Apple has imposed its subscription billing mandate on all Patreon creators once again, pushing them to make the switch by November 1, 2026. The platform had previously accepted an extended deadline of November 2025 but was informed by Apple that it would no longer be effective.
Patreon is not pleased with this latest development and acknowledges that it has "no other choice" but to comply with the change. The company notes that Apple's new requirement will impose consistency and clarity on its creators, allowing them to build long-term businesses.
Prior to Apple's intervention, Patreon operated in a gray area, permitting its creators to charge fans outside the App Store without paying Apple's fees. However, when paid content was accessed only via the app for some creators, TechCrunch described it as this grey area being because of how the In-App Purchase system didn't support Patreon’s longstanding billing models.
As a result, Patreon will need to eliminate the legacy billing models that are now in breach with Apple's mandate. This means fans on iOS devices can still bypass Apple's fees by joining via their iPhone's web browser. The platform has detailed more about this change for creators on its announcement post.
While some may view this as an example of "Big, Big App Store Taxman," it is worth noting that the company has recently taken action against other apps deemed to violate its guidelines. For instance, in October, Apple removed the ICEBlock app due to the logging of ICE arrest recordings. Moreover, several popular apps have been criticized for their handling of user data and privacy.
As part of this, Tim Cook attended a White House event on January 21, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump; however, it has yet to be confirmed if his decision had any relation with the recent change in the app's billing policy.
A notable exception is that apps deemed as "Privacy is a human right" aren't subject to such removals by Apple despite advocating for better protection measures. The company won’t remove dozens of apps now allowing users to view private information without consent, even after 28 advocacy groups called out for this action.
Patreon is not pleased with this latest development and acknowledges that it has "no other choice" but to comply with the change. The company notes that Apple's new requirement will impose consistency and clarity on its creators, allowing them to build long-term businesses.
Prior to Apple's intervention, Patreon operated in a gray area, permitting its creators to charge fans outside the App Store without paying Apple's fees. However, when paid content was accessed only via the app for some creators, TechCrunch described it as this grey area being because of how the In-App Purchase system didn't support Patreon’s longstanding billing models.
As a result, Patreon will need to eliminate the legacy billing models that are now in breach with Apple's mandate. This means fans on iOS devices can still bypass Apple's fees by joining via their iPhone's web browser. The platform has detailed more about this change for creators on its announcement post.
While some may view this as an example of "Big, Big App Store Taxman," it is worth noting that the company has recently taken action against other apps deemed to violate its guidelines. For instance, in October, Apple removed the ICEBlock app due to the logging of ICE arrest recordings. Moreover, several popular apps have been criticized for their handling of user data and privacy.
As part of this, Tim Cook attended a White House event on January 21, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump; however, it has yet to be confirmed if his decision had any relation with the recent change in the app's billing policy.
A notable exception is that apps deemed as "Privacy is a human right" aren't subject to such removals by Apple despite advocating for better protection measures. The company won’t remove dozens of apps now allowing users to view private information without consent, even after 28 advocacy groups called out for this action.
. And yeah, because consistency and clarity are just so important when it comes to creators making money from their fans... not 
. I mean, who needs flexibility or options when you're already paying an "app store taxman"? It's not like Apple has a history of being super chill with other apps either... remember ICEBlock? 
Still, at least some popular ones that mess with user data and privacy aren't getting the boot... yay for the "human rights" apps 
. So yeah, November 2026 is definitely going to be a fun time for creators trying to navigate this whole thing 
they're already struggling to make ends meet and now apple's gotta come along and be like "hey guys, we need you to switch to our billing system" 
it's not like it's a big deal or anything, but to them it might as well be 
i mean, what even is the point of having an app if you can't charge fans how they want? 
and it's not like apple's being all generous here... it's more like they're just enforcing their own rules 
anyway, at least they did say it'll make things "consistent" and "clear" 
but is that really worth giving up the freedom to set your own prices? 
. I'm not a fan of Apple's "big brother" approach at all...
anyway back to apple patreon thingy yeah i think it's kinda weird how they're pushing those creators to switch but i guess it's all about getting that $$$ from fans right? i mean, who doesn't love getting money for doing what they love 
.
? First, it's Apple wanting Patreon creators to switch to their subscription billing system, and now it's like they're trying to suffocate the whole platform 
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. They've been trying to make things work with their legacy billing models, and now they have to conform to Apple's new rules. But at the same time, I get why Apple is doing it - consistency is important, and this change does bring some clarity 
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. One thing's for sure, though: if you're a Patreon creator, you need to be ready to make the switch by November 2026 
. Like, I get it, consistency is key, right? But what if we don't wanna pay the extra fees? Can't we just use the web browser to join instead? 
anyway, i guess its time for patreon to adapt or face the music 
I mean, think about it, Patreon's had these "gray area" billing models for a while now, and Apple's forcing them to clean up their act? That's just better business practices all around. And let's be real, creators on Patreon are probably super stoked to have more consistency and clarity in their payments - no more worrying about fans trying to game the system! 
just got word that Patreon creators gotta switch to Apple's billing system or face the music 
! Apple's always trying to micromanage everything, and creators are just the ones getting squeezed 
. And what's with all these grey areas, anyway? Can't we just have a straightforward system for once? 
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. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out...