This article describes in overview the steps you need to take to publish your app in the Apple App Store.

In short, you need to create some certificates and id's at Apple, enter your store information at AppMachine and AppMachine will publish your app for you. After 1-3 days Apple will review your app and if everything is ok, your app will be made available in the app store automatically.



If your app is already published in the Apple App Store , please follow the steps in this article instead.



TABLE OF CONTENTS


1. Technical Setup Apple App Store in AppMachine


You can already take these steps if your app isn't completely finished yet.

  1. Make sure you have an App Store Connect account. Read more...



  2. In the AppMachine Publish screen you can choose Apple App Store > Setup App Store Connect Api Key. Read more...
  3. In the same wizard, AppMachine will create an App Bundle Identifier for you. Read more...
  4. Next, AppMachine will ask you to create an App Record in App Store Connect. Use the Bundle Identifier which AppMachine created for you in the previous step. Read more...
  5. Carefully fill in the App Privacy Information in App Store Connect and make sure your answers correctly reflect your App. Read more...


Optional: Add keys for specific features

  1. If you want to track your customer's activities in your app, you need to enable this at Manage > Settings > Firebase analytics.  (Coming soon)
  2. If you have user registration via Facebook enabled, you will need to create your own Facebook App and keys. When logging in with Facebook, your customers will see the name (and image) of your Facebook app. Read more...
  3. If your app contains a Twitter block. you will need to add a Twitter key to retrieve data for this block. Read more...


2. Prepare your Metadata


  1. Enter your App Vitals including your app name and your app icon in the Publish dashboard.
  2. Enter all required Store Information in the Publish dashboard > Apple App Store > Edit Store info. Read more...


3. Last Check


  1. Do a last check to see if the content of your app is exactly the way you want it, by previewing your app in the editor and clicking through the screens.
  2. To minimize the chance of your app being rejected by Apple App Review, check whether your app is in accordance with Apple's Review Guidelines. You can find an overview of thees guidelines here.


4. Publish your App


  1. Click the Publish button in the top right corner of the Publish dashboard.
  2. Before your app gets published, AppMachine validates if all required information is entered and will notify your if some information is missing. Read more...
  3. You need to enter the What's new information, which is required by Apple for each release, except for your first release.
  4. if you want to change the release date of this version, click Automatically release this version and click Next.
    - automatically:this is the default setting and your app will become available for your customers at the moment that your app is set to Ready for Sale by Apple.
    - Manually release this version :can be used for Unlisted and Enterprise apps too.
    - Automatically release , no earlier than:you can set the specific time you want to have this new version made available
  5. The Publish your App wizard will build your app and publish to Apple it along with the information you entered. When the publishing process has started you can close the Publish your App wizard. You will be informed when publishing has been completed. If you want to view the progress, you can always click View Publish Progress in the Apple App Store information block on your Publish dashboard.

In case an error occurs during publishing, it will be marked in red and you will be notified. We've setup an article for you that lists the most common causes and solutions for failed publishing. You can review it here. If you cannot solve it this way, you can always contact support@appmachine.com. Make sure you provide your app name, app number, the email address of your AppMachine account and any screenshots that show information about the issue so we can help you as fast as possible.


5. Publish your App



The Publishing Process

If you want to know more about what we do during the publishing process, read on.

  1. During the technical Preparation phase, AppMachine will gather the necessary files and create an App Snapshot.

  2. During the Publishing phase, the metadata and screenshots will be uploaded to App Store Connect. This encompasses all the information you entered in the App Vitals and Edit Store Info screens. Read more if you are experiencing issues during this step.

  3. In the Building and Signing step, your app gets built using the certificates, p8 file and ID information you have entered during the technical setup for the Apple App Store. All the blocks and content that is currently included in your app will be packaged within this build.
  4. Finally, the app will be uploaded to the App Store. Usually uploading is a pretty quick process, but it can be slower if Apple is having some traffic issues. When upload is complete, the App Review process can start.


During the publishing process to the Apple App Store, you will receive several emails from Apple that inform you about the status of your publication. 




App Review

When your app is in review it can take up to 3 days to complete. Reviewing your app is a manual process performed by an Apple employee who checks if your app is in accordance with the Apple Review Guidelines, and if y our App Privacy details match the actual contents of your app.


Apple will send you an email when:

  • The app is in review
  • The app is rejected during review
  • The app is approved
  • The app is "Ready for sale", i.e. available for download in the app store.


After successful publishing, it may take a while before your app shows up when you search for it in the app store on your mobile device.


Sending Push Messages

When your app has been approved, you need to follow this guide to enable Push messages in your app. After completion you can send your first push message.