3.1.4 — Hardware-specific content

If your app unlocks digital content specifically because the user owns a companion piece of hardware paired via Bluetooth, NFC, or similar, that unlock doesn't need to go through In-App Purchase — but it has to be genuinely tied to hardware ownership, not just a workaround label.

Occasionally misused by apps trying to frame a normal digital purchase as "hardware-specific" to avoid IAP fees without an actual paired accessory involved.

The short version, in more detail

Guideline 3.1.4 allows an app to unlock digital content because a user owns a particular piece of hardware, connected through Bluetooth, NFC or a similar link, without using In-App Purchase for that unlock. The exception applies only when the content really depends on the physical accessory. Attaching a hardware label to an ordinary digital purchase to avoid In-App Purchase is not what the rule allows.

Why this rule exists

When a person buys a device and the app is its companion, the value they paid for is the hardware. Content that comes with it, such as extra modes for a toy or tracking features for a sensor, is part of what they already bought. The exception respects that relationship, while the requirement that the link be real prevents developers from turning ordinary digital sales into "hardware features" simply to avoid the platform's payment system.

What this guideline covers

• Digital content or features tied to a paired physical accessory.
• The kinds of connections the rule refers to, such as Bluetooth and NFC.
• The difference between hardware-based unlocks and standard digital purchases.
• How the unlock should relate to ownership of the device.

What usually triggers this rejection

• Marketing a normal digital purchase as a hardware feature.
• A "hardware" unlock that works without any paired accessory.
• Content that has little to do with the device it is linked to.
• Selling the unlock separately from the hardware in the app.
• Claiming the exception for a generic or nominal accessory.

How reviewers evaluate it

• Reviewers ask whether the content genuinely requires the accessory.
• They test whether the feature works without it.
• They look at how the unlock is described and sold.
• They may ask for details about the hardware.

Common misunderstandings

• The exception is not a way to avoid In-App Purchase for general digital items.
• A cheap token device does not turn a purchase into a hardware feature.
• The accessory has to matter to the content, not just exist.

Common questions