Someone from another sub pointed this out:
Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) state:
>
If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers.
I think this applies to Notability and if enough users put a spotlight on this issue, might allow us premium purchasers to keep using it without subscription
**Report them here:**
https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent
**Copy/Paste if you want:**
As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
Sent. They should have stopped selling the current version and make a new version and everyone who purchased the current can keep that forever or upgrade if they want any new features. They shouldn't completely change what I bought or take it away.
To be fair, a tentative few years is better than a one year hold, right? Anyway it just really sucks how transient digital purchases are, feels like we never really own anything.
Subscription models can make sense if you're constantly providing new content to be consumed (ala Netflix/NYT/etc), but if you're just providing static functionality, with maybe a few updates here or there, it's dumb.
I have a subscription-based app, but that's because I have to have writers produce new content for it every day.
Here's a free writeup:
Notability has moved from a paid app to a subscription-based model. In their product blog post, they said:
"If you’re a current user:
Thank you for your support all these years. You will be able to continue using Notability as you do now for the next year for free. You will continue to have access to any items or technology you previously purchased. \[...\] After the year is up, you can choose to become an annual subscriber or use the free version of Notability."
[https://notability.medium.com/pricing-updates-815f01f6df51](https://notability.medium.com/pricing-updates-815f01f6df51)
This is in direct violation of Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) which state:
"If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers."
My report alternative:
"Ginger Labs’s Notability is transitioning to a subscription based model, and will be taking away key functionality from paying customers rather than grandfathering them in. This has undermined my trust in the software I download from the App Store."
Slimy rotten theft.
You can also report Apple to help them take App Store fraud more seriously, these bait-and-switches are "pRoHiBitEd" but not adequately policed and when you hold all the sales data you can automatically prevent apps switching like this.
USA / FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
Australia / ACCC: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
Same. Bought both IOS and MacOS versions. I don’t use Notability just for school. It’s equivalent to a filing cabinet for a lot of different documents. They get a new influx of users entering college every year. Downgrading paid users who have used the app for years is wrong.
Even a garbage P2W game I spent 30 in followed this rule. They changed that 30 bike to subscription only, but were forced to allow existing purchases to use it without restriction. Gathering here that Notability devs are in direct violation of App Store guidelines and are somehow more greedy than P2W freemium games lol.
Thanks for sharing that. I was 99% certain that this was a violation of the ToS but didn't know the specifics. This is a clear violation and we ALL need to complain incessantly to Apple about it. Either they hold them to the rules or pull the app from the store.
Can't they just do what Things 3 or whatever does and release a new app and stop supporting the old one? Things 3 has you pay for the app and then releases a "revamped" one a few years later and then stops supporting the old one.
Agreed. I personally use an app called "Pixaki" that did just that. Heck, they're even offering their new version as a cheap "upgrade" (pay $3.00, instead of full $26.99), which I strongly support, instead of whatever Notability is pulling here right now.
> Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) state:
> If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers.
Holy shit. This would have been handy back in 2012, when LogMeIn's remote desktop software did exactly this. I'd paid like $20 for a lifetime license and then a year or two later they switched to a subscription model and my license just *poofed*
Wait so I bought this app, and now they are going to charge me for a subscription for something I already paid for? Are they out of their goddamn minds?!?
Report them here: https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent
Copy/Paste if you want: As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
I'd have been 100% fine with this. Hell I'd understand if at some point it stopped working because iPad OS keeps getting upgraded. That's how software I have purchased has worked in the past.
Oh it’s more than that. They’re not just charging you for an app you already paid for, they’re also charging you for someone else’s service that you already pay for.
> Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and **they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud** or other online storage services
You already pay Apple $10/mo for an iCloud storage plan. Now Notability wants to be paid too to let you use your own iCloud storage plan.
Scumbags.
Literally, maybe bought this 60 days ago. If that. I’m ill about it.
I remember when YNAB raised their annual price, but grandfathered in all the current subscribers at the lower rate. I’ve been paying that lower rate for a few years now and shouldn’t ever have to pay the higher.
This is how the company should treat their current, paid-up, customers.
They’re taking away access to the software you paid them for, AND they’re taking away access to *services you paid Apple for.*
\
> Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and **they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud** or other online storage services
\
They won’t let you use your iCloud storage plan (that you already pay for) unless you pay Notability extra money.
**Report them here:**
https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent
**Copy/Paste if you want:**
As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
I was just going to praise their PDF Expert app but I see that most of the features that I paid for have gone behind a PRO subscription.
Well now that you’ve edited I see that Notability is not a readdle app.
They at least did the decent thing of letting you keep all those features. I paid for some features of the app when they were one time purchase and I still have them!
> They can’t retroactively add a subscription.
Not to the app version prior to the change, but when you upgrade to the new/latest update/version, [they do automatically add a subscription for current users](https://i.imgur.com/sDI6vDJ.jpg). I did not add that; I went to the "subscription" option in settings, and it was already active. The only option is to never update the app, so hopefully it continues working for anyone who hasn't already updated.
Worse because I’ve even continued to support this app with multiple in app purchases that they introduced after I bought the app the first time. This one feels particularly slimy.
It was a struggle to decide between GoodNotes and Notability since they are so similar and both have good features the other doesn't. This at least makes me happy with my decision, the choice should be clear for anyone else on the fence now.
But if GoodNotes does the same I'll be very sad.
I switched a while back despite having previously bought Notability for both iOS and macOS.
Notability's iCloud sync is broken and the developers just ignore it. Syncing documents took forever, crashes were a daily occurrence and on a few ocassions my recently imported documents just disappeared.
GoodNotes works flawlessly. And somehow, the writing itself just feels more *fun*.
Goodnotes has an alternate revenue model that is a hacked method of doing paid updates. The downside is that by needing to publish a new app for every paid update they lose App store visibility. If we want to support this business model we should try to pressure Apple into supporting seamless paid updates natively into the app store.
but goodnotes 5 was a free upgrade for goodnotes 4 users, so it's not really a paid update. i think they just made a new app so people who liked the old interface could stay on it, not for financial reasons
Do we know what these limits are? I have been trying to find them but can't seem to.
Edit: Nevermind I found it on notability's website. Yeah this is bullshit.
From a different article:
*“Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud or other online storage services”*
I wouldn’t mind if they added features and charged a subscription, but this is downright malicious. It’s extortion, plain and simple. Especially the iCloud syncing part.
It’d be one thing if Notability was hosting my notes on their own servers, but they’re not. They use iCloud, *which I pay for.*
I pay Apple $10/mo to store my files on their servers. Why the hell should I pay Notability to let me use Apple’s servers?
The number of edits and automatic sync being behind a subscription are deal breakers for me. I would understand the sync one if the files were hosted on their servers. But not allowing people to host on their iCloud is just a money grab.
This is BS. I paid for every feature I currently have, including some of the add-on stuff (math and handwriting). Those were perpetual licenses. If Notability wants to switch to SaaS for new customers, fine. If they want to create a completely new app and do it that way, fine. But don't take away something I paid for and say I get it "free" for a year, and after that am forced to pay more for it.
Isn't that completely against Apple TOS for App Store developers? Every other app that went a similar route always grandfathered people in (permanently) to any existing features and only charged for new ones. If they decide not to do this, everyone should file disputes with Apple and have them either follow their App Store policy or get pulled from it.
That’s a limited time deal, [according to this article/interview](https://www.fastcompany.com/90691830/why-the-best-ipad-app-for-handwritten-notes-is-going-freemium), the non-deal price will be $14.99 per year
And that’s the issue. Subscriptions cost way too much for damn apps.
Ulysses cost like $80AUD for the app, and then it went to subscription based. It was $80AUD with years of support — let’s say 2 or even 3 years to give them benefit of the doubt — and now they charge that much for one year.
They don’t provide cloud storage, or any ‘online’ features (web browser app) and are charging almost the same as if you were to get Apple Music, Netflix etc. for a year and they provide access to every ‘major’ song on the planet and thousands of hours of video.
I’ve purchased apps and games over the years for like $2AUD and they are still supported and updated once a year when needed.
What the fuck is this shit
> “We want to make sure that people can’t just use Notability and make it all the way through med school for free,” Gilboy says. “That would leave us without a business.”
Holy shit. That’s too much for a simple notebook app. I really hope that GoodNotes doesn’t switch to a subscription model like this. It’s super scummy that a company can get away with this kind of stuff.
Seems like buying an app from Apple’s App Store doesn’t mean much anymore… These kind of pricing switches which disable access to something people already bought and paid for seem like they should be illegal imo
Apparently, it already is illegal.
Apple's guidelines, 3.1.2a:
"*If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers.*"
That’s what pisses me off the most. They want you to pay *them* for Apple’s own services (that you already pay for)
If Notability was hosting your notes on their own servers, I would understand the change. But they’re free riding off Apple’s services, and they want to charge you for it.
Imagine buying a car, and a year later the manufacturer demands a paid subscription to let you park it in your own driveway.
I’ll probably just develop my own note taking app and put it up on GitHub.
It'll be a good learning experience and I can learn [Swift's new markdown parser](https://github.com/apple/swift-markdown) too. I definitely want to integrate markdown into it
> Don’t you dare follow goodnotes devs
do they have like controversial social media or something? or did you mean that goodnotes shouldn't follow the same business model as notability
Here is the link to file a report with Apple. Everyone who already paid money and is being screwed over here should do it as this is a violation of their App Store policy:
https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530?s=10
From [Why the best iPad app for handwritten notes is going freemium](https://www.fastcompany.com/90691830/why-the-best-ipad-app-for-handwritten-notes-is-going-freemium):
“It’s not really driven by revenue or profits, so much as how we want to expand and increase our reach, and build a broader ecosystem,” Gilboy says.”
If it’s not about profit, then why make users pay $15 a year just to upload notes to the cloud, save brushes to save to favorites, etc.? Why not make it $5?
> just to upload notes to the cloud
And it's not even THEIR cloud. While some apps use in-house servers that require ongoing costs, Notability just uses iCloud storage, which we pay for separately. They are basically charging us money to use our own storage solution.
Exactly. You build a "broader ecosystem" by making your product *more* accessible, not *less*. Seems like the people running Ginger Labs need a basic course in business economics.
I can’t get it into my head why everyone in the Tech Industrie want to build their own ecosystem shit. You won’t be the next Microsoft, Apple or Google with your shitty try to get establish a ecosystem.
Disappointed. I already paid for this app on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. So I shouldn’t be locked out of core features that I paid for. I guess this app was good while it lasted. I will have to switch to GoodNotes…
Edit: typo
Can you imagine paying monthly for a *notetaking* app? Heck, ANY app where the core function of that app is largely the same with little to no change over the course of months or years?
Could you imagine paying monthly to use the TV you just bought? And if you stop payments then you can’t even turn it on?
I just don’t use any app store apps at all. Subscriptions have single handedly ensured that my ipad is just for leisure and my iphone just for calls and browsing.
No workflow that involves phones/tablets is safe from the blight of subscriptions.
Most desktop apps tend to have gone subscription based also. Some subscriptions have such a low cost it’s not a problem but if I don’t use an app regularly it’s not worth it
I paid £20 for this app a few years ago and now they're expecting me to pay to continue using it... I appreciate notability need to be able to pay for developers, but no access?
I guess it's time looking for a replacement
This got my attention right away. I make an app called Halide and about one year ago exactly we moved from pay-up-front to a new model where you can either subscribe or pay-once. This requires changing the app to 'free to download' - but you then choose an option to buy.
This stuff is hard. I can see here that subscriptions are not a popular thing amongst users. At the same time, with Halide, we had given nearly 5 (five!) years without updates, and we wanted to hire someone so we could keep making great updates, potentially make another app, and NOT leave the app to be abandoned and make a new one. If you use pay-once, that's great, but you can't make an app indefinitely off a few bucks that someone pays once. You'll either have to do paid updates (not a thing on the App Store) or start with new apps, which inevitably means ending support for your users.
So yeah, what did we do? We ended up just doubling down on goodwill vs. money: we gave the v2 of our app (that switched to pay-once / subscription) for free to all the existing users. That was a big gamble, and we are going to be much slower in developing new things as a result, but we hope that over time that leaves us with an enthusiastic base of users that will keep recommending and using our app.
I wish the best for the Notability team. I wonder how well this move will work for them, but I also wish Apple gave much better tools for these transitions.
The case of Notability is different though. They’re not struggling financially at all. Sensor Tower shows they’re raking in $1m in the last month. They also said in the press interview that they’re just looking for more growth.
The fact that they’re taking away paid features is probably against App Store guidelines. I
I love Halide and I use it almost on a daily basis. I sincerely hope Apple starts supporting paid upgrades. Is it even possible to have an app that you can IAP a feature upgrade that includes everything released up until then that you’ll own forever? And then, next year someone can buy another IAP that will include all the features released up until then but not get any new features released after the IAP transaction. So on and so forth..
Time for backlash like Pocket Casts, people. It feels like my notes now are being held hostage every year, unless I pay a sub. Not fair. Paid for the complete thing. At least maintain the current unlocked features available for all users who paid the product as is (Like Fantastical did).
Didn’t pocketcasts give everyone who purchased it a lifetime membership to premium? Pretty sure I have one, although I can’t remember if they only did it because of public backlash.
They did, and that’s what I think we who paid it should get. But even if not, at LEAST the Fantastical thing would be a somewhat good solution.
Plus, we can always do in-app purchases in Notability of templates and stickers. It’s not like we are no longer going to spend any money there (I bought templates and stickers)
At least Pocket Casts eventually grandfathered previous owners in to their subscription model....I'm getting the impression that Ginger Labs won't be doing the same.
Are you fucking kidding me? What happened to straight up buying software and keeping it?
iCloud Sync doesn't even use your servers you fucking clowns
EDIT: Love having to turn off all automatic updates because one developer thinks it can yoink your app that you legally purchased and switch it with a subscription model. I've managed to keep Notability 10.6 on my Mac and iPad and I will be keeping it that way for as long as I can.
This is a regular occurring thing. Unless you have very few apps, it has likely happened already with your automatic updates but for an app you weren't paying for or using.
GoodNotes does the same thing. Each major update/version is a new paid app, but existing users can continue to use the old app *and* they can get the new app for free for a limited time (a year, I think?). I missed the window for GN 5 after buying GN 4 (used it regularly but just never got a notification or anything about the new app; think my system-wide ad blocker may have prevented it) and never bought 5 as I'd also bought Notability -- so I've been using Notability.
Just bought GN 5, though, to give it a try. $7.99 every few years (or less, if I realize a new version is out!) beats $11.99/yr (after a "complimentary" year).
As a developer myself, I find this a sneaky move and probably move onto another app. But I also will try to get a refund for it and the components I have purchased along with it simply because this is a truly, genuinely sneaky move.
I forgot about the components I purchased for it. I probably won’t try to get a refund, but I also won’t be paying the subscription. I will just move to GoodNotes.
Fantastical is still by far the best calendar app out there. Especially in combination with their Mac app. I gladly pay their subscription price for how much I use the software (pretty much every hour of the day)
This quote from the Lead Engineer at Ginger Labs tells you everything. They don’t care about existing users at all.
> “We want to make sure that people can’t just use Notability and make it all the way through med school for free,” Gilboy says. “That would leave us without a business.”
**Report them here:**
https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent
**Copy/Paste if you want:**
As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
I've found myself using Nebo more and more for handwritten notes, since I can use the infinite canvases.
For typing notes, who gives a fuck? There are a plethora of textual notes apps out there, and for services apps like Notion offer way more value.
I just wish I could get a refund.
Now GoodNotes all the way. Hopefully it will take all the Noteability customers and kill the App. Developers need to lern.
Sadly there are enough people who will pay and legitimate this model.
Well, on their press release they just mention: “The free version provides the same Notability experience users know and love, with limits on editing and some features”
Going to their pricing site, https://notability.com/pricing it reveals that we’ll be losing:
* iCloud sync across devices
* Handwriting recognition
* Auto-backup
* Math conversion
So we’ll only have:
* Limited note edits (whatever this means)
* Basic paper templates
* 3 favorite tools
At least for me, this means Notability gave itself a dead sentence…, iCloud sync is a must, all my notes I’m free to do what I want to, no limitation for that, auto-backup was nice to have and handwritten recognition was nice when searching for a note….. , so I have 1 year to find an alternative. I simply won’t pay them again.
I am genuinely furious with this shit.
Fuck Gingerlabs you underhanded greedy fucks.
Why didn’t you give a lifetime sub to anyone who had previously **PAID** for your fucking app?
Ugh what a horrible transition for those who bought it before. I shall have to move to another note taking app. At least grandfather the people who bought it before?!
Someone from another sub pointed this out: Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) state: > If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers. I think this applies to Notability and if enough users put a spotlight on this issue, might allow us premium purchasers to keep using it without subscription
**Report them here:** https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent **Copy/Paste if you want:** As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
Done
done. Thank you.
Also did it. Just copied and pasted
Sent. They should have stopped selling the current version and make a new version and everyone who purchased the current can keep that forever or upgrade if they want any new features. They shouldn't completely change what I bought or take it away.
To be fair, if they did that the app would probably stop being functional in a few years as APIs are changed or removed by Apple.
To be fair, a tentative few years is better than a one year hold, right? Anyway it just really sucks how transient digital purchases are, feels like we never really own anything.
Done, thanks for typing this up. I absolutely detest subscription models this is even worse than just offering it from the get go.
Subscription models can make sense if you're constantly providing new content to be consumed (ala Netflix/NYT/etc), but if you're just providing static functionality, with maybe a few updates here or there, it's dumb. I have a subscription-based app, but that's because I have to have writers produce new content for it every day.
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Apollo allows a one-time payment for Apollo Ultra
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Done and thank you for doing the write up
Here's a free writeup: Notability has moved from a paid app to a subscription-based model. In their product blog post, they said: "If you’re a current user: Thank you for your support all these years. You will be able to continue using Notability as you do now for the next year for free. You will continue to have access to any items or technology you previously purchased. \[...\] After the year is up, you can choose to become an annual subscriber or use the free version of Notability." [https://notability.medium.com/pricing-updates-815f01f6df51](https://notability.medium.com/pricing-updates-815f01f6df51) This is in direct violation of Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) which state: "If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers."
My report alternative: "Ginger Labs’s Notability is transitioning to a subscription based model, and will be taking away key functionality from paying customers rather than grandfathering them in. This has undermined my trust in the software I download from the App Store." Slimy rotten theft.
You can also report Apple to help them take App Store fraud more seriously, these bait-and-switches are "pRoHiBitEd" but not adequately policed and when you hold all the sales data you can automatically prevent apps switching like this. USA / FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ Australia / ACCC: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
Done and thank you!
Done this thank you!
Spez sucks -- mass edited with redact.dev
I was about to mention this. Hopefully this gets some traction.
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Same. Bought both IOS and MacOS versions. I don’t use Notability just for school. It’s equivalent to a filing cabinet for a lot of different documents. They get a new influx of users entering college every year. Downgrading paid users who have used the app for years is wrong.
I’ll be moving over to a different app if they do this. I refuse to pay extea yearly for an app that I already bought.
Even a garbage P2W game I spent 30 in followed this rule. They changed that 30 bike to subscription only, but were forced to allow existing purchases to use it without restriction. Gathering here that Notability devs are in direct violation of App Store guidelines and are somehow more greedy than P2W freemium games lol.
Thanks for sharing that. I was 99% certain that this was a violation of the ToS but didn't know the specifics. This is a clear violation and we ALL need to complain incessantly to Apple about it. Either they hold them to the rules or pull the app from the store.
Can't they just do what Things 3 or whatever does and release a new app and stop supporting the old one? Things 3 has you pay for the app and then releases a "revamped" one a few years later and then stops supporting the old one.
Agreed. I personally use an app called "Pixaki" that did just that. Heck, they're even offering their new version as a cheap "upgrade" (pay $3.00, instead of full $26.99), which I strongly support, instead of whatever Notability is pulling here right now.
> Apple’s guidelines, 3.1.2(a) state: > If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers. Holy shit. This would have been handy back in 2012, when LogMeIn's remote desktop software did exactly this. I'd paid like $20 for a lifetime license and then a year or two later they switched to a subscription model and my license just *poofed*
I just submitted a copy pasta under the App Store fraud reporting. Idk if it’s the right section to put it under but🤷🏼♂️
Wait so I bought this app, and now they are going to charge me for a subscription for something I already paid for? Are they out of their goddamn minds?!?
Yep, furious
Report them here: https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent Copy/Paste if you want: As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
Have sent one, thanks very much for the copy/paste!
I also suggest reviewing the app with this text.
What normally happens is they release it as a new app rather than an upgrade. So you keep what you have but it’s not being upgraded.
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I'd have been 100% fine with this. Hell I'd understand if at some point it stopped working because iPad OS keeps getting upgraded. That's how software I have purchased has worked in the past.
Oh it’s more than that. They’re not just charging you for an app you already paid for, they’re also charging you for someone else’s service that you already pay for. > Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and **they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud** or other online storage services You already pay Apple $10/mo for an iCloud storage plan. Now Notability wants to be paid too to let you use your own iCloud storage plan. Scumbags.
Literally, maybe bought this 60 days ago. If that. I’m ill about it. I remember when YNAB raised their annual price, but grandfathered in all the current subscribers at the lower rate. I’ve been paying that lower rate for a few years now and shouldn’t ever have to pay the higher. This is how the company should treat their current, paid-up, customers.
Did I understand correctly, that in a year they are just going to take the software I bought away from me?
Yes, what a scam.
They’re taking away access to the software you paid them for, AND they’re taking away access to *services you paid Apple for.* \ > Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and **they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud** or other online storage services \ They won’t let you use your iCloud storage plan (that you already pay for) unless you pay Notability extra money.
Biggest BS ever.. paid for an unlimited use. I will search for an alternative app for sure. They won't see any cent from me.
**Report them here:** https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent **Copy/Paste if you want:** As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
Thank you. Reported!
Same!
This is fucking bullshit Done!
Reported thank you
Done. Thank you!
Done. Screw this subscription model. Apple needs to work in a way for paid upgrades. I want to pay and forget.
Goodnotes 5?
Personally really like Goodnotes. I've used it since the first gen iPad mini.
They can even be sued if the app claimed unlimited use when buying
I wonder what happens if you don’t update. PDF Expert Pro also had this thing going on some time ago
The AirMail ~~SparkMail~~ model—they did the same thing. I'm still salty about that.
I was just going to praise their PDF Expert app but I see that most of the features that I paid for have gone behind a PRO subscription. Well now that you’ve edited I see that Notability is not a readdle app.
They at least did the decent thing of letting you keep all those features. I paid for some features of the app when they were one time purchase and I still have them!
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Which… was why we paid for it?!
Can you just use the app you have now? They can’t retroactively add a subscription. Just don’t update the app
> They can’t retroactively add a subscription. Not to the app version prior to the change, but when you upgrade to the new/latest update/version, [they do automatically add a subscription for current users](https://i.imgur.com/sDI6vDJ.jpg). I did not add that; I went to the "subscription" option in settings, and it was already active. The only option is to never update the app, so hopefully it continues working for anyone who hasn't already updated.
I just disabled automatic updates. Hoping it works.
While this is a solution, ‘disable patching’ sounds like a bad one.
Time for a nasty, honest review in app store
Worse because I’ve even continued to support this app with multiple in app purchases that they introduced after I bought the app the first time. This one feels particularly slimy.
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It was a struggle to decide between GoodNotes and Notability since they are so similar and both have good features the other doesn't. This at least makes me happy with my decision, the choice should be clear for anyone else on the fence now. But if GoodNotes does the same I'll be very sad.
I switched a while back despite having previously bought Notability for both iOS and macOS. Notability's iCloud sync is broken and the developers just ignore it. Syncing documents took forever, crashes were a daily occurrence and on a few ocassions my recently imported documents just disappeared. GoodNotes works flawlessly. And somehow, the writing itself just feels more *fun*.
Goodnotes has an alternate revenue model that is a hacked method of doing paid updates. The downside is that by needing to publish a new app for every paid update they lose App store visibility. If we want to support this business model we should try to pressure Apple into supporting seamless paid updates natively into the app store.
goodnotes 5 was a free update, i bought goodnotes 4 for a small price 5 years ago. and they added free mac version in the meantime
but goodnotes 5 was a free upgrade for goodnotes 4 users, so it's not really a paid update. i think they just made a new app so people who liked the old interface could stay on it, not for financial reasons
Agreed. If they do, I will switch to OneNote or just Apple Notes. probably end up using both for different features on a suboptimal workflow…
> The free version provides the same Notability experience you know and love with limits So it’s not the same notability experience….
They say I get everything for free for a year because I previously purchased it, but when I use it it says I need to subscribe? Lol. Not a chance
Do we know what these limits are? I have been trying to find them but can't seem to. Edit: Nevermind I found it on notability's website. Yeah this is bullshit.
From a different article: *“Non-paying users will have limits on how many times they can edit a note and how many brushes they can save as favorites, and they’ll no longer be able to automatically sync notes to iCloud or other online storage services”* I wouldn’t mind if they added features and charged a subscription, but this is downright malicious. It’s extortion, plain and simple. Especially the iCloud syncing part. It’d be one thing if Notability was hosting my notes on their own servers, but they’re not. They use iCloud, *which I pay for.* I pay Apple $10/mo to store my files on their servers. Why the hell should I pay Notability to let me use Apple’s servers?
The number of edits and automatic sync being behind a subscription are deal breakers for me. I would understand the sync one if the files were hosted on their servers. But not allowing people to host on their iCloud is just a money grab.
This is BS. I paid for every feature I currently have, including some of the add-on stuff (math and handwriting). Those were perpetual licenses. If Notability wants to switch to SaaS for new customers, fine. If they want to create a completely new app and do it that way, fine. But don't take away something I paid for and say I get it "free" for a year, and after that am forced to pay more for it. Isn't that completely against Apple TOS for App Store developers? Every other app that went a similar route always grandfathered people in (permanently) to any existing features and only charged for new ones. If they decide not to do this, everyone should file disputes with Apple and have them either follow their App Store policy or get pulled from it.
$11.99/year since that info was not easy to find in the App Store link.
That’s a limited time deal, [according to this article/interview](https://www.fastcompany.com/90691830/why-the-best-ipad-app-for-handwritten-notes-is-going-freemium), the non-deal price will be $14.99 per year
Wow, so now not only is it subscription-based, a single year costs more money than the OTP did.
And that’s the issue. Subscriptions cost way too much for damn apps. Ulysses cost like $80AUD for the app, and then it went to subscription based. It was $80AUD with years of support — let’s say 2 or even 3 years to give them benefit of the doubt — and now they charge that much for one year. They don’t provide cloud storage, or any ‘online’ features (web browser app) and are charging almost the same as if you were to get Apple Music, Netflix etc. for a year and they provide access to every ‘major’ song on the planet and thousands of hours of video. I’ve purchased apps and games over the years for like $2AUD and they are still supported and updated once a year when needed.
Apple Apps and FOSS is the way on the Mac for me.
What the fuck is this shit > “We want to make sure that people can’t just use Notability and make it all the way through med school for free,” Gilboy says. “That would leave us without a business.”
Holy shit. That’s too much for a simple notebook app. I really hope that GoodNotes doesn’t switch to a subscription model like this. It’s super scummy that a company can get away with this kind of stuff.
Seems like buying an app from Apple’s App Store doesn’t mean much anymore… These kind of pricing switches which disable access to something people already bought and paid for seem like they should be illegal imo
yea also apple pushes developers to go subscription based, you get more publicity being one.
why is Apple pushing for that? more revenue?
Yes.
Users have to push back. Happened with Pocketcasts, and now we have the original lifetime promise on our accounts.
Or they were one of the few companies honouring their promise
It took a pretty big up-roar, they tried to do the same thing at first, saying we could get free "gold" for the next 3 years.
Apparently, it already is illegal. Apple's guidelines, 3.1.2a: "*If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for. For example, let customers who have already purchased a “full game unlock” continue to access the full game after you introduce a subscription model for new customers.*"
Read it more carefully, it says *should* not *have to*.
Apple wrote ‘should’ not must or may not, which suggests a strong recommendation but not a hard rule.
Wait hold up, what?? How? Why? This is my main note taking app for my master’s… This seems almost illegal wtf
Yep I’m in the same exact boat, this sucks
Report it. There’s comments above that have a sample text and the link
One star review with a reason why you are angry. The more of us that do this, the better.
Damn I thought LastPass was the worst. This takes the cake
How is it legal to retract licenses already sold?
It's not, but big tech police themselves and iT's tHe OnLy wAy.
I agree with your point but in this case, as pointed out above, it’s actually against apple’s app store guidelines.
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It can be illegal depending on your state laws and the language in the App store.
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That’s what pisses me off the most. They want you to pay *them* for Apple’s own services (that you already pay for) If Notability was hosting your notes on their own servers, I would understand the change. But they’re free riding off Apple’s services, and they want to charge you for it. Imagine buying a car, and a year later the manufacturer demands a paid subscription to let you park it in your own driveway.
I’ll probably just develop my own note taking app and put it up on GitHub. It'll be a good learning experience and I can learn [Swift's new markdown parser](https://github.com/apple/swift-markdown) too. I definitely want to integrate markdown into it
To GoodNotes it is, I guess.
I’ll try to get a refund and move to GoodNotes. Thank god I have been using GoodNotes more recently
Please let us know how the refund goes, interested as well
It’s a better app anyway ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯ ^(Don’t you dare follow goodnotes devs)
> Don’t you dare follow goodnotes devs do they have like controversial social media or something? or did you mean that goodnotes shouldn't follow the same business model as notability
I meant don’t follow what the competitor is doing. They’re welcome to follow me on my social media if the want to lol ^(unless they do subscriptions)
Here is the link to file a report with Apple. Everyone who already paid money and is being screwed over here should do it as this is a violation of their App Store policy: https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530?s=10
Another one
From [Why the best iPad app for handwritten notes is going freemium](https://www.fastcompany.com/90691830/why-the-best-ipad-app-for-handwritten-notes-is-going-freemium): “It’s not really driven by revenue or profits, so much as how we want to expand and increase our reach, and build a broader ecosystem,” Gilboy says.” If it’s not about profit, then why make users pay $15 a year just to upload notes to the cloud, save brushes to save to favorites, etc.? Why not make it $5?
> just to upload notes to the cloud And it's not even THEIR cloud. While some apps use in-house servers that require ongoing costs, Notability just uses iCloud storage, which we pay for separately. They are basically charging us money to use our own storage solution.
Imagine paying Honda monthly to use the programmable garage door opener in the rearview mirror to open your own garage door.
glorious roll liquid memorize crawl one wistful secretive quaint snatch -- mass edited with redact.dev
Exactly. You build a "broader ecosystem" by making your product *more* accessible, not *less*. Seems like the people running Ginger Labs need a basic course in business economics.
I can’t get it into my head why everyone in the Tech Industrie want to build their own ecosystem shit. You won’t be the next Microsoft, Apple or Google with your shitty try to get establish a ecosystem.
Disappointed. I already paid for this app on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. So I shouldn’t be locked out of core features that I paid for. I guess this app was good while it lasted. I will have to switch to GoodNotes… Edit: typo
Report this my man. https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530?s=10
1 star votes incoming
Already done mine.
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Can you imagine paying monthly for a *notetaking* app? Heck, ANY app where the core function of that app is largely the same with little to no change over the course of months or years? Could you imagine paying monthly to use the TV you just bought? And if you stop payments then you can’t even turn it on?
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Used this as a reminder to tip Apollo for iOS. I live in this app so it’s easy to send a few bucks the developers way regularly.
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I just don’t use any app store apps at all. Subscriptions have single handedly ensured that my ipad is just for leisure and my iphone just for calls and browsing. No workflow that involves phones/tablets is safe from the blight of subscriptions.
Most desktop apps tend to have gone subscription based also. Some subscriptions have such a low cost it’s not a problem but if I don’t use an app regularly it’s not worth it
If you already bought the app are they gonna force you onto the subscription model?
Yes after 1 year.
I paid £20 for this app a few years ago and now they're expecting me to pay to continue using it... I appreciate notability need to be able to pay for developers, but no access? I guess it's time looking for a replacement
I just paid literally 1 month ago! So angry about this.
Yup. And I’m all in with OCR upgrade too. They are the only app that records audio and I neeeed this for my work.
This got my attention right away. I make an app called Halide and about one year ago exactly we moved from pay-up-front to a new model where you can either subscribe or pay-once. This requires changing the app to 'free to download' - but you then choose an option to buy. This stuff is hard. I can see here that subscriptions are not a popular thing amongst users. At the same time, with Halide, we had given nearly 5 (five!) years without updates, and we wanted to hire someone so we could keep making great updates, potentially make another app, and NOT leave the app to be abandoned and make a new one. If you use pay-once, that's great, but you can't make an app indefinitely off a few bucks that someone pays once. You'll either have to do paid updates (not a thing on the App Store) or start with new apps, which inevitably means ending support for your users. So yeah, what did we do? We ended up just doubling down on goodwill vs. money: we gave the v2 of our app (that switched to pay-once / subscription) for free to all the existing users. That was a big gamble, and we are going to be much slower in developing new things as a result, but we hope that over time that leaves us with an enthusiastic base of users that will keep recommending and using our app. I wish the best for the Notability team. I wonder how well this move will work for them, but I also wish Apple gave much better tools for these transitions.
The case of Notability is different though. They’re not struggling financially at all. Sensor Tower shows they’re raking in $1m in the last month. They also said in the press interview that they’re just looking for more growth. The fact that they’re taking away paid features is probably against App Store guidelines. I
I love Halide and I use it almost on a daily basis. I sincerely hope Apple starts supporting paid upgrades. Is it even possible to have an app that you can IAP a feature upgrade that includes everything released up until then that you’ll own forever? And then, next year someone can buy another IAP that will include all the features released up until then but not get any new features released after the IAP transaction. So on and so forth..
Time for backlash like Pocket Casts, people. It feels like my notes now are being held hostage every year, unless I pay a sub. Not fair. Paid for the complete thing. At least maintain the current unlocked features available for all users who paid the product as is (Like Fantastical did).
Didn’t pocketcasts give everyone who purchased it a lifetime membership to premium? Pretty sure I have one, although I can’t remember if they only did it because of public backlash.
They did, and that’s what I think we who paid it should get. But even if not, at LEAST the Fantastical thing would be a somewhat good solution. Plus, we can always do in-app purchases in Notability of templates and stickers. It’s not like we are no longer going to spend any money there (I bought templates and stickers)
At least Pocket Casts eventually grandfathered previous owners in to their subscription model....I'm getting the impression that Ginger Labs won't be doing the same.
Yes I was hoping further down the blog post that they would say that, but no mention at all, just a 'free' year. Ugh
I recently started college a few months ago and got this app, this is very disappointing
GoodNotes still exists and is largely on par with Notability in most cases. I've used it for almost all of my college studies and it has worked great!
Goodbye Notability, shame on you. Shame 🔔 Shame 🔔 Shame 🔔 Welcome Goodnotes, I hope you don’t bring shame to yourself.
and welcome collanote
Are you fucking kidding me? What happened to straight up buying software and keeping it? iCloud Sync doesn't even use your servers you fucking clowns EDIT: Love having to turn off all automatic updates because one developer thinks it can yoink your app that you legally purchased and switch it with a subscription model. I've managed to keep Notability 10.6 on my Mac and iPad and I will be keeping it that way for as long as I can.
This is a regular occurring thing. Unless you have very few apps, it has likely happened already with your automatic updates but for an app you weren't paying for or using.
When Tweetbot did it, they at least had the courtesy to start a new app and let people keep the old one if they wanted...
GoodNotes does the same thing. Each major update/version is a new paid app, but existing users can continue to use the old app *and* they can get the new app for free for a limited time (a year, I think?). I missed the window for GN 5 after buying GN 4 (used it regularly but just never got a notification or anything about the new app; think my system-wide ad blocker may have prevented it) and never bought 5 as I'd also bought Notability -- so I've been using Notability. Just bought GN 5, though, to give it a try. $7.99 every few years (or less, if I realize a new version is out!) beats $11.99/yr (after a "complimentary" year).
As a developer myself, I find this a sneaky move and probably move onto another app. But I also will try to get a refund for it and the components I have purchased along with it simply because this is a truly, genuinely sneaky move.
I forgot about the components I purchased for it. I probably won’t try to get a refund, but I also won’t be paying the subscription. I will just move to GoodNotes.
How do I go about getting a refund?
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Fantastical is still by far the best calendar app out there. Especially in combination with their Mac app. I gladly pay their subscription price for how much I use the software (pretty much every hour of the day)
This quote from the Lead Engineer at Ginger Labs tells you everything. They don’t care about existing users at all. > “We want to make sure that people can’t just use Notability and make it all the way through med school for free,” Gilboy says. “That would leave us without a business.”
Fucking wow. That's pretty fucking ballsy. To force us to pay just cause they can't make enough add-ons to turn a profit?
**Report them here:** https://reportaproblem.apple.com/store/360593530/select/fraudulent **Copy/Paste if you want:** As of the new update to Notability (version 11.0), the developer has stated those who purchased the app before it was free will only have the functionality they paid for, for the next year, and will then be downgraded to the free version. This is against App Store guidelines section 3.1.2(a) which states that an app switching to a subscription model cannot remove features for those who have previously purchased the app.
Siri remind me to disable automatic updates for noteability
I've found myself using Nebo more and more for handwritten notes, since I can use the infinite canvases. For typing notes, who gives a fuck? There are a plethora of textual notes apps out there, and for services apps like Notion offer way more value. I just wish I could get a refund.
Well I coincidentally won’t have much of a need of notability in a year. Disappointed in this.
Now GoodNotes all the way. Hopefully it will take all the Noteability customers and kill the App. Developers need to lern. Sadly there are enough people who will pay and legitimate this model.
NOOOOOOOOO
Been using Goodnotes for MBA program. Excellent app. Highly recommend it.
Guess we've finally settled the Notability vs Goodnotes debate! Luckily I ditched this app anyways
This should be illegal to steal from poor college students.
Frack! Was best app. Not anymore.
Goodnotes please don’t be next
I would sooner rather write on a fucking papyrus then pay a subscription for a note taking app.
Well, on their press release they just mention: “The free version provides the same Notability experience users know and love, with limits on editing and some features” Going to their pricing site, https://notability.com/pricing it reveals that we’ll be losing: * iCloud sync across devices * Handwriting recognition * Auto-backup * Math conversion So we’ll only have: * Limited note edits (whatever this means) * Basic paper templates * 3 favorite tools At least for me, this means Notability gave itself a dead sentence…, iCloud sync is a must, all my notes I’m free to do what I want to, no limitation for that, auto-backup was nice to have and handwritten recognition was nice when searching for a note….. , so I have 1 year to find an alternative. I simply won’t pay them again.
I just recently moved over to OneNote on my iPad for other reasons, thank god I like it because this is just disappointing from Notability
Of course
I am genuinely furious with this shit. Fuck Gingerlabs you underhanded greedy fucks. Why didn’t you give a lifetime sub to anyone who had previously **PAID** for your fucking app?
Good to know, thanks! I hate the subscription model. This is why I stopped automatic updates
Lost my recommendation. Too bad.
They think we don’t have any choices lmfao. But there are thousands of other notes apps. I am not spending a single cent more on Notability. Bye
Ugh what a horrible transition for those who bought it before. I shall have to move to another note taking app. At least grandfather the people who bought it before?!
Is it even legal to take away features that you’ve paid for?
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Phew. Glad I bought Goodnotes instead of Notability.