WeChat Brings Back Tipping Feature After Meeting Terms With Apple

A unique feature of WeChat, Mainland china's near popular social media app, is the power to send monetary tips to a content creator of one'due south pick. But the functionality was disabled for iOS users after Apple tree and WeChat'south creator, Tencent, got involved in a dispute over revenue generation. At present, new reports coming out of China advise that Apple and Tencent have reached an understanding to bring back the feature for WeChat users in China who are active on the platform via Apple devices.

News of the latest developments between the two tech giants was revealed by WeChat creator, Allen Zhang, equally reported by WSJ (Paywall). Zhang said Apple and Tencent take reached a consensus over tips, which allegedly violated the App Store's terms.

In the by, companies like Apple might have had a hard fourth dimension understanding China-specific features. We now all share a mutual understanding and we'll soon bring dorsum the tip function.

The disharmonize arose concluding year when Apple ordered developers of any apps that accept tips to disable the feature, a move that impacted WeChat given its one billion-strong user base of operations in China, and the popularity of tipping for content creators. Every bit per the new arrangement reached between the companies, the tipping function will be slightly tweaked to send them directly to the content creator, and not the business relationship holder on WeChat'southward platform.

WeChat gets tipping back on iPhones

Apple cited a disharmonize of interest as far equally tips are concerned considering it accounted them to be a form of in-app purchase, and as such, Apple demanded a xxx% cutting of all such 'budgetary gifts' in line with its revenue policy. However, Tencent could non concord with Apple tree's demand as the tips are a gift from the users to content creators, and since Apple tree does not accept a cut from gifts sent by users, it should exempt the 'tips' too.