Apple Throws 'Obstacle After Obstacle,' FlickType Says, As The iPhone Keyboard Popular With Blind Users Shuts Down

A soon-to-be discontinued popular keyboard app for blind and low-vision people on Apple Inc’s AAPL iPhone platform said it faced “obstacle after obstacle” for years.

What Happened: FlickType keyboard announced on Twitter Monday that it was discontinuing the iPhone keyboard as it can “no longer endure” abuse from the Tim Cook-led company.

It's with a heavy heart today that we're announcing the discontinuation of our award-winning iPhone keyboard for blind users.

Apple has thrown us obstacle after obstacle for years while we try to provide an app to improve people's lives, and we can no longer endure their abuse. pic.twitter.com/cH1HCQzeP1

— FlickType Watch Keyboard (@FlickType) August 16, 2021

The application developed by Kosta Eleftheriou said on Twitter that they had submitted fixes for various iOS15 related issues along with improvements but the Cupertino, California-based tech giant rejected the app.

“They incorrectly argue again that our keyboard extension doesn't work without 'full access,' something they rejected us for THREE years ago. Back then we successfully appealed and overturned their decision, and this hadn't been a problem since. Until now.”

“Apple kicks legitimate apps out of the App Store and allows in scam apps all the time,” Eleftheriou claimed in a video posted on Twitter. 

Why It Matters: FlickType said it has already filed a lawsuit against Apple in part for denying access to its customers through the App Store for months.

“We've also exposed many scam apps that have cost users and our business millions of dollars, while Apple ignored our complaints,” claimed FlickType.

See Also: Apple Will Find It Hard To Recover From Fallout Over App Store Policies, Says Bill Gurley

FlickType’s Apple Watch application will continue to be available, which according to Eleftheriou has nearly half a million downloads, the Verge reported.

The developer did not have a breakdown of how many people rely on the iPhone version of the app.

Last month, Apple removed a popular DOS emulator that could be used to play retro games. Chaoji Li, the developer of that app, chose to remove the app rather than cull key functionality as demanded by the iPhone maker.

The App Store has become a lightning rod for criticism and litigation for Apple. Last August, “Fortnite” maker Epic Games sued Apple after its flagship game was removed from the App Store for violation of guidelines surrounding in-app purchases.

Price Action: On Monday, Apple shares closed 1.35% higher at $151.12 in the regular session and rose 0.36% in the after-hours session.
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