Patreon creators might want to make some modifications quickly, because of Apple. On Wednesday, Patreon stated Apple has renewed its requirement that each one Patreon creators should transfer to subscription billing. The deadline to take action is November 1, 2026.
Patreon’s weblog put up asserting the change made it clear that it had no different selection. “We strongly disagree with this determination,” the corporate wrote. “Creators want consistency and readability with a view to construct wholesome, long-term companies. As an alternative, creators utilizing legacy billing will now need to endure the whiplash of one other coverage reversal — the third such change from Apple prior to now 18 months.”
Up up to now, Patreon’s billing mannequin has operated in a grey space, permitting its creators to cost followers outdoors the App Retailer with out paying Apple’s charges. When the problem first surfaced, TechCrunch described it as stemming from how paid content material was accessed (just some creators provided content material that might be consumed in-app). On Wednesday, a Patreon consultant described the grey space as being “as a result of Apple’s In-App Buy system doesn’t help a few of Patreon’s longstanding billing fashions.”
However now Apple has reimposed its subscription mandate, eliminating the grey space. “We all know that Apple is severe about implementing this mandate,” Patreon wrote. “Late final 12 months, they blocked a Patreon app replace and made it clear that with a view to stay within the App Retailer, we now have to adjust to their billing requirement. As a result of tens of millions of followers use iOS as their main strategy to entry Patreon and join with creators, having our app blocked — or not accessible within the App Retailer in any respect — is not an choice.”
Patreon’s “whiplash” description is not hyperbole. Apple first introduced the mandate in 2024. At the moment, the deadline for all Patreon creators to make the swap was set to November 2025 — one which Patreon grudgingly accepted. However in response to the corporate, Apple informed it final Might that the unique 2025 deadline was now not in impact. Now, it seems to have reversed that once more.
If there is a silver lining, TechCrunch notes that solely 4 % of Patreon creators are utilizing the affected (legacy) billing fashions. And followers can nonetheless bypass Apple’s charges on iOS by becoming a member of through their iPhone’s net browser. Patreon has far more element for creators in its announcement put up.
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – JANUARY 21: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaks to Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner (L) as he attends a reception for enterprise leaders (Picture by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures) (Chip Somodevilla through Getty Pictures)
As for Apple, effectively, this acquainted position of “Huge, Unhealthy App Retailer Taxman” pales compared to a few of its different latest headlines. For starters, there was its removing of the ICEBlock app (and one other that logged ICE arrest recordings) in October. A minimum of as regarding is an app class that the “Privateness is a human proper” firm will not take away. Grok, X and (reportedly) dozens of different apps now enable iPhone homeowners to “digitally undress” actual folks, together with youngsters. 28 advocacy teams even referred to as on the corporate to take away them, to no avail.
To prime all of it off, Tim Cook dinner determined that Saturday — the day Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal brokers — can be time to attend the screening of Melania on the White Home. He even posed for a selfie with accused rapist Brett Ratner, the movie’s director.
Replace, January 28, 2026, 5:22 PM ET: This story has been up to date to make clear how the Patreon app operated in a grey space earlier than Apple’s modifications.
