submit-to-appstore-objc

Checklist for iOS developer before submitting app to AppStore.

iTunesConnect & developer.apple.com

• Install publisher's provision profile (containing private key p12).
• Install distribution certificate containing your app's BundleID.
• Prepare app in iTunesConnect for your app's BundleID.
  • Provide description and l10ns for all relevant languages.
  • Provide screenshots/videos in iTunesConnect.

APNS

• Make sure that APNS certificate includes your app's BundleID.
• You have created distribution APNS certificate.
• Your server is using distribution APNS certificate.
• Check that notifications are working on different iOS versions (pay attention on iOS8 where API was changed).

Versioning

• Do not hardcode anywhere in sources things like isBeta=YES or DEBUG=YES.

• Make sure that app icon or name doesn't contain beta word.

• Update app version and build version. Never harcode version inside app (use CFBundleVersion instead).

Version compatibility

• Make sure that new release is installed over old version in correct way:

  • Install app from AppStore. Create ad-hoc build and install it over old version.
  • Check that user doesn't lose any his info after update.

• Check that data from NSUserDefaults is read in correct way:

  • app doesn't crash trying to read unexisting keys
  • your haven't changed keys in initWithCoder and encodeWithCoder (your current app should be able to read data saved by old app)

iOS SDK API updates:

• check that app can connect to your server, open faq page, load image (ATS, iOS9 SDK)
• check that geolocation is working (iOS8 SDK)
• check that local notifications are working, because user needs permit them too (iOS8 SDK)
• push notifications should work too

Server

• Connect application to production server environment.
• Do not send beta=1 (or similar) in any server requests.
• If app is configurated from server (for example, it downloads DB), make sure that configuration is updated in correct way. If configuration needs to be updated every N hours - it really does.

Tools

• Enable crash analytics tool like Crashlytics.
• Enable flow analytics tool like Flurry.
• Disable NSLog calls. At least like this

#define NSLog(...) /* */

In-App Purchases

• Enable IAPs for your app id in developer.app.com

• Enable IAPs in Xcode Build Settings

• Submit finance docs (without doing it, app doesn't receive even list of in-apps) in iTunesConnect:

• Make sure, that if you've hardcoded IAPs IDs, they are the same in iTunes Connect app too.

• In-apps are displaying correctly. Test user can make purchases.
• In-apps are submitted for review! Otherwise in-apps won't be available even if app version was reviewed.

Specific services

Parse.com

• Check AppDelegate and make sure that applicationId and clientKey are used from production account.

AppDelegate

// --------------------- Parse credentials:
  [Parse setApplicationId:@"FDF...WGr" clientKey:@"1BzI...F"];

Parse.com application keys

Keys should be the same in Settings and AppDelegate.

• Deploy Cloud code to production account!
• Parse application is marked as 'PROD' in Settings

• If you're using APNS, set production certificate in Settings

Facebook

• Make sure, that you are using production app, check client key and perform successful login/sharing to Fb.
• Disable Sandbox mode for Fb app.
• If you are using GraphStory, submit them to review, describe steps-to-reproduce and add necessary screenshots.
• If you're using FBSDKAppInviteContent, make sure that invitation link is pointing to PROD application

App extensions (widgets)

• Create separate bundle ID. Usuall it looks like com.company.appName.widgetName.
• Generate distribution mobile provisions for widget
• Make sure that app groups are included in both provisions: host app and extension.
• Check that widget is using production server URL / production Parse keys.

Apple docs

Also, you can find useful Apple guides:

• Common App Rejections

  https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/rejections/

• App Review Guidelines

  https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/