App Stores 🛍
Hello friends!
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You may have been following the release of HEY by the makers of Basecamp, and their struggles with Apple review. These hurdles are something I'm all too familiar with, and it appears that even the mighty are held to account.
Let's talk about what it takes to get your app into the app store.
TL;DR
Put together a submission kit that includes a document for all required app store listing fields, screenshot files, video files, and test user credentials. Pay attention to specs.
Read the review guidelines very carefully!
Set your submission to manual release for total control over the launch date.
Communicate with the reviewer (nicely) to resolve a rejection. Don't escalate until it's absolutely necessary.
Preparing the submission
You've spent countless hours building your app, and it's ready for the public. Woohoo, time to celebrate!
But wait, your work is not done. Now you need to prepare your app for the app store. You'll need to gather all the required content for the specific app store, mainly:
Title, description, keywords (plus release-specific details like promotional text and what's new)
Screenshots and videos - pay attention to size requirements and device versions
Test details - make sure that if sign-in is required for your app, the test credentials actually work
Check the App Store Review Guidelines... very carefully!
If you want total control over the release of your app, make sure to set your submission to manual release. That way, once the app is approved, you can release it when you're ready.
The review process
The review process can take anywhere from a few hours to a week or more. Generally, the first version of an app takes longer to review. The app store platform will be checking for any fatal crashes, overall quality, and violations of app store guidelines, among other things.
Historically, the Apple review process is more formalized and strict than Google's review process. But they seem to be meeting in the middle as each app store matures.
And be happy that the overall speed of the review process has improved greatly over the years. It wasn't long ago that 3 days was the best you could expect!
Handling a rejection
Inevitably, a version of your app will be rejected. This can be extremely frustrating.
Here's what to expect:
If you have a version of your app that's live in the store, it most likely will not be pulled down. The rejection should only apply to the new version of the app.
Pay attention to the details of the rejection. It will typically cite specific guidelines that are in violation.
Fix anything that is required to be corrected. Make sure you follow the guidelines exactly. If you don't comply after a series of submissions, the reviewer may threaten to remove your app from the app store.
If you believe the rejection is in error, reply directly to the reviewer. Be friendly. Reviewers make mistakes, and the rejection can sometimes be reversed with a little clarification.
If you respond directly to the reviewer, they still won't budge on the rejection, and you are highly certain that the rejection is a mistake, you can officially appeal the rejection. But be careful. You may only have one chance at this.
The submission and review process can be overwhelming. There's a lot that's simply out of your control. But the feeling of seeing your very first app up in the store is truly rewarding and something I know I'll never forget.
If you have any questions about any part of the app store submission process, just reply to this email and I'd be happy to help out!
Next week 📅
I started writing my Serial Maker book in Notion. I've been fine-tuning the overall concept - trying to focus on a specific theme, and the first chapter is done! 🎉 I'm thinking of releasing this in two parts, theoretical and then practical. More to come soon...
Keep making, and thanks for reading! 🙌
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Until next week,
Craig