iPhone apps can now use notifications to send ads after Apple changes policy

Dating and fortune telling apps will also be subject to new rules

A man checks his phone next to billboards advertising the an Apple iPhone 7 smartphone as he stands on Oxford Street in London on March 7, 2017 (CHRIS J RATCLIFFE/AFP via Getty Images))

Apple has relaxed its rules to allow apps to send ads in people's notifications.

The new rules mean that developers will be able to use pop-ups on the home screen of the phone not only for alerts about the app, but also to advertise extra purchases within the app.

Apple's guidance on ads has come under scrutiny in recent months because it appeared to break its own rules. To promote Apple services such as Music and Apple TV+, the company has sent out notifications to users that critics argued would be banned if they were used by any other developer.

Now Apple has given anyone the right to send out such notifications.

The rules still require that users authorise the ads. Developers must give people a way of opting out of marketing messages from within the app.

Another change to the way notifications work mean that apps will no longer be allowed to badger users to review their app with custom notifications. Instead, they must use Apple's devoted tools for doing so, which brings up a specific pop-up that can be dismissed.

The changes come amid a host of updates to Apple's review guidelines, which decide whether an app can be included within the App Store. It includes changes to account for new features that came with iOS 13.

As part of those changes, Apple will also require that developers integrate Sign In With Apple, which allows users to log in using their Apple ID and promises to do so in a way that keeps dater safer. If apps already offer competing ways to connect – such as Facebook or Google log-ins – then they must also use Apple's new feature.