Developer Christian Selig says Apple removed his YouTube app Juno for the Vision Pro from the App Store, after YouTube said it violated its ToS in April 2024
Juno emerged while YouTube was reported not to be planning a native Vision Pro app or iPad-app support on the headset. In February, YouTube said a Vision Pro app was on its roadmap without a timetable, leaving third-party developers to address an unresolved access gap.
The takedown shows how quickly that gap could close when the underlying service objects. Subsequent coverage records YouTube’s eventual native Vision Pro launch, making Juno a transitional example of a third-party client operating between a platform launch and a service owner’s formal support.
First-order effects
Juno users can no longer obtain the app through Apple’s App Store, and Christian Selig loses the distribution channel for this Vision Pro product.
YouTube’s Terms of Service objection is enforced through Apple’s storefront, removing a client YouTube did not authorize.
Second-order effects
Third-party developers building alternative interfaces for major media services face higher product and distribution risk when those services can invoke their terms against a client.
The removal preserves YouTube’s control over how its service reaches Vision Pro users while its own headset offering remains unsettled.
Third-order effects
If this pattern persists, app-store access will favor official service clients over independent substitutes, even where those substitutes fill an early platform gap.
The episode is a case of access-layer power: device and service owners can jointly determine which interfaces survive, potentially narrowing room for third-party aggregators and clients.
The trend: Early mixed-reality platforms are becoming governed by the same service-owner and app-store control points that shape access to established device ecosystems.
Christian, unfortunately, this outcome was inevitable, but it could have been avoided if you had taken steps to mitigate the risks you were exposed to. 🤦♂️ Your failure to address these risks has led to consequences that are all too common in cases of trademark infringement and …
YouTube refuses to launch a native app for the Vision Pro and then gets Apple to remove the next best thing — from a third party developer. Sad development for Vision Pro users.
Welp... with that, the one use-case I really cared about on Vision Pro is now gone (or at least unable to be updated, and Google may eventually break the app). Vision Pro is probably the worst “business investment” I've ever made. As much as I love the hardware, there's just no…
You have to applaud YouTube's consistently poor managerial decision-making. I'm surprised Apple didn't go to bat for Christian more seeing as though no TOS were violated. Do better @TeamYouTube.
It's so fucking unlucky and shitty that one of the best iOS developers on the planet has now gotten fucked not once but TWICE by large tech companies https://x.com/...
Google won't bother to make a decent client for VisionOS, so instead it makes Christian pull his app because he did a better job than they probably would've
Sad news, but Juno for YouTube has been removed from the App Store. It's been a ton of fun to build, thanks to all who used it and enjoyed it! 🫡❤️ https://christianselig.com/...
NEWS: @YouTube has demanded the take down of Christian Selig's ‘Juno for YouTube’ from the visionOS App Store There is yet to be a first party YouTube app for Vision Pro users, requiring the use of an internet browser to view the site [image]
“More than a year after Vision Pro was announced, many major platforms still don't seem interested in bringing their apps to visionOS.” The first Apple platform devs seem to ignore or boycott. Honestly, it's both surprising (it's Apple!) but also not (Apple alienating its devs)
Google allegedly had the Juno YouTube app pulled from the Vision Pro App Store. RIP, Juno. Gone too soon. You were genuinely awesome. I'll miss you. [video]