The following graph represents the different pieces in App Store Connect that make up an app submission. The anatomy of an app submissionĪpp Store Connect has so much functionality baked into it that it can easily overwhelm. Keep an eye out for the yearly “What’s New in App Store Connect” talk from WWDC to learn about the newest changes to App Store Connect.
You might still see the name “iTunes Connect” in old blog posts or forum posts.īefore diving into App Store Connect, you should know that it can do much more than what you’re about to see. Note: App Store Connect used to be called iTunes Connect. Fortunately, the developer portal links to App Store Connect and vice versa, so it’s not hard to navigate between the two. As the name implies, App Store Connect is directly tied to App Store distribution.Īlthough Apple has recently moved the developer portal and App Store Connect closer together, the fact the App Store is newer than the developer program means that you need to get used to using two systems. If you distribute apps outside of the App Store, you’d primarily interact with the developer portal rather than App Store Connect. And on iOS, you can distribute internal apps outside of the App Store using ad-hoc distribution, in-house distribution or “custom apps” distribution. You can still distribute macOS apps outside of the App Store. Also, remember that the App Store is one of many ways to distribute apps. Why are these two separate? Apple ran a developer program for decades before iOS and the App Store entered the picture. You typically need to go into App Store Connect to add new “app records” (more on this later), add new versions of your app, submit an app for review, manage users, sign contracts and interact with app reviewers.
#Appstore ios download#
You also need the developer portal to download beta versions of Xcode and Apple’s operating systems.Īpp Store Connect: You can access App Store Connect via or via the App Store Connect iOS app. If these don’t sound familiar, Chapter 4, “Code Signing & Provisioning,” covers certificates and provisioning profiles in detail. In the developer portal you can create “identifiers” like app identifiers, developer certificates and provisioning profiles. Here’s an overview of what you can do in each one.Īpple Developer Portal: You can access the developer portal at or via the Developer iOS app. Having two different systems to manage your apps makes App Store distribution confusing for first-timers. These are two separate systems that you’ll have to log into for different things. Is the developer portal the same thing as App Store Connect? Wait a minute - you enrolled in the developer program on the developer portal.
Practically speaking, it’s a website (and a companion iOS app) where you submit apps for review and handle administrative tasks related to your apps. You can think of App Store Connect as the administrative dashboard for the App Store. You’ve heard of the App Store before, but what about App Store Connect? You’ll use the same empty project from Chapter 2 to pick up where you left off. In this chapter, you’ll learn about App Store Connect and all the ways you need to configure your App Store page before releasing your app. In the context of the App Store, the “shrink-wrapped box” is your App Store page. Furthermore, good packaging doesn’t just tell you what’s inside with good copy - it also communicates this to you with compelling images.
#Appstore ios software#
If you think about it, the primary purpose of the box is to tell you what’s inside! It can answer questions like “what does this software do?” and “will it work with my computer?”. This chapter is all about the box itself. In modern times, what’s “inside the box” is the build from Xcode. Previously, this would have been a CD or a floppy disk. In this metaphor, Chapter 2 was about preparing the software to go inside the box. Selling shrink-wrapped software on physical media is now a relic of the past, but it can still be a useful metaphor for explaining software distribution.
The previous chapter explained how difficult distributing software used to be before the internet and before the App Store.
#Appstore ios code#
11.7 Referencing build settings in code.10.2 Code signing for different build types.7.1 Following the App Store Review Guidelines.