Ads you cannot close on the iPhone

You are simply attempting to bypass ads you see on some games that only work because that app has not disabled that loop hole. It is not difficult for an app to check for internet connectivity and stop gameplay altogether without it if they wish. Apple is not involved at all. Apps are allowed to run ads, which is the source of the income since you have not paid them anything to develop and continually update the game so it works correctly for everyone.

Many apps have an in-app purchase that will disable the ads which is a solution for both parties. The developer gets reimbursement to cover their expenses and you get the experience of using the app without ads, and you don't have to resort to cheating the developer out of revenue they deserve. The solution 7 years ago is exactly the same as it is today, if you do not like the use of ads that are provided to you by the Developer, do not use that app.

zarathu wrote:

It has nothing to do with Apple because Apple will accept no responsibility for apps that run on their iPhone platform. The game is very very old. I’ve run it on my phone since the Seven I got 7 years ago. I have resisted upgrading it because I know that will mean even more ads. It's literally the only game I have on my phone. I have deleted all the other bait and switch games. It was billed as free a long time ago, and for about 5 years it was, but now it's not.

I use my phone as a phone mostly. If I want more, then I use my Macbook M4Max 48 gb.

Your expectation is unrealistic to the max. Apple doesn't own the game. They simply host the game on the App Store. They can't touch anything inside the game or they'd be sued by the app developer. You don't like the answer you're being given, but it's the correct answer. Either stop playing the game if you don't like how the App Developer is making its money for their 100% free game to you OR pay for the ad free version of the game. Arguing your issue with this non-Apple game with your fellow users on this user to user only forum is a waste of your time. We don't work for the game developer. Contact the App Developer of the game if you don't like how they're forcing ads to you. Apple isn't responsible for that in any way.

If access to the internet is on, then no longer using the game is the only option. The code is right in the game to display ads. You're just lucky that game will still run with internet access cut off. I use a Cribbage game the same way. Annoying ads at the bottom unless I turn Wi-Fi off.

Other games aren't so dumb. Microsoft's Solitaire app will kill ads if you pay a subscription fee. But otherwise, you have to tolerate long ads you can't stop every 3 to 5 games. About a year or so back, you could turn off Wi-Fi and use the game without any ads. But MS must have seen a huge drop in ad revenue from that game and figured out why. An update to the game changed it so if it couldn't connect to the internet, it wouldn't run.

It may be 7 years later, but the answer is still the same. You're using a free game which makes its money from the advertisers to push those ads to you. Either DON'T play the game or use the site or pay for the game, which offers an ad free experience. This has NOTHING to do with Apple. It has everything to do with the game or site you're using.

zarathu wrote:

It has nothing to do with Apple because Apple will accept no responsibility for apps that run on their iPhone platform.

Apple's responsibility is with the Submission Guidelines for what an app is allowed to do before it will be accepted in the App Store. You can read those rules for yourself here, and they are actually quite extensive. Beyond that, app developers are free to do as they wish and certainly allowed to provide ads in their apps and options for monetization to pay for their efforts they put in to create the games you have the option to download.

App Review Guidelines - Apple Developer

As for what Apple does when an app does not adhere to those submission guidelines, you can see here that Apple removed over 82,000 apps from the App Store just last year. I do consider that taking responsibility.

https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/docs/2024-App-Store-Transparency-Report.pdf