Earlier this year, Apple allowed reader apps to provide external links for customers to sign in and pay for a subscription outside of the App Store. Now, Netflix is launching an option on its iOS app that redirects users to its website to complete a new Netflix subscription.
As noted by several users, and also confirmed by , the Netflix app now uses the new iOS API for reader apps, which takes the user to an external website before subscribing. It’s unclear exactly when Netflix started rolling out this option to iPhone and iPad users, but from reports, the rollout now appears to be happening globally.
When you click the subscribe button, a message appears saying “you are about to exit the app and go to an external website”. The app also notes that Apple will no longer be responsible for the transaction and that all subscription management must be done on the Netflix platform.
Any accounts or purchases made outside of this app will be managed by the “Netflix” developer. Your App Store account, saved payment methods, and related features such as subscription management and refund requests will not be available. Apple is not responsible for the privacy or security of transactions made with this developer.
Clicking the Continue button will take you to the Netflix website, where you can enter your personal information, select a payment method, and subscribe to a Netflix plan. This, of course, allows Netflix to avoid paying a 30% fee for every subscription made on iOS apps, which drops to 15% for recurring subscriptions after a year.
It’s worth noting that Apple considers reading apps to be those that offer digital content such as magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, or video as the core functionality of the app.
Netflix has already unsubscribed from the app
Despite this update, Netflix dropped the in-app subscription a long time ago. Back in 2018, the company released an update to its iOS app that removed the ability to allow users to subscribe to Netflix directly from the official iPhone and iPad app. Not surprisingly, Apple tried to stop Netflix from redirecting iOS users to subscribe to a Netflix data plan using Safari.
Due to recent antitrust investigations, Apple has finally allowed certain types of apps to offer alternative subscription methods outside of the App Store without paying a company fee. More recently, Apple has also been forced to allow App Store apps to provide third-party payment methods in certain countries such as the Netherlands and South Korea.
The Netflix app for iOS is available on the App Store. Have you seen the new subscription tip? Let us know in the comments below.
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