop the free plan; offer 3 paid tiers, each with a free trialPeople mostly pick the biggest tier; guest says it beats freemium
- Make sure 80-90% of new users see a paywall in their first sessionRevenue rises in step with the share who see a paywall
- Price lifetime at least 3.5 times the yearly plan so yearly looks goodGuest's rule; says cheap lifetime just adds a decision
- Test price and plan layout first, and never test two kinds of change at onceGuest says price tests are fastest and have outsized impact
- Charge about $40 for lifetime access in party game appsHost says $40 works best for these games in App Masters' experience
- Add a dark version of the paywall for people using dark modeLost: the light-only paywall converted better
- Change the paywall headline based on what the user said in onboardingNo difference vs a standard headline