Just a few hours ago it was reported that Apple had blocked Google to use its iOS enterprise app certificate as the search giant had violated the Terms of Service. This comes just a day after it gave the same treatment to Facebook. According to The Verge, “Apple shut down Google’s ability to distribute its internal iOS apps earlier today, following a similar shutdown that was issued to Facebook earlier this week.”

This lead to a scenario where early versions of Google Maps, Hangouts, Gmail, and other pre-release beta apps stopped working along with employee-only apps.

Apple's Developer Enterprise Program allows developers to distribute iOS apps outside the App Store, but the distribution is only limited to employees. Google was reportedly using a certificate issued by Apple that allowed the company to create and build internal apps for its staff for one of its consumer-facing apps, called Screenwise Meter. This was violating Apple’s rules.

Google had later apologised and agreed that it was a mistake- "the app should not have operated under Apple’s developer enterprise program.”

The issue was short-lived though as TechCrunch has reported that Apple has restored Google’s Enterprise Certificate. A Google spokesperson has confirmed the development, but says that only the internal corporate apps have been restored. Google employees not only lost access to employee-only iOS versions of their pre-launch test apps like YouTube, Gmail, and Calendar, but also their food and shuttle apps leading to big disruption in productivity.

Facebook went through a similar issue during this week. It was said that Apple had stepped in because of a similar violation due to which Facebook’s pre-launch, test-only versions of Facebook and Instagram stopped working. Even employee-only apps dedicated for everyday office usage like travel and lunch schedule had also stopped working.

(Published by News 18, Fabruary 01, 2019)