Hi all! This is my first Creator Lounge post, and I’m very excited to share some tips that will hopefully help some of you get your apps onto Apple’s App Store!
Background
For anyone who’s tried before, getting an app onto the App Store is certainly not easy – but it is very possible, and any one of you can do it. Personally, it took me 8 months and 7 rejections from Apple before I got my debut app accepted – but perseverance is key (Thunkable App released to Apple App Store!). Anyways, that’s enough about me – let’s get onto how you can do this yourself! I’ll be skipping out how to send an app to App Store Connect as Thunkable covers that all in their docs: https://docs.thunkable.com/publish-to-app-store-ios.
How to increase your chances of getting accepted
Before you even get to submitting an app to App Store Connect (basically what apple uses to process and review your app), you can increase your chances of getting accepted. The way to do this is by making the most complete, best version of your app possible. Ask yourself some questions – would this provide the complete experience to my users? Would they benefit from the app and continue to use it? If the answers to these questions are yes, then submit your app to App Store Connect.
If not, then go back to your app. Make it the best you think it could possibly be – think of new features, ask for help from the Community, and most importantly of all ensure that users will benefit from using it. Make sure its not ‘basic’, for want of a better word.
Another key aspect is the look of your app. Does it look high-quality and professional? Does it look like the kind of app you would trust using? Or does it look shabby and tacky? Think of complementary colour schemes, your use of fonts and pictures, etc. There are some great examples in the tutorial apps produced by the staff at Thunkable.
Finally, make sure that its easy to use and navigate. Apple won’t accept an app that makes it hard to get to certain features, nor will they accept an app that is confusing.
Consider all of the above before you submit your app – it may take extra work, but it will certainly be worth it, and increase your chances of getting your app onto the App Store!
Common rejections
Minimum functionality – ah, the good old minimum functionality guideline. This is what Apple rejected my app 7 times for, so it’s safe to say I’m quite experienced with it. Minimum functionality basically refers to having native iOS features (features that make use of Apple functionality, such as voice control – using the Assistant, or being able to open the camera/camera roll directly in app). It also refers to what I mentioned above – creating the most complete and useful version of your app possible.
Broken links – all links in your app must be functional – so, pretty much, only include links if you know they work!
Crashes and bugs – this one is pretty self-explanatory. Make sure your app doesn’t crash or have bugs in it by testing it thoroughly before you submit. Test it on a variety of devices (ask your friends to test it!) if possible.
To finish
That’s all folks – if you’re reading this, I hope you’ve found it useful! In the end, I’m actually glad Apple rejected my app so many times – it forced me to improve the app over and over again until I knew it was the best version possible.
If you want more info, Apple has a whole page on getting apps accepted to their store: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/. If you have any specific queries, feel free to send me a message!
Thanks all,
Ayush Sanghavi.
You can download my debut app, Veggie Alternatives, on the App Store today!