Apple Blocked ETH Wallet Gnosis From App Store Over NFTs: Report

Apple blocked ETH wallet Gnosis from its App store as the creator Lukas Schor said because of its possibility to display NFTs so let’s find out more in our latest cryptocurrency news today.

Gnosis could have to remove the NFT features to get approved by the Apple App store while other wallets also started reporting issues after being listed on Apple. Apple spent a day unveiling new iPads and iPhones at his annual event but behind the scenes, there was a battle over what people are able to put on their devices.

Apple is blocking a release of our @gnosissafe mobile app because we display NFTs in it. After 2 weeks of back-and-forth, I felt that we need to talk publicly about this to raise awareness.

See the thread for details and why this might affect other wallets and apps as well. 👇

— Lukas Schor | Gnosis Safe (@SchorLukas) September 14, 2021

Lukas Schor who heads the product development at Gnosis Safe said that the release of his company’s ETH wallet is being blocked by Apple. In addition, to help the users in managing custody of their funds, it also allows them to see other digital assets like NFTs. NFTs are blockchain-based tokens on Ethereum most of the time, that signify a deed to a particular virtual or physical object and can be bought and sold or traded. Since the NFTs are tokens, they are starting to be integrated into wallets so that people can see the collectibles and all of the art connected to the deeds.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to blame Apple and still think this is just a human issue. So I'd be happy to work with them to improve the guidelines when it comes to wallets. It needs to be 100% clear what is allowed and what is not.

— Lukas Schor | Gnosis Safe (@SchorLukas) September 14, 2021

The integration of NFTs into Gnosis is causing problems With Apple which is why Apple blocked ETH wallet Gnosis from their app. Schor even asked whether the new version of the app could be used to store NFTs as he said that they have already been integrated on the app earlier with the latest update being something about connecting a hard wallet to the Gnosis Safe. Since the question was raised, Gnosis answered that users can store their own NFTs on the app. The Apple Store said it will not permit:

“We noticed that your app includes or accesses paid digital content, services, or functionality by means other than in-app purchases, which is not appropriate for the App Store.”

In follow-up messages trying to clear up the mess as the Apple App Store responded that Gnosis should remove this feature as one App Store reviewer wrote:

“Apple does not allow apps, especially wallets, to display NFTs if they are not bought via in-app purchases.”

The upshot is that you can purchase NFTs through an app on your phone but you can’t store NFTs purchased somewhere else. Apple has yet to respond to a request for comment but the claim tracks with the tech company which is known for keeping tight control over the platform sometimes to prevent competition. Apple lost a case a week ago against epic Games where a judge ruled that it couldn’t block the external payment methods on the devices. It’s not the first issue crypto wallets reported encountering in their dealings with Apple.