Apple won’t change its decision to reject email app Hey

The spotlight over Apple's App Store policy comes ahead of its annual developer conference where it usually highlights the growth of the app store.

Apple and a small email company Basecamp are at loggerheads (Apple)

Apple is not changing its position on the decision to turn down future updates by a new and popular email app Hey. The company said that Hey creator Basecamp had breached the App Store guidelines and asked the latter to comply with the rules to be able to roll out future updates. Apple also said that it has decided to reject the Mac version of the app.

Apple made these comments in a letter sent to Hey creator Basecamp, reports The Verge. Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller, in the meanwhile, told TechCrunch that the company had no plans to reconsider App Store rules.

“Sitting here today, there's not any changes to the rules that we are considering,” Schiller told the publication. “There are many things that they could do to make the app work within the rules that we have. We would love for them to do that.”

Schiller's new comments come shortly after Basecamp publicly criticised Apple's App Store policies. The email company said that it should not be forced to share 30% of its annual $99 subscription through in-app purchase. For now, Hey allows users to sign in through the app but lets you purchase the subscription through the official website.

The tussle comes at a time when Apple's App Store has come under the scanner of the EU regulator. The body is investigating the company's antitrust practices concerning the App Store.

Microsoft has also joined the debate with its President Brad Smith calling upon antitrust regulators in US and Europe to look into app stores' tactics. He didn't specifically name Apple but noted that app stores create a far higher barrier to fair competition.