Bloomberg: Netflix games will be available to iOS users on App Store, but there's a nuance

By: Yuriy Stanislavskiy | 08.11.2021, 11:38

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported as part of his newsletter that Netflix plans to release its iOS mobile games separately through the App Store. Developer Steve Moser shared the information with Bloomberg after discovering code in the Netflix app that points to an interesting solution to circumvent Apple's rules.

Netflix is expected to release every game in its portfolio on the App Store as a separate app - just like Android does. When you click on a game in the Netflix app, Google Play opens, asks you to download a separate app, and then it already asks you to sign in to your Netflix account.

Presumably, it will work the same way on iOS. Most likely, users will have to download the game from Netflix in the App Store and then sign in to their Netflix account. The workaround is, shall we say, thoughtful, but not perfect. Technically, it wouldn't violate any App Store rules.

In theory, Netflix could face resistance from Apple in the form of a ban on displaying a separate tab in the App Store with its games. While Netflix's full list of games can be viewed within the main app, not allowing App Store users to see that list of games before subscribing risks a clear revenue shortfall for the video service.

Source: bloomberg9to5mac

Illustration: 9to5mac