I've seen a lot of questions out there looking to play music from the user's library on the app, or to access iTunes from the app to download things, but I'm looking to do the opposite. I'm creating an app for a local band, and they are supplying 5 full length songs to include in the app, and I thought it would be a nice touch to include an option to download the songs from the app into the users iTunes library (at the request of the user of course). Is there a way to make this work?
Probably not. Apple doesn't want you in there, because you could have the ability to mess some things up. If you've ever used a ringtone app, they actually have you copy the ringtones onto your computer, and then reinsert them onto the device as a ringtone, because the app doesn't have access to the ringtone section, so you probably can't do that with songs. I know you don't want to hear this, but you're better off just putting the songs onto the iTunes Store and then putting a link in your app to the songs on iTunes.
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So, my app is approved and now I'd like to check what does listing look like in App Store. Is there way to do it without iPhone?
You can go to iTunes (Both Mac and Windows PC has supported) application and find your app.
There you can check how your app looks like in iPhone.
One more possibility: "https://itunes.apple.com/app/id[Your_APP_ID]"
Ex: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id424562537
First of all, it can take up to 48 hrs for your app to appear in all stores world-wide.
In iTunes Connect, you will find the direct link to your app. Depending on the browser (Safari vs. Chrome/Firefox/IE), first the iTunes Web Preview should show your app's store listing. From there you can view it directly in iTunes (if it's installed on your machine.)
To check if your app is available in all territories, go to "Pricing and Availability" and check for the right settings there. (Available in all territories)
I wondered if it is possible to take a screenshot on an iPhone (newest versions of iOS) gloablly (in any app) and save it on a specific app that manages the screenshots and saves them in specific folders instead of the default photo album.
I searched the App Store for such apps but couldn't find anything that suited my needs.
Thx.
I am writing an app for a band. It must be possible to purchase their music from within the app. Here are the options I am considering:
1) Purchase music as an in app purchase. Not very useful because AFAIK the music files cannot be exported to the ipod music library and are only playable within the app. I could kind of get around this by giving the user a URL from which they could then use to download the songs themselves but does apple block this kind of approach - is it seen to compete with the itunes music store?
2) Simply link to an album in the iTunes store. Not ideal as it takes the user out of the app. If I did go this route is it possible for the app to get a confirmation that the purchase went through or at least have the store bring my app to the foreground once finished with the purchase? Alternatively I suppose I could search the iPod library by artist from within my app to determine if they have purchased something by the band.
3) Are there any other options?
Linking to iTunes seems like the best step here, especially for the user, as this allows them to use the tracks across devices, and makes your life much easier when it comes to piracy limitation(links can be shared extremely easily) and also wont piss Apple off.
As for confirmation of purchase, I really have no idea, searching through the library could work I guess, but they may not have downloaded the track yet etc.
2.21 of App Store Review Guidelines states, that apps that simply a song should be submitted to iTunes store.
Is it possible to create an app that does not appear in the Home screen, and allows another app to grab its resources (sounds, images, etc)?
I want to create a lightweight app (app #1) and upload it to the app store. Then I would like to be able to direct users to download an add-on (app #2) if they want that contains more images and sounds. Then app #1 would read these resources from app #2.
I'm trying to avoid having my own server to serve these images, and just have the App Store handle this for me. I know I can do this on Android, and was wondering if it's possible in iOS as well.
Is it possible to create an app that does not appear in the Home
screen, and allows another app to grab its resources (sounds, images,
etc)?
Not only can you not create an app that's hidden from the user, you also can't access the resources of one app from another. Each app lives in its own sandbox and cannot read (or write) into the sandbox of another app.
I want to create a lightweight app (app #1) and upload it to the app
store. Then I would like to be able to direct users to download an
add-on (app #2) if they want that contains more images and sounds.
Then app #1 would read these resources from app #2.
The normal way to do something like that would be to host the resources you need on a server or just store them inside your app.
I'm trying to avoid having my own server to serve these images, and
just have the App Store handle this for me. I know I can do this on
Android, and was wondering if it's possible in iOS as well.
No, not possible.
If you are able to use the In-App Purchase system, then Apple will host this for you. From the docs, I'm not clear if this is iOS 6 only or is available for older versions (I haven't seen any reason it wouldn't work for older versions, but I haven't tried it).
Note that most iOS 6 specifics are under NDA, so please do not discuss them here until iOS 6 releases. This particular fact is public, however:
https://developer.apple.com/technologies/ios6/
https://developer.apple.com/appstore/in-app-purchase/index.html
https://itunesconnect.apple.com/docs/iTunesConnect_DeveloperGuide.pdf
No it's not possible. You have to setup an icon and it will be displayed on the iPhone springboard.
No it cannot, why do you need one?
Sadly No in IOS but in android this is possible.
There can exist an app without an icon. But it can still be managed or removed in "Manage Application" under settings.
This is required in scenarios, like say I want this app to alert user when he is going out of region, using GPS in the background. I do not want any icon nor any user interface.
Is there anything like the Android's "Share" button in iPhone?
I am just starting out in iOS development and do not have an iPhone (yet). The idea is to be able to select documents or images saved on the phone and use them in my app. I realize there is an ImagePickerController but that is not what I am looking for. I am also not looking for a third party component, rather something integrated into the OS similar to Android.
Short answer: No.
You can register your app to handle certain file types, and files of those types can then be opened by your app via UIActionSheets that may appear, for example, when you tap and hold on a file in an email. You can also transfer files to your app via iTunes. There's no 'file explorer' type feature in iOS where you can pull up a view of files saved to your phone.
For images, as you mentioned already, you must use UIImagePickerController.
From documentation
Sharing Files with the User
Applications that want to make user data files accessible can do so using application file sharing. File sharing enables the application to expose the contents of its /Documents directory to the user through iTunes. The user can then move files back and forth between the device and a desktop computer. This feature does not allow your application to share files with other applications on the same device, though. To share data and files between applications, you must the pasteboard or a document interaction controller object.
You can read more here:
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/iPhone/Conceptual/iPhoneOSProgrammingGuide/StandardBehaviors/StandardBehaviors.html%23//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40007072-CH4-SW7