Everything Begins#
I recently wanted to publish BewlyBewly on Safari. To publish it, I need to subscribe to the Apple Developer Program. The same goes for Browser Extensions.
Initial Actions#
Last night (2024-08-06), I tried to register for the Apple Developer Program using my Mac. The initial process went smoothly, but I got stuck at the last step where I had to match my Apple ID with the one on my Mac.
Since my Mac uses a US Apple ID and it's too troublesome to clear the local cloud content when signing out of the Apple ID on my Mac, I didn't do it. Then I tried registering on my iPhone, which was easy because I hadn't synced much content with iCloud before.
Note that after signing out of the old Apple ID, all the cards previously linked to Apple Wallet will become previous cards. You need to click on them to revalidate.
Also, logging in with a new Apple ID will forcibly enable iCloud sync for your data, regardless of whether you had previously disabled it!
Logging in with a new Apple ID and forcibly syncing means that if you were logged into the iCloud in Guizhou, China, which is highly appreciated by many people, all your data will be silently synced to the cloud (appreciated). After logging in, you must immediately disable all iCloud sync data, regardless of whether you had previously disabled it. Logging in again will enable all sync settings.
But most people don't care and can ignore this feature that Apple has thoughtfully provided for users.
Here Comes the Main Content#
When everything was ready, I thought I could register and pay for Apple without any issues. However, it kept telling me that the system couldn't approve me for one or more reasons and directed me to contact the official website or customer service.
I was naive and thought they would explain to me if there were any mistakes in my address or elsewhere. I sent an email asking why this was happening, but all I got was the same error repeated and a suggestion that I could use Xcode without registering. It felt like being caught in a loop 😅
My Immediate Response#
I immediately responded like this. I know I had emotions, but I controlled myself and criticized Apple's attitude rather than directly insulting anyone. Apple could have informed customer service about the situation, but the customer service here seemed to be trying to calm down the whole outrageous incident.
Later, I called customer service, and they said they couldn't handle this issue at all. They didn't have the authority to create a work order for reevaluation. They kept emphasizing that if the system doesn't approve, it simply doesn't approve. ONLY APPLE CAN DO
Giving Up#
Customer service kept emphasizing that they couldn't handle the issue of the system not approving, and all they knew was that the system said one or more reasons prevented me from registering. It felt like listening to a broken record.
They even hinted that if I had someone around me, I should ask them to register for me. I directly asked if I could pass if I used a new Apple ID but filled in my own information. The response was vague, as if they actually knew something but didn't want to say it directly.
Worst Guesses and Plans#
I discussed the whole incident with YukiHakarigoto, and we concluded that I might have been banned from registering for the Apple Developer Program. The customer service won't explicitly tell you if you're banned. (I can't confirm if this is the actual situation, so I don't know if anyone who has had a similar experience can provide an answer. Thank you very much if you can!)
We also talked about how some developers couldn't register initially and ended up using their family members' or even girlfriends' information. It's really abstract. ONLY APPLE CAN DO
In the end, I gave up on the idea of registering myself.
Final Thoughts#
This part contains too many personal subjective feelings and unrelated thoughts, which may mislead most people. If you mind, please don't read it.
I admit that I used to think everything about Apple was so wonderful.
Before I actually started using the Apple ecosystem, I always felt dissatisfied with my Android phone, how the animations were choppy, and so on. After starting work and gradually using various Apple devices through my own efforts (thanks to YukiHakarigoto), I found that I couldn't accept many of Apple's operations.
For example, I don't understand why macOS doesn't allow double-clicking the top of an application to achieve full-screen and windowed display like Windows does. People around me mocked me, saying it was because I couldn't compare it to Windows. But later, macOS Sequoia directly slapped those people in the face. Considering the events mentioned above, have users been too indulgent with Apple, leading to all the subsequent results?