I have two apps on Appstore Connect with different app identifiers. One is in the app store while the other is on TestFlight. Is it possible to replace the live app with the one on TestFlight?
Locally these apps are built off the same bundle ID and the app identifier is changed when pushed through Fastlane. They share a signing certificate as well. If I want to replace the live app, do I just need to change the app id for my new app to match the live app?
Yes you need to change the app id and then compile the application that you would like to submit.
Off-course it will replace the old binary of the application. So the code and the UI would be updated accordingly.
Related
We have an existing AppStore app and we also want to create a version of the app that our clients can distribute through their MDMs without re-signing it. The main reason they want to use an MDM is so they can control when they upgrade to new versions of our app irregardless of their App Store upgrades.
We've successfully done that using a second Apple Enterprise account but that app has a different App Prefix and Bundle Identifier and so the deeplinks we've configured through our Branch.io no longer work because we have to to specify the App Prefix and Bundle Identifier in the Branch configuration. The Branch configuration allows multiple Bundle Identifiers but only one App Prefix.
Ideally, we can have one deeplink for both the App Store and MDM versions of the app.
If we join the Apple B2B program, can we:
Give them an app through the B2B program with the same App Prefix as the App Store and signed as an App Store app
That they can use with their MDM without them having to re-sign it
That they can choose to update whenever they want (or at least on a different schedule than App Store)
And it will have the same Apple App Prefix and Bundle Identifier?
The bundle id is the app. You cannot have the same bundle id for an App Store app and a custom app, as then you would have two apps with the same bundle id.
Custom B2B apps are still distributed through App Store Connect: an app is either a custom app or an App Store app. It can't be both at the same time.
All of the apps you publish under a particular developer program membership have the same app prefix.
So, you can publish two different versions of your app, one public and one custom, with different bundle ids, but they will have the same app prefix.
The only problem you would have is if a user had both the public and private apps on their device; which one is launched to handle the deep link isn't defined, it presumably your client would use their MDM to manage this.
I was planning to rewrite an existing IOS app using react native. The existing IOS app is already published in the APP store.
I would like to know if it is possible to completely create a new build and release the new react native app to the app store ? My guess was to just change the bundle identifier of react native app to the one on the existing App to get released. But not sure if it is the right way.
Also if we publish, can we test it before it is released to users or will it immediately reflect ?
The alternate idea would be to create a new app and redirect them to the new app. This is even possible ?
Yes, you can create a new build and publish on AppStore with the same identifier
Before publish you can test your build on a simulator or real device. If you have a bigger group that wants to test you can use AppCenter with Ad-hoc certificates
If it is the same app but only the technology changed it would be better to just replace that app instead of redirect
Yes, it's possible, you should use the same Bundle Identifier and Signing Certificate.
Yes, you can test it by yourself or upload it to TestFlight and send to beta testers.
You can implement redirect button in the "old" app that will open "new app", but it's not user-friendly). More details on how to implement this - Launch an app from within another (iPhone)
Suppose I have an iOS app live on the app store with an App Id (and app bundle Id) of com.mycompany.my-cool-app and an App Name of My Cool App.
Now I want to change my App Id to com.newcompany.my-interesting-app and App Name to My Interesting App.
I've never done this but I think the steps would be:
Change the bundle Id in Xcode.
Create a new App Id in developer.apple.com.
In the Apps Provisioning Profile on developer.apple.com change the App Id to the new App Id
Change the App name in Xcode, increment the version number and upload new App to iTunes connect where I can then change the App name in iTunes connect and submit the app for review.
My question is:
What are the implications of doing this?
What happens to users who have the app currently installed on their phone? Would they have to re-download the app since so much underlyingly has changed or would they just get the new app with the new app name upon updating the app?
Since the bundle Id changed, would there be an issue in accessing files/photos saved in the documents directory from the previous version?
What else could go "wrong"?
You cannot change the bundle id of an existing app. The bundle id is the app. If you change the bundle id, that is a whole new and different app. So, do what you like, as long as you keep that basic fact in mind.
What I have seen done in a similar situation is that the developer issues a final version of the old app which knows how to export the data to the new app. Marvin and GoodReader are cases in point.
I want to update an existing mobile air app in the ios store with a new cordova app but the id contains air.com... I want this air prefix removed. Can I change the id when updating an app?
The id is part of the identifier that Apple uses to differentiate apps.
If you change the id, the app store will consider it a completely new app, not an update.
Also, not sure how your identifiers are setup in your Developer account for your certificates, but changing the id could break that too.
I have an app on the App Store and I downloaded it onto my phone. Now, I want to integrate iCloud and Push Notification into this app. If I open Xcode and run it on the same device, it overwrites the App Store app. My goal is to have 2 versions of this 1 app on my phone: 1 from the App Store and 1 from Xcode for development purposes.
I have read two articles and can't come up with a solution:
Unable to install same apps on 1 device
Create Multiple Targets/Apps for 1 Xcode Project
By changing the Bundle Identifier, it is possible based on the article above. But will there be a problem when testing iCloud and push notifications? The App ID and what is in iTunes Connect relies on the Bindle Identifier and when testing iCloud and push notifications, I need iTunes Connect. So this is the problem from what I see.
Any suggestions?
Create a new bundle ID (say with an added .CLONE suffix). Use Xcode to build your App Store submitted code (from your source repository) identical except built using this new bundle ID. Install it side-by-side with the original App Store app (identical source code).
Then manually copy your notes out of your App Store app and paste them into the new Clone app. You can use Xcode to back up the new clone app's sandbox. (There might also be tools that are able to pull you app's notes DB out of an unencrypted iTunes backup, if you make or have such.)
Then delete your App Store app (if needed) and install any new version as needed for development and testing using the original bundle ID for iCloud testing.
Your real non-test data will reside in the Clone of your earlier App Store app during development. You can copy it back into the App Store submission when done.