I have been extensively searching through Internet but I could not able to come across so far then I have decided to ask the following question in SOF.
My idea is to implement a selling and buying product in my application. There will be no charge from both sides(seller or buyer). However, I only want to receive user feedback to increase my app reputation in the AppStore.
I would like to know how to check whether or not that an app user rate or leave comment for my application in the App Store. I need to know because I want to give him more advertising opportunities within the app.
Sorry again, I wish to provide a sample code but I could not able to come anything to start with.
As far as I'm aware, there isn't a way to do this. Most apps just direct people to the app store and then assume they rated the app. You can have the user copy and past their review into your app and store it so you can double check that they actually did it. That will ensure more people don't try to cheat the system. Essentially, the more work you make it to unlock the feature, the less likely people are to cheat.
From Apple via #Paulw11's comment:
Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
link: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#metadata
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I have created a new app that is not in both stores yet. It is supposed to charge users subscriptions every 1 / 3 / or 6 months. The app helps users find nearby users based on some criteria. Some parts of the app are for paid members and other parts of the app for all users. There are 0 users in the app right now. So there are no users to show to each user. Which makes it difficult to charge people subscription.
I have the following questions that would appreciate if someone can answer:
Should I show the paywall to the users at this point?
What is the best way to make all users paid so that they can use the app even though they did not pay anything.
What would be the best way to show the paywall to the users at this early stage.
Please keep in mind that users are the assets in this app. So if there are no users in the app, there would be nothing to show to other users and charging people subscription would not make sense.
What would be the best strategy here.
I appreciate any help I can get.
Should I show the paywall to the users at this point?
Sure, why not, as earlier you implement the feature, easier will be the changes in the future screens if you have a reusable logic.
What is the best way to make all users paid so that they can use the app even though they did not pay anything.
You need to handle the access control of each feature or screen in the App that you want to be allowed only for premium access, something like:
if(isPremium) {
return UnauthorizedScreen() or SubscribeNowScreen();
}
return PremiumFeatureScreen();
EDIT: It seems i missunderstood the question, I would focus on acquiring users in the beggining and monetizing the App with premium features instead unless you will be able to market and you company have a big name that can attract users even without have they using the app yet. You can put limitations in the app, or you can offer longer free trial period such as 1 year?
This article is quite interesting on how to monetize Applications.
What would be the best way to show the paywall to the users at this early stage.
I Recommend you to add the option to subscribe in the Options of your App, so the users can go there and subscribe if they want. Apollo is one the Apps i like the Subscription model so you can get some ideas from this App.
I'm implementing IAP for SaaS application. I nearly finished with Store Kit's integration, receipt validation and other development related stuff. But I still have 2 more questions regarding Apple's guidelines which I couldn't find answer to on the docs.
The first question: I read on few places on the web that my app should provide minimum functionality even if the user is not subscribed. I offer a SaaS app and I don't want the user to be able to use the app if he's not subscribed. I will allow him to purchase a subscription if he is not subscribed. Is it enough for minimum functionality? (I suspect that these minimum functionality restrictions are old and obsolete, as they sound absurd).
The second question: I want to offer the user a possibility to try the app for free without subscribing at all (Without Store Kit's Free Trial option), because I don't want make the user make a commitment to pay before he tried the app (Apple also doesn't provide a convenient way to cancel the subscription, which may cause abandon-users to be charged even if they don't use the app, which will cause bad reviews etc). So the question is, can I do this without risking my app to get rejected? Does apple allow such kind of Free Trial feature which is managed solely by my server?
Forgive me if this info is somewhere on Apple's docs, but I couldn't find anything related. Thanks!
Okay after sending a query to Apple (Which didn't help me much to understand) and submitting an app to the App Store, I may have an answer:
Apple do allow SaaS apps and did approved my SaaS app. I honestly don't know if they checked my app enough to tell if it is okay but it was approved.
My app implements the Free Trial mechanism without App Store's free trial option. It is clearly written on the registration view controller that the app offers 3 month of free usage without obligation, and then continues without popping and App Store free trial page or something. My app was approved so I guess it is actually okay and within Apple's guidelines.
Hope it'll somehow help someone.
I am building out a iOS & Android app. My app may not fully scale to support users and have some limited functionality out the gates. I wanted to put an invite list on the front of registration like Mailbox did a few years ago.
I was trying to read the Apple app store guidelines to creating a "waiting list / invite list" and couldn't get a clear picture. I assume Android is more flexible on this, so I figured I could start with Apple's guidelines first.
Here is what I can find.
In Apple's docs, it says under 3.2.2 "UnAcceptable"
(v) Arbitrarily restricting who may use the app, such as by location or carrier.
In this specific case, I am not blocking by location or carrier. I am just putting up a wall to use the app since some of my users can use it in a limited form, but I can't open it up to everyone on Day 1.
I understand I can run a "testflight" release, but I wanted to make our app available in the App Store for anyone to download since it will be publicly available, just not fully ready for a million people to hit it. My understanding is that the testflight release requires a bit more work based on their docs and isn't as simple as just putting it in the public app store so anyone can get to it.
Apple has the ultimate authority for approving and rejecting apps in their app store so nothing on SO can really be perfect advice. If you are really concerned about approval, you can try to contact apple developers support. Here are a few things I would advise:
Make sure in the developer notes for Apple when you submit to them you include a free account.
In the notes for the app store let the users know that it may take up to __ hours for their registration to get activated.
My understanding is you are doing this to handle the volume of users as you are launching the app. Be advised though that if you start restricting users too much you will possibly get poor reviews. Only restrict usage if absolutely required. If you run into issues make sure you are communicating with the users so they understand.
Good luck with you new app!
All,I am making app for reminders & its kind of social reminders. I can share my reminders with my contacts. I want to make it like whatsapp. Can we use user's mobile number for this purpose? Or will apple reject it? Please tell me more, if anyone has done such app before?
Thanx.
You can ask user for any information, no matter how personal. In terms of Apple guidelines, here's a few things to bear in mind:
asking is fine, but taking (via a hack or whatever) will get you bounced.
the ask has to be essential to the service the app delivers. in other words, it's perfectly okay for a retirement calculator to ask about how much money user has in the bank, but not so okay for a tic-tac-toe app.
editorially, be very clear and honest about how you'll use the information (Apple might not catch you here, but you should do this anyway to motivate the user's answer).
the app must remain functional even if the user opts not to provide the information. for example, the retirement calculator should supply a default bank balance and carry on.
I am working on a mobile iOS app that is customized to each client, with their own app icon, startup screen, and a few other changes. Each is then submitted to the app store as an individual app.
This is working just fine so far, but what will happen if there's 1000 clients instead of around a dozen? Does Apple have any rules on quantity, submission rate or uniqueness? Any reviewer would clearly see that the apps are basically the same outside of the branding.
Don't do it. You will get kicked out of the appstore.
Read 2.20 of Apple iOS Guidelines which says that developers that spam appstore with similar apps will be kicked out completely!
Notably developers like AppGratis got kicked for this and many others reasons.
Sorry can't disclose, if you have a developers account though you can check the requirements
from https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guidelines.html
I know this is an old thread but somehow it popped up and the answer selected is not entirely correct. The requester needs the custom B2B program here:
https://developer.apple.com/programs/volume/b2b/
That is specifically made for the purpose she/he asked about: to distribute customized apps to a business without cluttering the app store. There is no cost but your customers will need to join the Apple Volume Purchase Program for Business though that doesn't cost them anything.
The reason I say the accepted answer is partially correct is because obviously one should not spam up the app store with similar apps intended for one business, which is entirely correct. But that does not answer the underlying why they wanted to do this and how they could achieve the result they need which is to use the B2B program.