Is it possible to charge for a new version of the iOS application? Is it linked to the major version update for the application?
My application is at present at version 1.8 and the new version is almost a rewrite and I would like it to be a paid update to the next version.
If I bump version to 2.x, will that automatically become a paid update? Else what is the way to accomplish a paid update?
If you want EVERY USER, including your current users to pay for the new version, you will need to submit it as a new application. Current users will download the update for FREE. NEW users, if you change the price tier, will pay for the application. And no, the update will not automatically become a paid update. Updates are free to existing users.
You can however create an in-app purchase to unlock new features. This would ensure that even current users would need to pay for the "updates" as well.
Related
I have published an iOS app version with Apple subscription with $6/month, now in next update I have to update pricing to $12/year.
When I use edit option on iTunesconnect it only allow to edit price i.e. from $6 to $12 but it doesn't allow to edit subscription period i.e. from month to year. Therefore I thought there is only one possibility that create new subscription and associate with app, but still what to do with old subscription like if I remove it from iTunes what will happen to existing users what next update is published?
In our case we don't delete the old in app purchases so that users that already purchased them can keep using them.
In the next app release we make sure that the app display only the new in app purchases with the updated prices.
This way new prices effects only users that are trying to purchase now and have the most updated app version.
Currently my is a paid app, now I am planning to make it free with limited functionality, after in-app purchase user can have full functionality. I want to know the people who have purchased previously can directly restore purchase so they don't have to buy again.
Apple doesn't allow to make this automatically. You must do this in your code. For example check your apps version, like version < x.y.z means that it was paid before, version >= x.y.z means this is a new user which should make the in-app-payment to unlock the full version.
No. There is no way to get such things from Apple. But, you can do one things.
If you're having login feature then you can manage same things from date. So, for old registered need to show all features while new users need to show specific features only.
I have Freemium apps in the AppStore. Originally it was Paid but I wanted to see if Freemium versions make any difference in Downloads and Sales. It did make difference - number of downloads increased by 10 times but number of purchases reduced by 2 times. So Freemium modal didn't work for me. I want to change back to Paid.
I do not want to create other versions of the Apps as I have really good reviews on all Apps which I don't want to miss. Can someone please help me if it is possible to convert my Apps to Paid and do not allow people to use full functionality who has already downloaded apps but haven't paid?
I will somehow need to detect they have been using old app and not paid. I can do it by releasing an update that store key in the Keychain but I don't understand hoe would those users be able to pay at all as Apple doesn't charge for the App as it is already downloaded in the past, and they won't be able to use full features as they downloaded freemium app....arghhhhh!!! Not sure if this is even possible but want to hear some of yours thought.
I believe paid upgrades are not possible, you will lose profit and you can't do anything about it unless you are willing to create a new app to replace the old one. The move from paid to fremium is a permanent one, you cannot force existing users to pay after the app is free.
It is possible to move back to Paid, without giving the previous Freemium users the full version.
To do this, you have to:
Know the last version of your app that was Paid
Check the user's purchase receipt (refresh receipt if necessary from Apple)
Know whether the user has made any in-app purchases during the Freemium period (e.g. every time the user upgraded, you added an 'Upgraded' item to their keychain)
Switch to Paid
If you have this information, you go ahead and switch your app back to Paid and:
Check whether they have made any in-app purchases (via e.g. their keychain 'Upgraded' flag). If they have, give them the functionality - easy. If they haven't then go to the next step.
Check the user receipt to see what version/date of the app they first downloaded. If it is during the Paid period, upgrade them to full version. If it is not, and the user has not made an in-app purchase, keep them at Freemium.
Disadvantages
There are 2 disadvantages I can see with this approach:
Any user that downloads the app after Freemium will need access to the Internet for you to confirm their receipt. This means the user might download the full version, then at a later time when they are not connected to the Internet, open the app only to find that they have to Upgrade. Of course once they connect to the Internet and their receipt is validated, they will be upgraded, but in the meantime you might get some bad reviews and angry customers.
Your app will now be a Paid app that has In-App purchases. This may confuse users thinking that if they buy your app, they will have to further upgrade via in-app purchases... and put them off.
Of course the advantage is that your Freemium users will stay freemium :)
I have done this myself, and had no problems with the process.
I want to decrease a few options I have given out as free in one of my app (Universal iOS app) but I do not want any current users to update and lose those options.
Is there any way I can update my app without offering it to the current users. Only new users get the new app?
No it's not possible.
Update is always available for all users that purchased the app.
You may think about adding in-app for those feature and make those in-app already available for the application already installed. The problem is that if the user deleted the application from the phone and install it again, you have no way to know he purchased a previous version (except if you have user login inside the application).
I would like to switch my app from paid to free with in app purchase, but I don't want to make my current users pay twice. Is there a way to know if a user is upgrading or new?
You can't tell if a user is a new user or a previous owner of the app. Let's say a previous owner of the app buys a new device and installs the latest (IAP) version; there's nothing to let you know that user is new or existing.
If you want to maintain two separate App IDs you could release two versions of your app: one that does not have IAP but costs money (for your existing customers) and one that's free and has the IAP.
updated
If your IAP product's type is non-consumable, user can not buy it again.
what you could do is an upgrade of your paid version that allows a user to generate a special code that they could use (once! some server connection would be useful to register these codes) in the new "free" app to get an upgrade to the full version.