I really don't see a problem with it. Apple's default UI is not great, and it can be highly confusing if the user doesn't know why the app is suddenly asking for access to their location or photos or whatever. By explaining and asking first, you smooth that over. There's no deception or trickery, it's just a matter of not surprising users.

(And to be clear, I've never built one of these extra permission prompts, so I'm saying this purely from the perspective of a user.)

It's not a grey area, it's a dark pattern, and you're basically intentionally breaking Apple's app policies, and screwing your users over just to get more permissions than you would get if you followed the rules.

Fuck you.

No need to throw shade without knowing specifics.

You already threw shade when you declared yourself "guilty", and you readily admit it is against Apple's policies.

That's simply not true. Moreover, there are some people with pretty strong arguments who do not even THINK this should be considered a dark pattern.

However, it doesn't seem like you are interested in furthering this discussion. Would you have rather I not posted at all?

There are many YC companies listed on this Dark Patterns site, and their founders definitely frequent this form. So far everyone else has been completely mum.

Given that you are on YC's community web site, may I suggest using some tact?