AppStore gives take down notice to the iDOS 2 Emulator

Apple may abandon iDOS 2, which is a popular emulation application (or at least a popular DOS emulator designed to run software and games decades ago) that allows users to run DOS on iPhone and Android devices Games and software. Apple iPad.

According to developer Li Chaoji, Apple issued a pending deletion notice after it recently sent an update to fix the error. Although iDOS 2 has been on the App Store since 2014, it seems that the company has changed its mind in a recent update.

Per the letter that Li received:

“Upon re-evaluation, we found that your app is not in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines. Specifically, we found your app is in violation of the following:

Guideline 2.5.2 — Performance — Software Requirements

During the review, your app installed or launched executable code, which is not permitted on the App Store.”

Specifically, your application runs iDOS packages and image files and enables iTunes file sharing and file support to import games. Code execution can introduce or change features or functions of an application, and allow content to be downloaded without permission.

Due to Apple’s restrictions on bundling game files, Li was forced to not update iDOS 2 for four years but was able to update the application in September 2020 to change the exchange function that allows iDOS 2 to use iOS documents. Import your own files. The old version of the app, iDOS, was briefly available on the App Store in 2010, but Apple removed it shortly after its release.

Since that September update, Li has also been able to push more than a dozen other updates to his app, and each update has proceeded smoothly. Li claims to communicate very directly with Apple’s reviewers during each update submission and points out that although the app does run external code, it runs in a sandboxed environment (which means there is no security that could compromise the updated risk). The rest of the operating system).

However, for whatever reason, Apple seems to have changed its thinking about implementing this part of the App Store rules. It’s not clear what exactly has changed here, although Lee speculates that the recent surge in popularity (with the help of Fast Company technical editor Harry McCracken’s tweet and the How-To Geek guide showing how to use the app to run Windows 3.1 and iPad) may lead to Apple change idea.

Apple gave Li 14 days to update its apps and remove the ability to run executable code, making it completely useless. Li has stated that he does not intend to make such changes, and explained that doing so  “would be a betrayal to all the users that have purchased this app specifically for those features.”

At present, iDOS 2 can still be purchased on the App Store for $4.99, but if Apple keeps its promise, it may not be purchased for a longer period of time.