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Sheryl Sandberg criticises Apple as Facebook launches iPhone gaming app without any games

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg - AFP
Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg - AFP

Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg has hit out at Apple’s strict control over the App Store, claiming the iPhone maker’s policies are harming consumers as Facebook released a stripped-down version of its gaming app on iPhones.

On Friday, Facebook released a gaming app that allows users to broadcast themselves playing games and watch other gamers as they play.  The Android version of the app includes “instant games”, which people can play against other users, but Facebook has had to remove the feature on the iPhone version of the app, due to Apple’s policies that prevent apps acting as game stores.

Ms Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, said the rules meant an “inferior experience” on Apple devices.

“Unfortunately, we had to remove gameplay functionality entirely in order to get Apple’s approval on the standalone Facebook Gaming app,  meaning iOS users have an inferior experience to those using Android," she said. “We’re staying focused on building communities for the more than 380 million people who play games on Facebook every month - whether Apple allows it in a standalone app or not.”

Facebook's gaming app will contain a large red "X" over the "Play" section of the app, with a footnote reading: "Edited on iPhone"

The row makes Facebook one of the most high-profile and influential companies to criticise Apple’s App Store policies, which are coming under increasing scrutiny. Apple charges developers up to 30pc for digital purchases made through apps, and has rules against attempting to bypass the payments.

This week, the company also came under fire from Microsoft after Apple prevented its cloud gaming app from launching on iPhones. The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate app, which will stream high-end games over the internet, will be released on Android phones but has been prevented from an iPhone launch in its current form.

“Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content,” Microsoft said.

Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook was one of four tech executives to face a US hearing last week over claims the companies abuse their dominant positions. Apple has said the rules and payment requirements on its App Store are not unusual by industry standards and that its minority share of the smartphone market means it is not a monopoly.

However, the company’s App Store faces a European Commission investigation. Facebook and Microsoft are among the largest companies to have publicly criticised Apple’s policies. Some smaller developers have said they do not wish to speak out for fear of reprisals. Apple’s rules prevent apps whose primary function is distributing games that run within the app. Other apps such as Facebook Messenger include playable minigames.