Apple again sends users unsolicited push notification, advertises Apple Music compatibilit...
For the fourth time in less than two weeks, Apple has used the push notification mechanism of a native iOS app for what amounts to an advertisement, this time touting Apple Music compatibility with Amazon's line of Echo devices.
Apple Music push notification touting Amazon Echo compatibility.
Apple Music subscribers saw push notifications promoting the service's new Echo integration pop up on their iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices on Monday. The alert, once a rarity for Apple, raised eyebrows, as a number of users posted screenshots of the message to social media outlets like Twitter.
"Now you can ask Alexa to play your favorite artists, songs and more. Tap to get started," the notification reads.
Amazon first announced Apple Music integration with its line of Echo speakers last month, saying control of the music service would be added as a "skill" for its Alexa virtual assistant on Dec. 17. The skill went live for some in the U.S. late last week, while others in the country gained access on Monday.
Similar to Apple's HomePod, users deploying Apple Music on Echo can ask Alexa to play songs by title, tracks from artists and custom curated playlists. Genre-based radio stations and Apple's live Beats 1 station is also available.
Today's notification is the fourth such alert Apple pushed out from a first-party app this month.
The first arrived on Dec. 7, when a notification urging iPhone owners to upgrade to iPhone XS and XR was sent from the Apple Store app. That same day, Apple Music sent out a message promoting an episode of its original TV show Carpool Karaoke featuring Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin. Carpool Karaoke was again the subject of a push notification last Friday when Apple Music peddled a new episode starring Jason Sudeikis and The Muppets.
While not a glut of messages, the practice walks the line of Apple's own App Store Guidelines, which in section 4.5.3 prohibits developers from using Apple Services to "spam, phish, or send unsolicited messages to customers."
Apple Music push notification touting Amazon Echo compatibility.
Apple Music subscribers saw push notifications promoting the service's new Echo integration pop up on their iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices on Monday. The alert, once a rarity for Apple, raised eyebrows, as a number of users posted screenshots of the message to social media outlets like Twitter.
"Now you can ask Alexa to play your favorite artists, songs and more. Tap to get started," the notification reads.
Amazon first announced Apple Music integration with its line of Echo speakers last month, saying control of the music service would be added as a "skill" for its Alexa virtual assistant on Dec. 17. The skill went live for some in the U.S. late last week, while others in the country gained access on Monday.
Similar to Apple's HomePod, users deploying Apple Music on Echo can ask Alexa to play songs by title, tracks from artists and custom curated playlists. Genre-based radio stations and Apple's live Beats 1 station is also available.
Today's notification is the fourth such alert Apple pushed out from a first-party app this month.
The first arrived on Dec. 7, when a notification urging iPhone owners to upgrade to iPhone XS and XR was sent from the Apple Store app. That same day, Apple Music sent out a message promoting an episode of its original TV show Carpool Karaoke featuring Kendall Jenner and Hailey Baldwin. Carpool Karaoke was again the subject of a push notification last Friday when Apple Music peddled a new episode starring Jason Sudeikis and The Muppets.
While not a glut of messages, the practice walks the line of Apple's own App Store Guidelines, which in section 4.5.3 prohibits developers from using Apple Services to "spam, phish, or send unsolicited messages to customers."
Comments
I disabled notifications for: (just now)
Games
Home
Music
Screen Time
Tips
TV
I left Apple News enabled for now. It hasn’t Spammed me yet...
I pretty much have all notifications for installed Apps already disabled. I’m feeling so clean now, like I just took a shower ; )
I don’t see a conflict. It also helps them with the “I’m not a monopoly” argument.
HomePod is a rounding error in Apple’s sales, Apple Music is a key component of Apple’s Ecosystem. Whom to support is pretty simple math...
The Echo has an overwhelmingly commanding lead in this market. The reality is there are many households that are all in on Apple but also have quite a few Amazon Echos around the house. Myself included. I want one of these devices in pretty much every room and that is simply not practical, not just from a cost perspective but also from a size perspective. They are simply to large for some of the places I have Echo Dots.
The way I look at it, the HomePod is the equivalent of the iPod classic. It’s big, expensive, and more than most people want or need. The iPod really took off when the iPod mini was released. The HomePod is still waiting for it’s iPod mini equivalent.
A year ago I would have said ‘Give apple time, once HomePod comes out they will put the resources into Siri’. Here we are and Apple is conceding the space for no particular reason. Maybe Apple knows something we dont RE: voice tech OR Jeff Bezos and his army 10,000 employees working on Alexa know something.