Apple has updated its developer guidelines to explicitly state Apple Watch app submissions that focus only on telling the time will be rejected.
9to5Mac reports, while the policy has been in place since day one, a new line in the App Store Review Guidelines makes it official.
Section 10.7 of the submission rules says: “
The update seems to suggest time-telling is allowed within Apple Watch apps, so long as it is not the main focus of the app.
Apple Watch users are limited to the choice of 10 pre-installed faces on the device, with some customisation options, such as the ability to add alarms and activity data.
However, somewhat understandably, Apple seems reluctant to let third-party designers mess with the aesthetic of the watch faces.
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The report also points out Apple may be preparing to temper the restrictions with the roll out of some new watch faces in the coming weeks and months.
The Apple Watch help guide features a paragraph on potential firmware updates that could boost the line up of available faces.
The company wrote: “Apple Watch includes a variety of watch faces, any of which you can customize to suit you. Check frequently for software updates; the set of watch faces that follows might differ from what you see on your Apple Watch.“