Apple Rejects Astronomy App Over Non-Existent Tarot Feature
Developer Terry Godier faces a 'Kafkaesque' battle with the App Store after reviewers mistake science for pseudoscience.
Apple has rejected the iOS app 'Dark Hours,' a tool dedicated to the science of astronomy, after reviewers erroneously claimed the software contains astrology and tarot features. The incident underscores the ongoing friction between independent developers and Apple's often opaque review process.
Terry Godier, the creator of Dark Hours, saw his application blocked from the App Store after an initial rejection based on the premise that the app was focused on astrology. Despite escalating the matter to the App Review Board, the rejection was upheld. The Board explicitly stated, "We understand that the app includes a live tarot reading feature," according to reports from Daring Fireball. Godier asserts that the app contains no astrology, horoscopes, or tarot functions of any kind.
The Review Conflict
The dispute highlights a fundamental confusion within Apple's review pipeline between astronomy—the scientific study of celestial objects—and astrology, which is categorized as pseudoscience. The app in question was designed specifically for iOS and utilizes a native Liquid Glass UI to provide astronomical data. However, the App Review Board maintained its stance despite the developer's insistence that the 'live tarot' feature cited by Apple simply does not exist in the code.
Industry Implications
This case exemplifies what critics describe as the "Kafkaesque" nature of the App Store's bureaucracy. For independent developers, the inability to correct a factual error during the escalation process creates a precarious environment where a product can be penalized for features it does not possess. When standard appeals fail to resolve obvious inaccuracies, developers are left with little recourse against the company's unilateral judgment.
What's Next
Godier has characterized the experience by noting that while "browsers have standards, the App Store has judgment." It remains to be seen if further public pressure or a revised submission will lead Apple to acknowledge the error. The situation serves as a cautionary tale for developers regarding the inconsistency of the App Store's manual review process and the difficulty of overturning a board decision once a false premise has been established.