Elon Musk has delayed Twitter's launch of its verified subscription service again as it tries to bypass Apple's 30% App Store fees, report says
- Elon Musk has once again postponed the launch of Twitter Blue, Platformer reported.
- Twitter wasn't planning to offer Blue as an in-app purchase on Apple's iOS, per the report.
Elon Musk has once again pushed back the anticipated launch of Twitter's verified subscription service as his company attempts to skirt around Apple's App Store charges.
Platformer reported the news on Tuesday.
Although Musk said last week he planned to tentatively launch Twitter Blue on Friday, Platformer reported Twitter was prepared to go ahead as soon as Tuesday.
"Product requirement updates: Will delay launch of Twitter Blue to make some tweaks," a Twitter product manager posted on Slack on Tuesday, Platformer reported.
Twitter wasn't intending to offer Blue as an in-app purchase, Platformer reported, meaning the company would avoid Apple's 30% App Store charge when the service relaunches.
Musk has put Blue's launch on hold following his criticism against Apple on Monday. In a series of tweets, Musk accused Apple of opposing free speech and monopolizing the market. He slammed the 30% fee, which Apple charges some developers for most payments made through its App Store.
Twitter users who sign up to Blue are expected to get a blue checkmark on their profile, priority ranking with posts, and see fewer advertisements. Twitter said it would charge users $7.99 a month for Blue, but Platformer reported on Wednesday that the price was set to increase by one cent as the company made changes to the service.
Other tweaks included updating help and marketing pages, as well as requiring users to verify their phone numbers on Twitter's site, per Platformer.
Twitter Blue's debut hasn't been smooth. It launched in early November but was revoked and postponed until after the midterm elections, according to internal communication seen by The New York Times.
After rolling out Blue again with gray checkmarks, Twitter then suspended it because of impersonation issues.
Twitter didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal US operating hours.