Last year, Realmac launched Clear+, a universal, iOS 7-compatible version of its task manager that was meant to replace the original iPhone-only version. The original version of Clear was discontinued, but consumer backlash over having to pay again for a new copy of the task manager prompted Realmac to continue updating the iPhone app. After months of maintaining two versions of the app, Realmac has reversed course yet again and is now returning to its original version of Clear, which has been updated with iPad support.

We’re going to be returning to just one, universal version of Clear for iOS, with the original version of Clear gaining iPad support. If you already own a copy of Clear, you don’t need to do anything as we’ve just launched an updated version of Clear with iPad support.

clear-ipad-iphone
To appease customers who purchased Clear+, Realmac is offering the universal version of Clear for free so users can migrate to the only supported version of the app. This promotion will be offered twice and will be available for 24 hours at a time. Users can sign up to be alerted via email when the app is made free.

Clear is a universal app that is available from the iOS App Store for $4.99. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Millah Avatar
156 months ago
All of this mess because Apple still hasn't supported giving developers the option for paid upgrades, or discounted upgrades for current owners. Thats how the software world worked for ages. Brand new substantial upgrades to applications would be charged for, and developers would give discounts to current customers looking to upgrade.

Customers have now just come to expect (and demand) that purchasing an app once for $0.99 is basically like getting a lifetime subscription to new applications from the developer. Thats wrong, and I wish Apple could do something to steer users away from creating this sense of entitlement and cheapness. For crying out loud, amazing software now costs less than a damn soda....its crazy the kind of value we get today in the App Store.

If a developer spends all this time creating essentially a brand new application, they deserve to charge for it, just like they did for the original version. The way it works now, where devs have to essentially create a new app listing in the store for substantial new updates, is confusing for users and creates this sense of resentment like the developer is trying to "cheat" you. Yea, would you like to get paid for just one month at your job, and then continue to have to work there without getting paid?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vanilla35 Avatar
156 months ago
RealMac did handle their "upgrade" to Clear+ very poorly, but it's just sad that iOS users are so adverse to paying for upgrades (or anything for that matter).

It's not "iOS" users, it's people. They don't want to pay for something they already paid for. Until it's a dramatically new app, people don't want to pay again for the same functionality. Also, android users spend more than 80% less money than iOS users do.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stridder44 Avatar
156 months ago
Ugliest color scheme for an app ever
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cymerc Avatar
156 months ago
RealMac did handle their "upgrade" to Clear+ very poorly, but it's just sad that iOS users are so adverse to paying for upgrades (or anything for that matter).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fluchtpunkt Avatar
156 months ago
I agree with your point, but bizarrely I would want Apple to make a much lower price point for apps, like 3 cents, rather than the $1 minimum.
Sure. Lets continue to devalue our creations to a point where you can't even pay the fees for the payment processing.


So, if I can sell a million downloads at 3 cents, that is $21,000 which is at least 6 weeks development time and easily enough time to make an interesting game.
And if your app costs 2 Dollars you only need 15,000 downloads to make the same amount of money. That's much more likely than selling one Million copies of your 3 cent app. There is a good chance that your app won't even get 1 million downloads if it's free.
The times were any ****** app gets massive of downloads are over. Don't look at Flappy Bird too much, that's the one in a million that disproves the rule. You won't create the next flappy bird.

I think this would be a really interesting price option, but I am assuming most people will think, "hey 3 cents, that's gotta be worth trying out", perhaps even that price will be too high?
Yes, this price will still be too high for the majority of the people who won't buy your app for 1 Dollar. It's not about the actual price, it's about paying or not paying and the value of your app.


The point being is that the potential user base for Apps is now so much bigger than anything we've seen before, and its only going to get bigger yet.
Even if every single person in the world has an iPhone you will never be able to make a living with an app that costs 3 cents.

Imagine if 0.01% of your customers have a question about the app and they start to email you. Who do you want to be? The guy who sold 1 million copies or the one who sold 15,000 copies for the same revenue?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
156 months ago
It's not "iOS" users, it's people. They don't want to pay for something they already paid for. Until it's a dramatically new app, people don't want to pay again for the same functionality. Also, android users spend more than 80% less money than iOS users do.

How do you do "more than 80% less?" Must be the new math thing. :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

Apple Changes How You Order a Mac

Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
apple unsold web store

Retail Accessories Apple Won't Sell You Now Available via New Site

Friday January 30, 2026 8:46 am PST by
A newly surfaced resale operation is seemingly offering Apple Store–exclusive display accessories to the public for the first time, potentially giving consumers access to Apple-designed hardware that the company has historically kept confined to its retail environments. Apple designs a range of premium MagSafe charging stands, display trays, and hardware systems exclusively for displays in ...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Teases 'Innovations That Have Never Been Seen Before' This Year

Friday January 30, 2026 5:40 am PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook believes that his company will have opportunities to deliver "innovations that have never been seen before" this year. "As I said at the beginning of my remarks, this was, in so many ways, a remarkable quarter for Apple, and we're excited for all the opportunities we'll have in the year ahead to deliver innovations that have never been seen before and enrich the lives of...