I'm working on an eBook app for the iPhone. Given the time it takes for Apple to review and publish updates, I'm considering adding a feature to update the content via my own (Google App Engine-powered) web site.
This would allow me to update the content at will, rather than being at the mercy of the App Store review team. Is Apple likely to reject this kind of behavior in an app? I've asked in the Apple Developer forums, but received no response.
We have developed an application on the App Store that will go our web server and get new content when new content is available and store it on the iPhone. You should not have any problem as long as the content is not offensive. This could lead to your application being removed from the app Store. I've also heard that they may make your app 17+ because of getting content from the web.
You probably received no response because no one knows for sure. Apple has allowed apps that embed webkit before, but it has also rejected them as well.
iphone + web hybrid apps perfectly ok i think, not sure why apple would be concerned.
Related
I've created a web application using asp.net. I customized it form mobile(jQuery Mobile) .
I created an iphone application that has a web view that shows the website.
Is this will be applied by Apple to publish this application???
Regards,
Moayyad
If the only purpose of the app is showing the webview with the website, and it does absolutely nothing else, then it will most likely be rejected. However, if showing the website is just a small part of its functionality, and it does some other useful things as well, then using a webview for displaying your own website is OK, as far as I know.
Note, however, that I/we can only make assumptions and guesses. Nobody except Apple knows what exactly will happen to your app - there are numerous cases when an app was rejected for a feature which another approved app had, so there are inconsistencies in the AppStore approval policy of Apple. Don't expect anything.
I don't think so. They prefer use of HTML5 in webapp. Try to review the Apple guidelines for building web app.
I got an offer to develop a simple iPhone app that would call a web service with user's credentials. An user would get the list of files that can be downloaded (.pdfs) and could then download the wanted file. Simple enough...
Now, I've had bad experience with publishing on AppStore. Basically, they refused one app because according to them our RSS reader for a online newspaper wasn't in accordance with their guidelines. They said that the application was a simple web aggregator which I won't argue now. Not now :)
So, back to the new app problem :)
I would like to know what are the options for distributing the new app. The client has a web page and wants to give it's visitor this app to get that data from their phones too.
Technically, the app doesn't have to be a native app. It can be a phoneGap solution too since it's quite simple regarding the functionality. Sincerely, I am afraid that there is no way that Apple will allow this app to be uploaded to their store being native, phoneGap...
P.S.
I would also like to know is there a way to distribute an "internal" (not publicly available) iPhone app? For example, a company needs an internal tool for their 500 employees, but can't afford to go through the process of conecting each device and compiling the app for each device individually...
If you want to sell customized apps to companies, you should consider the B2B program.
if you are in an enterprise that wants to deploy apps inside your company, the Enterprise Developer Program is a good choice.
For internal:
100 test devices.
alot of iphones with the distribution profile after the 100 devices
with the enterprise:
https://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/enterprise/
We are trying to develop a hybrid app that can update itself by using css/javascript/html from the internet, instead of storing them in the phonegap project.
Like so
Html5 cache manifest in a UIWebView?
HTML5 AppCache in UIWebView
It now does work fine on iOS 5 and 5.1
In fact, inside phonegap index.html we do or location.href redirect to the web site. The web site has offline manifest, which allows the phonegap app to start and work the second time in an offline mode (after all resources were cached the first time). And changes to manifest do update the app correctly. I have tried terminating the app in the phone, and restarting it while the web site is down - it still works.
There are solutions that allow self update - for example the phonegap-based Worklight. So silent self-update doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.
So the question is, did anybody submit similar an app to appstore? There's potentially no code at all in the app, all it does is goes to the web site.
Apple appears to allow apps to download data updates and Javascript/HTML for use in UIWebViews. They even presented a WWDC session on data driven apps a couple years back.
But note this item in Apple's app review guidelines:
2.12 Apps that are ... simply web sites bundled as apps ... may be rejected.
The only way to know for sure if your app is acceptable is to submit it to Apple for review, as "similar" apps do not appear to set any precedent for any future approvals.
I have an application using JQtouch and would like it to be on the App Store.
Will my application get rejected from the App Store if all the functionality is done remotely (loading in UIWebView) and I provide no offline functionality?
Thanks.
From the Apple App Approval Guidelines:
12.3: Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected.
Basically if your app does not add anything to the experience of viewing the website, then you may get rejected.
I have had apps approved in the app store that were just a web view pointed on a JQTouch application. However, I loaded the .html from a local file included in the app. I believe the no "web clippings" clause of section 12.3 in the App Approval guidelines is only meant for clippings of full web sites. Embedding a mobile web application in a local app will likely get accepted.
I don't think this should be a problem. Apple reviewers are probably the most fickle people on the planet, but I can think of several apps that are UIWebView based, and which provide little or no offline functionality.
I'm not sure how to word this correctly, so I'm going to be a little verbose:
I'm tasked with building an app for my company that will just load a mobile website into a barebones browser with no address bar or anything. So basically the app will be just the same as if the user had navigated there in Safari (sans normal browser controls).
My question is: does Apple reject this sort of app because of it just being a wrapper around a mobile site? I'm totally lost on this, as I've never developed for iOS before and have no idea what kinds of roadblocks i might hit.
Apple may reject your app if all it does is wrap a web site in a UIWebView. You need to have more functionality in your app than just loading a web page.
From the app review guidelines for iOS:
4.2 Minimum Functionality
Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If your app is not particularly useful, unique, or “app-like,” it doesn’t belong on the App Store. If your App doesn’t provide some sort of lasting entertainment value, it may not be accepted.
You may want to investigate developing your company's app as a mobile web app. There's plenty of information published by Apple (and others) about how to write mobile web apps that function similarly to native iOS apps.
Put some functionality that gives your app look like native application.
Make sure that your description for app is enough for understanding to Apple app tester about you app.
and resend your app to apple store or you can send reply to apple review team about your application.
FWIW a company I worked for put an app through the App Store that was little more than a browser in May 2013.
It probably helped that the website it pointed to had an extremely responsive design, was a media player with play buttons etc. Also played video inline, which you can't do on mobile Safari (because mobile Safari will play the video full screen).
See section 2.12 in App Store Review Guidelines:
Apps that are not very useful, are
simply web sites bundled as apps, or
do not provide any lasting
entertainment value may be rejected