I have developed an Application for iPhone.
In some countries, there are some places you can go, give your iDevice and they will install any App/Apps on it much, much cheaper(for 1$ for any App).
How do they do that? - They simply legally buy an Application once and then synchronize "customer's" iDevice with there Account. I think it's illegal, to resell...
So my questions are:
Which steps as a developer can I make to protect my Application to be illegally shared?
Does Apple do anything against that? Because apple purchases are account related.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, that application is for free, the products must be bought within the Application (In-App Purchase) which will be downloaded after purchase form other server.
One solution could be, if it was possible to get UDID of device and "account-id" I could limit download, let's say, for 5 devices.. I read that, starting with iOS5 it isn't possible to get UDID, or is it? And is such limitation against Apple Rules?
I could limit download, let's say, for 5 devices [...] is such limitation against Apple Rules?
Refer to Fernando's answer for your UDID question, but this is absolutely against the developer agreement. Your in-app-purchase needs to be restorable on any devices that user owns. It is somewhat unlikely, of course, that a user owns more than five iDevices, so if you want to take your chances you can. That said, I know of instances where Apple have come down on people who tried to limit apps 'per device'.
if it was possible to get UDID of device and "account-id" I could limit download, let's say, for 5 devices
If by 'account-id' you mean the iTunes username that downloaded/bought your app, then no, it's not possible. You don't have access to any information about the purchaser, I'm afraid.
The companies I worked for so far refrained from doing such restrictive DRM because it's more possible that you will harm a customer by mistake than you get anything. Don't waste your time implementing this.
You don't simply get people to buy your stuff by annoying them. People that get your app this way in general can't be convinced to buy
But if you must do it, here's a workaround to have a unique device identifier after iOS5:
https://github.com/gekitz/UIDevice-with-UniqueIdentifier-for-iOS-5
Related
I have currently an app that through in-app purchases a user can unlock content on the app. What I have noticed is that some users "abuse" of this by logging with their Apple ID in multiple devices and I'm currently looking into possibilities on how to limit the use of the content to the device where the purchase was done. I understand that Apple doesn't allow that, so that means the payment system should go away from the app.
Therefore, introducing logging will help me to be able to identify the person that is using the app against a backend but still, I need to be able to limit on a device. As far as I know, the UUIDString of the CurrentDevice is not really a way anymore. What other options are?
I saw this library, which seems to promise unique identification:
https://github.com/fabiocaccamo/FCUUID
Another solution probably would be to create a licensing system, so one license can only be used at the time.
Thanks!
I will describe our experience with using same account on different devices (VOD):
User is able to use application on how many devices he want, but he able to watch content only on 5 uniq devices.
Each time user try to watch content, app check if device registered with some UUID, if not then try to register. UUID is uniq per installation, it mean that if user will watch content, then delete app, download again and watch, then he basically lose 1 device.
In same time user able to unregister device via web, but he had only like 25 unregistrations (I don't know what happened if user use them all).
We don't use in-app purchases and accounts are cross-platform (android, iOS, web, tvs, etc), so not sure if it helps you.
AFAIK, Apple does not have limit on how many devices you can user Apple Id. You can have 6 family members so number of devices could be lot more.
I feel it is bias how Apple's guideline talks about limiting music, movies, shows and books to 10 devices but does not say anything about Apps!
Apple - Family Sharing
If your family has purchase sharing turned on, music, movies, TV shows, and books can be downloaded on up to 10 devices per account, five of which can be computers.
I have not seen any application limiting IAP on devices. You could run into risk of Apple rejecting your app, potentially on every update you submit. I would reach out to App Store or if your company have Sales rep contact and get their suggestions/buy-in before spending lot of time and money.
Also, create issue/radar and give specifics about issue. More people request this feature, has better chances of it getting added.
One way you can achieve this is to keep track of receipt you get for IAP and check how many users/devices using that receipt. You would need to build entire flow to educate user about device limitations. Like updating App Store page, warning before purchasing, option to add/remove device and more...
If you are planning to implement device limitation, please beware of the rejection risk.
I would like to create an iOS App for a limited set of people.
It should be possible to download the app for free from App Store, but in order to use it
the idea is that you are required to be a member of the organization, which in this case is a local sports organization.
To solve the problem I thought of giving away activation keys to members that can be entered when they create an account, and therefore only members will be using the app.
Will the app be rejected by App Store? If so, is it possible to go around this in some away?
Thanks.
No you will not be rejected by the App Store.
During the review you will only need to give the access to demo account.
Your app will be available to anyone but you are free to give the credential to any person you want.
edit
Fyi I have such apps. The AppStore only block 'discriminating' app based on carrier or location (you can choose the countries anyway), but you are perfectly in the rules if you give access only to your clients...
edit edit
2.22 like I said is against arbitrary criterias, not linked to the login mechanism
for 11.1 and so on, I understand the point, but in my case (and I think yours) there is no problem if
you sell your service before, the app is just complimentary
you dont sell anything within the app
you dont charge for the app itself or anything within the app, you charge only the use of the server/back office/whatsoever
I guess that Apple dont care, they just don't want to bypass the applestore but I dont think that it is your case.
You should try Enterprise distribution for such purpose.
Yes your app may be rejected. Check the App Store Review Guidelines. In 2.2 it says
Apps that arbitrarily restrict which users may use the App, such as by location or carrier, may be rejected
There are different alternatives.
You can opt in for the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, this'll cost you 300$ a year and requires you to be a legal entity.
If you want to test it with a limited number of people (<1000) try looking into Testflight it was bought by Apple and is deeply integrated in the development process.
No, there will not. You need to to give some demo account info as test data to review while submitting to app store in the iTunes Connect portal.
Demo use case(worked for me): Implementation is like, there need some userid/unique pin to the registered account holders to start the application. At the time they input this pin, authenticate the user with our server and give the permission to let in to the app.
Otherwise you need to go for enterprise distribution. Find more about enterprise distribution here.
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.
I've successfully implemented In App Purchasing and 99,9% of the users successfully buy the IAP product. However, one user with a jailbroken phone gets this error:
Is there anything I can suggest to this user? I don't think the problem exists for all jailbroken iPhones because the number of complaints should be statistically higher, then.
There's another similar question though it wasn't clear about the jailbreaking status of affected users. I'm searching for an actual solution for those jailbroken device users (other than recommending not to jailbreak - since that'd mean lost business).
This happens every now and then with jailbroken devices trying to use the store. Apple knows the device is no longer legitimate so the request to the store is in "test mode".
You could tell him a few things:
if you're sure you're app can be purchased with other jailbreaks isolate which he's using and tell him to use the other ones
add his user account as a "test user" on your list. You won't get paid but you'll have a happy customer
tell him not to jailbreak his phone...
Possibly send him a build of the app with his device and consider him a QA tester. He'd have to send you his device id and you could make him a speciL build every 3-4 months.
I came across a how-to YouTube video that proposes a solution for the problem by temporarily replacing /var/stash/libexec./installd by /var/stash/libexec./installd.new. However, this approach bricked the phone of one user so the OS had to be restored and jailbroken again (at least the IAP worked after the restore)! I absolutely don't recommend this solution but it might be a last resort for some hard core jailbreakers - after all, jailbreakers should know what they're doing, right?
for a client, I have been developing an app which has been tailored to make their employees every day lives easier. Think of it as a calendar designed to fit the needs of their special business.
Now it turns out that other companies in the business are interested in the very same solution too. My client suggested we could sell the app on the appstore.
Since the app is equally useful for companies with hundreds of employees as it is for a team of five, I wonder what would be the best way to sell it.
It is my understanding that a company, once they purchased one copy of the app, may install it on as many devices as they want, as long as they use the devices with the same iTunes account. This is especially true if the company would equip their employees with new devices for the purpose, like my client did. Right?
This is obviously not what I want, I'd rather like to charge a small price per device. Usually, this would cry for a volume license, which is not part of the appstore concept, except for educational institutions.
Now I am looking for a convenient way to achieve something with the same effect.
I was thinking about checking the UDID of the device against a whitelist on my server to allow each purchased license to run on just one device, while allowing migration of course.
To enable a company to purchase a "volume license", I would offer packs of additional licenses via In-App-Purchases, as well as individual licenses. The app itself would be free while featuring only demo capabilities, full functionality would be available after assigning the device to one of the purchased licenses. Means to manage licenses would be included within the app.
What do you guys think? Any technical reasons why this concept could fail?
Do you know of examples that actually implement something similar?
Any other ideas how to sell apps in volume? Maybe there are even some examples on how to implement something like this?
Do you think apple would approve this kind of use of in-app-purchases? (I know this last question is not of a kind that can be answered here without uncertainty, but let me hear what your gut feeling tells you..)
This question has been flagged as being off-topic twice, so I think I should back up the fact that I am mainly interested in a technical solution (and emphasized the important sub-questions accordingly). Of course I am interested in whether apple allows the proposed use of their appstore, however before I contemplate that further I need to know if there are technical caveats to my approach. I would love to offer code snippets to support the technical nature of my inquiry, however I'm just planning things so there is no code yet...
While the core question is still business-related here, and thus off topic, I'll bite.
The standard App Store end user license agreement has this wording:
a. Scope of License: This license
granted to You for the Licensed
Application by Application Provider is
limited to a non-transferable license
to use the Licensed Application on any
iPhone or iPod touch that You own or
control and as permitted by the Usage
Rules set forth in Section 9.b. of the
App Store Terms and Conditions (the
“Usage Rules”). This license does not
allow You to use the Licensed
Application on any iPod touch or
iPhone that You do not own or control,
and You may not distribute or make the
Licensed Application available over a
network where it could be used by
multiple devices at the same time. You
may not rent, lease, lend, sell,
redistribute or sublicense the
Licensed Application.
Therefore, if you consult the "App Store Product Usage Rules" section of the iTunes Store Terms and Conditions, you see this wording:
(i) You may download and sync an App
Store Product for personal,
noncommercial use on any iOS Device
you own or control.
(ii) If you are a commercial
enterprise or educational institution,
you may download and sync an App Store
Product for use by either (a) a single
individual on one or more iOS Devices
you own or control or (b) multiple
individuals, on a single shared iOS
Device you own or control. For
example, a single employee may use the
Product on both the employee's iPhone
and iPad, or multiple students may
serially use the Product on a single
iPad located at a resource center or
library.
(iii) You shall be able to store App
Store Products from up to five
different Accounts at a time on
compatible iOS Devices.
(iv) You shall be able to manually
sync App Store Products from at least
one iTunes-authorized device to iOS
Devices that have manual sync mode,
provided that the App Store Product is
associated with an Account on the
primary iTunes-authorized device,
where the primary iTunes-authorized
device is the one that was first
synced with the iOS Device or the one
that you subsequently designate as
primary using the iTunes application.
The rules are quite explicit about commercial enterprises not being allowed to just purchase one copy and install it on all devices at that company.
It is for this reason that Apple offers volume discounts for applications purchased in bulk (where the developer has checked the box in iTunes Connect allowing for this). I can't find the business equivalent, but here's Apple's page on the educational bulk discount program.
While I could see how you could use in-app purchase to activate functionality in an application and make sure that it was properly licensed, I've heard complaints about the practical difficulties of deploying applications using this in educational and business settings. Many applications use this approach for free Lite versions that upsell into the full paid application, so Apple has no problem with this.
One thing I do recommend is that you not abuse the ad hoc distribution system to do any licensing workarounds. The last time some geniuses did this caused Apple to clamp down on everyone's ad hoc licenses and make our lives more difficult.
The correct answer here is for the companies you sell to to purchase an Enterprise program from Apple, then for you to license the application to them. You can use over-the-air distribution to get the application onto their devices, and charge them a per-user or per-device fee.
Let anyone download the app for free in the app store, but charge for licenses/subscriptions outside of the app store. You can then require them to register each device they want to use and you charge accordingly.
Can I bypass Apple's in app purchase mechanism by outside billing?
Thq question was asked long before, but still I feel that the answer might help someone having the issue. All you need is Apple's Volume Purchase Program. It provides the option for custom B2B apps developed by third-party developers, that too can be seen and downloaded only by the authorized client. Cool, isnt it? :-)
For clarifications, see the FAQ
The client can do a bulk purchase, on which they will receive a bunch of URLs. By opening the URL in iOS device is enough to install the app. Of course, you need a Apple Developer account for download and install, I think.