From app to App Store in 8 steps
Finishing work on an app is really only a partially done job. For your new product to reach customers and bring feedback and downloads, you still need to get it to an app store for your platform of choice, be that Android or iOS. This is not at all a hard task, and you have the experience of millions of app developers to go by, but it’s still much easier to get it in a couple of easy steps. So strap in and find out how to get your shiny new app to customers!
In this guide we’ll talk about Apple’s iOS platform and submitting your app to the App Store. This used to be a very lengthy process, but Apple improved it a lot in recent years and made it extremely simple and easy.
Make sure your app is ready
This is a no-brainer for some, and is also one of the few pieces of advice that works for all platforms. Before you start thinking about app stores, make sure your product is as polished as it can be. If you’re building for Android, try to have it running on as many devices as possible before release because we all know that Android can be a pretty tough mountain to climb due to the abundance of versions, custom software and phone manufacturers. Before diving in, just give everything a quick overall glance, test the buttons and functions one more time, check spelling and languages, just simply give everything a good polish before you set off. You’ll also receive feedback from customers, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Make sure you have the prerequisite tools
Getting an app online is not just a matter of clicking a couple of buttons. Apple is known for its selection process for App Store uploads so the chances are you’re going to have to try a bit harder than you’d do for Android. After you’ve made sure everything’s working, check that you have a working Apple developer program account, and Xcode. Of course, if you’re developing an app for Apple devices, you probably already have a Mac computer.
Make sure everything is working in Xcode.
This is a step that will probably come as no surprise to any developer, but still let’s mention it. Xcode is Apple’s development environment for making apps for all of its devices. This is the software you’re probably using to develop the apps, so just make sure you went through all of the settings, configured the names, screens, devices and everything else.
Create a record in App Store Connect
App Store Connect will be your best friend in uploading apps to the Store. It’s a dashboard that connects with XCode and lets you seamlessly upload apps directly from XCode to the Store. You’ll need to create a new App profile in App Store Connect that will have the name of your app, screenshots, videos, detailed information about what it is and similar stuff. The basics here is that you need to have an app in the App Store to which XCode can “send” the distribution version. If the names of the apps in the Store and on XCode don’t match, you’ll be warned by the programs themselves.
Distribute the App and connect XCode and App Store
After you made the initial app profile, return to XCode. Click on Product in the menu, then Archive, and then on Distribute App. Return to the App Store Connect app and you’ll soon see that your new app is waiting to be processed in the TestFlight panel.
Fill out the app details in App Store Connect
The App Store Connect service is great because it lets you see exactly how your app’s page will look in the Store itself. This also means that there’s some typing to be done. Click on the App Store tab, and start with up to 3 app previews and 10 screenshots in the designated area. Make sure the sizes of the images are appropriate for the devices in question, so don’t just make everything for one device – more time spent here means a better App Store page!
After you attached the screenshots and made other adjustments, scroll down to the Build page and add your build. If you set everything up correctly, your app will be available in the next menu. Click the app, and Voila! Now you just need to go through text fields and fill out the remaining blanks, like Copyright and Age Rating. When in Age Rating you’ll need to select whether the app includes anything that might be an issue for children – like tobacco use, gambling, mature themes, profanity etc.
Give everything a good look through
As it tends to be with pages that have a lot of fields to fill, you’ll probably miss a thing or two. Don’t worry, Apple won’t let you continue without it. The good thing is that every single prompt also has a question mark beside it, and you can get some solid info as to what’s required from you there. But in all honesty, there’s really not many cryptic things here, you just go through fields and fill them out.
While doing this, make sure you’ve selected the appropriate countries and regions, pricing of the app, themes and everything similar. You, as the creator, are the person who probably knows exactly who you’re targeting with the app, so make sure the users know it as well!
Submit for review
After everything’s set and you’re happy with the way things look, send your app for review! That’s basically it – you’ll then be contacted by Apple regarding the selection process, but there’s a strong chance that you’ll be verified if your app is well made.
That’s it! Getting an app on the App Store has become extremely simple in the last couple of years, and Apple has made strides with their integration between XCode and the App Store. It’s really a process more tied to filling out the correct information, because most of the things related to the app itself are done while your app is being developed. As with all things Apple, the screens are intuitive and informative, and after you’re done you’ll definitely ask yourself is that all there is to it. It’s that simple!
2021 / 08 / 18
DOMAGOJ BAGARIC