A Je Suis Charlie iPhone app rolled out to the App Store Sunday, after its creators personally emailed Tim Cook to ask for a prompt App Store approval.
Apple is somewhat notorious among developers for its often lengthy App Store approval process, which typically takes about 10 to 15 days on average. But Apple reportedly helped get the Je Suis Charlie app bumped to the front of the approval line after its developers contacted the CEO of the Silicon Valley tech giant.
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According to a report in local outlet Nice-Matin, one of Cook's assistants responded a mere ten minutes after the initial email was sent and the app was live in the App Store soon thereafter.
The app was created by a French startup which, at Apple's suggestion, enlisted the help of the news agency to help lend it credence, Nice-Matin reports.
The free iPhone app is intended to help users around the world show solidarity with Paris after armed gunmen left 12 dead in the offices of the controversial publication Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday. The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, a message of support which translates to "I am Charlie," quickly took off on social media in the hours and days following the terrorist attack on the French satirical newspaper last week and has been seen on signs at gatherings around the world.
The app opens with a map of your location and a counter that keeps tabs on how many "Charlies" there are. To add yourself to their number -- nearly 89,000 as of this writing -- tap the Je Suis Charlie logo, which geotags your current location with the raised fist holding a pencil.