TechCrunch reports on why Apple removed Cal AI from the App Store over what it described as “multiple rule violations.” Here are the details.
A few days ago, users on X noticed that Cal AI had been removed from the App Store, just over a month after its acquisition by MyFitnessPal for an undisclosed amount.
Before its removal, the app had introduced a new in-app purchase (IAP) flow that included off-App Store payments. That quickly sparked comments raising anticompetitive concerns, even though Apple’s updated App Store terms now allow alternative payment methods.
However, as TechCrunch reported, Apple’s issues with Cal AI went beyond just the new off-App Store subscription flow:
Apple, when reached for comment, said that the app’s brief removal was due to multiple violations of its rules, including bypassing Apple’s in-app purchase flow, using deceptive billing design, and other manipulative tactics. The episode shows that Apple is still actively policing how developers implement web payments, even though the Epic ruling had loosened some earlier restrictions.
As TechCrunch noted, in addition to removing Apple’s IAP to favor its own payment flow, when Apple requires that it be offered alongside external options, Cal AI also presented weekly pricing more prominently than the actual billed amount. This could lead to confusion as to what the real final amount would be, particularly when details about automatic renewal were also “obscured.”
In total, Apple told TechCrunch that Cal AI had broken at least three App Review Guidelines, including Guideline 3.1.1, Guideline 3.1.2c, and Guideline 5.6, all of which address how apps must sell digital goods and subscriptions while curbing potentially misleading or manipulative practices.
Following a period of unavailability, the app returned to the App Store, and it is now #4 in the Health & Fitness top charts, two spots above the main app of its parent company, MyFitnessPal.
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