Developers

App Store Review Guidelines updated with details on subscriptions, SiriKit and iMessage

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 1, 2016

In addition to beefing up App Store quality control by removing poorly maintained apps and those with 50+ characters in their name starting September 7, Apple also updated the official App Store Review Guidelines with details on app subscriptions, SiriKit and downloadable iMessage content. “As you plan and develop your apps for the upcoming releases of iOS 10, macOS Sierra, watchOS and tvOS, make sure to read these updated guidelines,” writes Apple.

Apple to impose 50-character limit on app names, remove poorly maintained apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 1, 2016

Apple just sent an email blast to its registered developers to inform them that it's implementing two suggestions from the developer community starting September 7, 2016, the same day the iPhone 7 event is scheduled to take place. The first concerns “abandoned” apps that no longer function as advertised and the other deals with funny tricks some developers resort to in an effort to game the system.

A new beta of macOS Sierra has been seeded to developers and public beta testers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2016

Seven days following the release of a seventh beta of macOS Sierra, Apple today seeded an eighth beta of the upcoming software to its registered developers and public beta testers. Both macOS Sierra beta 7 for members of the Apple Developer Program and macOS Sierra beta 7 for members of the Apple Beta Software Program are now available through the Mac App Store on computers with an appropriate configuration profile and as standalone downloads on Dev Center.

Apple also seeds tvOS 10 beta 7 to developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 26, 2016

In addition to seeding iOS 10 beta 8 to developers and iOS 10 beta 7 to public beta testers, Apple today made available a seventh beta of tvOS to its registered developers. tvOS 10 beta 7 (build number “14T5329a”) is available as an over-the-air update via the Software Update mechanism on the fourth-generation Apple TV.

Apple issues iOS 10 beta 8 to developers & beta 7 to public beta testers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 26, 2016

Apple today released an eighth beta of iOS 10 (build number “14A5346a”) to members of the Apple Developer Program and the seventh beta of iOS 10 to public beta testers who are signed on the Apple Beta Software Program. It's worth repeating that iOS 10 beta 8 for developers and iOS 10 beta 7 for public beta testers contain the same features.

The devices on a prior beta can be updated in Settings → General → Software Update, but some users are reporting issues trying to update to beta 8.

Apple seeds macOS Sierra beta 7 to developers, beta 6 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple on Monday seeded the seventh beta of macOS Sierra to developers. Registered Mac developers running the latest betas can update via the Mac App Store, or access the standalone download in the developer center.

Today's release comes a week after Apple issued beta 6 of macOS Sierra to developers and 3 days after beta 7 of iOS 10 was released. Apple has entered the fine-tuning stage as it prepares to release the updates to the public.

Apple seeds iOS 10 beta 7 to developers, beta 6 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ August 19, 2016

Apple on Friday seeded the seventh beta of iOS 10 to developers. Registered developers running the latest betas can access the update via the OTA mechanism in iOS, or as a standalone download via Apple’s developer center.

Today's release obviously comes as a surprise, given that Apple just issued beta 6 on Monday. The timing suggests that Apple has entered the fine-tuning stage, as it prepares to release iOS 10 to the public in the next few weeks.

iOS 10 Preview: Phone gains spam alerts, VoIP integration, transcribed voicemails & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 11, 2016

iOS 10 turns the iPhone's boring Phone app into a software platform in its own right. Developers are now permitted to add previously unheard-of capabilities to Phone using Apple's new application programming interface (API), called CallKit, allowing Voice over IP (VoIP) calls from apps like Skype and WhatsApp to behave like cellular calls.

CallKit-enabled apps put contact images on the Lock screen for incoming VoIP calls and are deeply integrated with Contacts and Phone's Recents and Favorites.

Phone on iOS 10 packs in other exciting improvements that we honestly started to believe would never get implemented on the iOS platform, like voicemail transcription à la Google Voice and third-party extensions for detecting spammy calls automatically.

So let's get to it...

Apple issues fifth betas of tvOS 10 and watchOS 3

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2016

Following iOS 10 and macOS Sierra releases, Apple on Tuesday issued beta 5 of both tvOS 10 and watchOS 3. Registered developers with updated profiles can install the over-the-air updates via the Watch app in iOS 10, or the Update mechanism in tvOS 10.

The updates come just a week after Apple sent out fourth betas to developers, suggesting we are now in the finishing touches stage ahead of their expected fall releases. Both tvOS 10 and watchOS 3 have been in beta since they were introduced in June.

macOS Sierra beta 5 now available to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Continuing with its releases, Apple issued beta 5 of macOS Sierra to developers on Tuesday. The update is available for registered Mac developers in either the Updates tab of the Mac App Store, or in Apple’s Dev center.

Today’s fifth beta comes just one week after Apple issued beta 4, and nearly two months after the original developer beta was made available. The software, of course, was first introduced during Apple’s WWDC keynote.

Apple seeds iOS 10 beta 5 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2016

Apple on Tuesday seeded the fifth beta of iOS 10 to developers. Registered developers running the latest betas can access the update via the OTA mechanism in iOS, or as a standalone download via Apple's developer center.

Beta 5 comes just one week after the fourth beta, suggesting Apple has entered the fine-tuning stage as it prepares for a public release next month. Beta 4 added new emoji, new keyboard sounds and several other minor tweaks.

In July, App Store hit highest-ever monthly billings and money paid to developers

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 3, 2016

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook himself, the App Store has set a new record in July with highest-ever monthly billings and money paid to developers. Developers have now earned over $50 billion from sales of their apps since the App Store's debut in the summer of 2008—and that's after the company's standard thirty percent cut on all App Store proceeds.

The CEO took to Twitter to congratulate developers on their “success and such inspired creativity”.