Apr 04, 2017 11:39 PM EDT By Lucy McClaren, UniversityHerald Reporter

Apple is now making newly-acquired Workflow for free and will refund recent purchases complete with tax. The out-of-character move may indicate a full integration of the automation app into iOS to boost the iPad Pro's claims of being "more than a laptop."

When Apple acquired Workflow, it made the app for free and the company is now sending emails to iTunes customers about refunding their $2.99 purchase with tax in full. Some have confirmed on Reddit that they have received the emails while others have not. This could either mean that the refund is only for recent purchases or still in the process of rolling out.

The fact that Apple made the app free seems to suggest that Apple is now championing small developers. The Cupertino-based giant has played a villain in the past particularly with f. lux when iOS had its own night mode built-in. Observers say that Apple may be either working on something bigger with Workflow or may discontinue the app altogether, Slashgear reported.

The most likely scenario is that Apple may fully integrate Workflow into iOS and it will no longer be a separate app. This will explain why Apple made the app for free and even refunding recent buyers. As to why the folks at Cupertino may opt to take this direction may have something to do with the iPad Pro lineup.

Apple has been pitching the iPad Pro 2 as "more than a laptop" and a fully integrated automation app that works behind-the-scenes will boost this claim. Workflow is an app that automates to a certain degree iOS processes, which fits how Apple wants the iPad Pro to be used. Moreover, this could be the minor tweak that delayed the iPad Pro 2 launch, which is expected to happen this fall though there is no official word yet from Cupertino, MacWorld reported.

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