Apple Approves Basecamp's Email App 'Hey' With Newly Added 14-Day Free Account Option [Updated]

Just ahead of WWDC, Apple has approved a new version of Basecamp's email app "Hey" for release on the App Store, as noted by The Verge.

hey email app mobile
In response to Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller saying that "you download the app and it doesn't work," Basecamp says that version 1.0.3 of the app introduces a free account option, allowing users to sign up directly in the app to receive a temporary randomized @hey.com email address that works for 14 days.

Basecamp is still not adopting Apple's in-app purchase system, which was at the center of the back-and-forth controversy, so users will have to visit the "Hey" website to sign up for a paid account after the free two-week period.

"Hey" has also gained multi-user support for enterprise customers, after Apple initially took issue with the app's consumer focus.

Apple has faced renewed scrutiny over its App Store practices in the weeks leading up to WWDC, including the European Commission's announcement that it will be investigating Apple's in-app purchase system. In particular, Basecamp and some other developers have taken issue with Apple's long-standing 30 percent commission from in-app purchases.

Basecamp founder David Heinemeier Hansson recently described the commission as a "ransom," calling it "profoundly, perversely abusive, and unfair." However, he called the newly approved version of "Hey" a "good compromise."

Update - June 25: Apple has approved version 1.0.3 of "Hey" with the 14-day free account option.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
New MacBook Pros Launching Tomorrow With These 4 New Features 2

M5 MacBook Models to Use New Compact Camera Module in 2025

Wednesday July 17, 2024 2:58 am PDT by
Apple in 2025 will take on a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for future MacBook models powered by its next-generation M5 chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Writing in his latest investor note on unny-opticals-2025-business-momentum-to-benefit-509819818c2a">Medium, Kuo said Apple will turn to Sunny Optical for the CCM in its M5 MacBooks. The Chinese optical lens company...

Top Rated Comments

omenatarhuri Avatar
53 months ago
This has been a brilliant marketing campaign. Well done to chaps at Basecamp.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trip1ex Avatar
53 months ago
Yep they probably skirted the rules on purpose to advertise the app. I doubt I would have heard about it otherwise.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
53 months ago

This has been a brilliant marketing campaign. Well done to chaps at Basecamp.
I’m going to guess Cook had words with Schiller to the effect of get this sorted out before WWDC starts.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jmausmuc Avatar
53 months ago
I think it should be 100% at Apples discretion to approve and reject whatever they want for any reason.
it’s their platform. They built it. That’s my opinion on the legal matter.

Morally, I think it’s good that developers speak up. 30% is a huge cut. Would be fair to take a little bit less. But that should be done voluntarily not forced.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
53 months ago

So, on June 18th when Phil Shiller said that Apple would not change it’s decision on “Hey” - was that just “chin music”?
No. Hey did what apple told them to do - add functionality that works when the app is launched.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
53 months ago
Grown ups find good solutions. Kids whine.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)