How To Submit & Publish Your App on Apple App Store

Apple App Store is the second largest app store after the Google Play Store to offer millions of apps. Over a period of time, the App Store has transformed into a hub of iOS apps. Currently the App Store homes almost 2.2 million iOS apps and hundreds of more getting submitted every week. Once you developed your app, it is time to submit your app to store from where you can deliver to the millions of users. However, the app submission process isn’t that simple as it sounds. There are some essential details and guidelines that you need to know successfully submit your iOS app.

To make sure that your app doesn’t encounter any pitfall and sink into the rejection bucket we have prepared for this iOS app submission guide.

Here are the steps to submit your app into the Apple App Store

1. Comply Apple App Store Guidelines

Where Apple App Store seems like the golden opportunity to reach millions of potential user in no time, the process of submission is the ard one to follow. The very first step in the submission process is to make sure that your app is following all the guidelines mentioned by Apple. It may seem simple but the instructions mentioned are quite complex, and your app must follow them otherwise it will be rejected. For example, the content guidelines say there shouldn’t be any offensive, insensitive, or upsetting content on your app.

2. No Bugs or Crashes

The major reason for iOS app get rejected during the submission is bugs. You have the best developer who has written the perfect line of codes, but that doesn’t mean the app can not have flaws. If the review team find out any minor bug or possibility of error in your app’s functionality, it will be straight out rejected. So, you need to make sure that the testing team go through the app’s functionality and eliminates every bug.

Even if the App Store review team passes your app, there is no guarantee that the user will do the same.

3. Registration- Join Apple’s Developer Program

Apple runs a developer program that every developer needs to join in order to submit their app to the App Store. Under this Program Apple offers many additional tools for the developers including the one to track the app analytics, performing the beta testing and much more.

However, Apple doesn’t give access to these tools at free of cost, and you need to buy the subscription. The subscription is available on a yearly basis that will cost you $99 per year, but if you have a team of developers, then you can go for team membership by paying $299 per year.

4. Time for  iTunes Connect

iTunes is another suite for collective tools for the app owners that let them control the content on iTunes and manage their app. Besides, after joining Apple’s developer program, you need to required to join iTunes or submitting your app. Before uploading your app in the iTunes, you need to create a record on iTunes connect by providing all the details.

5. Download the Xcode

This step could be after joining the Apple developer program, but you can perform it after creating your iTunes Connect profile. Xcode is a complete package that will provide you the tutorials for developer program and essential development tools for iOS MacOS and WatchOS.

6. Certificates, Identifiers, and Profiles for Distribution

To upload your app on iTunes, you need to have Certificates, Identifiers, and Profiles and initially, you will be required to provide two certificates. One certificate will be for distribution profile for your app, and others will be for development profile. While accessing the development profile, you need to provide the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from your Mac. To get the CSR, you can go to the Keychain app.

Now, you need to provide the necessary details of your app including an icon, app screenshot, and metadata.

7. Uploading The App

Once all the details of your app have been filled in iTunes Connect, you are ready to upload your app. You can use the Xcode to upload the build of your app, and the upload action will be displayed in the activity tab on your iTunes Connect record. AT first, the status of the app should be chosen ‘Prepared for submission’ as under this you can edit the app details. Wherever you are ready, just hit the ‘Upload to App Store,’ and your app will be successfully submitted. Now, your app’s code will be sent to Apple’s server for the validation; hence the Apple team will review it.

8. App Review

To successfully get published in the App Store every iOS app has gone through the Apple review process. The review team check the app and evaluate whether it compiles all the guidelines or not. You can see your app’s status changing to ‘waiting for review’ after a few verifications. If your app gets rejected, you will get the notification the process usually takes 13 days. You can discuss the issues with the Apple team via the communication center. Once you resolve the issues, you can resubmit your app and wait for the Apple review.

9. Finally, Release the App

Now, it’s time to push your app in the App Store; finally, you can either choose the Automatic or Manual option for pushing the app. IN manual option you just need to click the, ‘Release the app’ your app will be pushed, however, it may take from 1 hour to 1 day for your app to get visible in the App Store.