“Box Office” goes missing in the App Store and no one knows why


Reports are coming in that Apple has pulled “Box Office” from the App Store without telling anyone – including the developers why. Gizmodo and TUAW are both reporting on it with a fair bit of speculation being thrown in. Gizmodo speculated that there could be something “under the surface” like a security flaw that has caused the App to be removed.

TUAW is going another route, comparing it to the NetShare Application that was recently removed from the App Store – then returned – then removed again. That poster even goes so far as to say “it’s clear that apple has complete control over what you install on your iPhone or iPod Touch”.

That statement is completely wrong, though. Apple has control over what is and isn’t in the App Store. They don’t force you to delete Applications that they have removed from the store. I have both Box Office and NetShare on my iPhone – and they aren’t going anywhere. Until they do, Apple does not have “complete control” over my iPhone – and even if they did do that – I could still jailbreak it if I so chose.

Back on topic, though, there is no word on why Box Office is missing – but it could be a simple error. It’s not like NetShare didn’t get added, then removed, then added again – perhaps someone just flicked the wrong switch in the App Store and isn’t aware of it yet.

Regardless, if Box Office comes back, I recommend it. It’s a good App.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

3 Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. I hope this isn’t the signs of things to come with the App Store. There have been (to my knowledge) 3 apps pulled from the app store, Aurora Feint, which was taken down with just cause (security issues), NetShare, which (at least seemed to) have just cause (AT&T contract issues), and this one, Box Office, which doesn’t seem to have any just cause at all.