Apple Developer Program

When Apple released the first iOS 17 beta to developers, for the first time it gave non-developers the opportunity to download beta software updates on their iPhones for free. Keep reading to learn how it's done. In years past when Apple has announced a major new operating system update, the first wave of betas has officially only been available to download if you are a paying subscriber to A...

In iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, Apple has changed the way users opt-in to developer and public beta updates on iPhone and iPad. Keep reading to learn why the change was made and how to turn it on. Going forward, Apple is changing things up so that developers no longer need to install a profile from the Developer Center in order to get developer betas. Instead, users who are enrolled in...

Apple is inviting some developers to a special Accessibility session designed to teach them how iOS apps can take advantage of accessibility features built into the operating system, according to an email shared by developer Steve Troughton-Smith. The event, set to be held on April 23, will be an online session that takes place live, with developers able to ask questions and sign up for...

Apple today informed developers that it has released updated Human Interface Guidelines for HealthKit, providing new guidance on using the Apple Health app icon, additional guidance on using Apple Health-related terms, and new privacy and data usage guidelines. HealthKit is the SDK that allows developers to create integrations with the Apple Health app for health and fitness-focused apps,...

Apple today updated its Apple Developer app to add new features related to video watching and sharing. The Apple Developer app was formerly known as the WWDC app, and it is where content from this year's digital WWDC event will be accessible to developers. Today's update introduces multiple playback speeds for watching videos, an option to interact with full video transcripts, and a feature...

macOS versions of apps can now be included as part of a universal purchase, which allows customers to purchase a single app (or in-app purchase) that works across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Apple says that developers can get ready to use the feature by assigning a single bundle ID for apps in Xcode and setting up their app record for universal purchase using App Store Connect. A ...

Apple today informed developers that starting on April 30, 2020, all iPhone and iPad apps submitted to the App Store must be built with iOS and iPadOS 13 SDK or later. Apple previously told developers that iOS and iPadOS 13 SDKs would be required as of April, but did not give a specific date.iOS 13 is now running on 77% of all iOS devices introduced in the last four years, worldwide. Deliver ...

Apple today informed developers that it has released updated App Store Review Guidelines, with changes that cover reviews, spam, push notifications, Sign in with Apple, data collection and storage, mobile device management, and more. Apple's new guidelines can be found on its developer website, but we've highlighted a few notable changes below. 1.4.4 - Apps used to commit or attempt to...

Apple has disabled the developer account of New York City-based facial recognition startup Clearview AI and provided the company with 14 days to respond for violating the rules of its enterprise program, according to BuzzFeed News. As part of the program, Apple issues enterprise certificates to large organizations to deploy select apps to their employees for internal use only, but the report...

Apple offers free Developer Program memberships to nonprofit organizations, accredited educational institutions, and government entities that distribute free apps on the App Store. These free memberships have been available in countries that include the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Japan, and Brazil, but as of today, they're also expanding to eight new countries. Eligible...

Apple today informed developers about the release of a new Reality Converter App, which is designed to allow users to convert, view, and customize USDZ 3D objects on the Mac. Common 3D file formats like .obj, .gltf, and .usd can be dragged and dropped into the Reality Converter app, which offers up a converted USDZ result that can be then be edited and customized. The app supports adding...

Apple today told developers that it is offering a set of tools to help them fulfill data requests made by users in the European Union or other places around the world to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that goes into effect in May. Following the implementation of the GDPR developers will need to comply with customer requests for accessing, managing, restricting, and...

Apple today sent out a notice to developers letting them know that starting in April of 2018, all new apps submitted to the App Store must be built using the iOS 11 SDK, which is included in Xcode 9 or later. Furthermore, Apple says that all new apps designed for the iPhone, including universal apps, must support the iPhone X's Super Retina display. Update your version of Xcode to the...

Apple today announced the official availability of fee waivers for its Apple Developer Program for nonprofit organizations, accredited educational institutions, and government entities in the United States who plan to distribute free apps on the App Store. Qualified organizations are able to apply for the waiver, which will provide a free annual membership to the Developer Program. Apple...

Apple today updated its developer news site to let developers know that TestFlight tester limits have been expanded. Starting today, developers can invite up to 10,000 users to beta test their iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and iMessage apps before the apps are released on the App Store. Developers often use TestFlight to send out pre-release copies of apps to testers and members of the media to suss out ...

Apple today highlighted a new Customer Support role that was recently added to iTunes Connect, which developers can take advantage of if they would like to hire someone specifically to respond to customer reviews in the App Store.Now you can give the customer support experts in your organization the ability to respond to customer reviews on the App Store with the new Customer Support role in...

Apple today updated its developer news site to remind developers about 64-bit requirements for both Mac and iOS apps. Apple has required all new iOS apps and app updates submitted to the iOS App Store to support 64-bit since June of 2015. Since then, Apple has begun phasing out support for 32-bit apps, and plans to stop supporting them all together with iOS 11. While Apple has enforced...

Apple today announced that its App Analytics platform in iTunes Connect now provides developers with insight into where customers discover apps, a welcome change that will give developers more information on where app referrals are coming from. Developers will be able to see if customers are finding apps from App Store browsing and search, from within other apps, or from web referrals.App...

Apple today updated its web portal designed for developers with a new section entitled "Making Great Apps for the App Store," aimed at helping developers grow their businesses and reach more users with their apps. Included are resources for planning apps, App Store guidelines, tools for submitting apps, and a section on developer insights featuring stories from developers who have created...

Apple today updated the Developer Center portal designed for developers an interface redesign for the account page that makes it easier to access all of the different developer resources. The new account page, which features a clean look with quick access to Certificates, Identifiers, & Profiles, and iTunes Connect, replaces the previous "Member Center" for developers. Along with...

In late September, Apple announced that app slicing, an App Thinning feature of iOS 9, was unavailable to developers because of an iCloud backup issue. Apple today updated developers on the status of app slicing, noting that it's once again available for use following the iOS 9.0.2 update and the recent Xcode 7.0.1 update. The issue affecting app slicing has been fixed, and device-specific...

Apple today announced that it is now allowing developers to submit apps for review that take advantage of the new features in iOS 9, OS X El Capitan, and watchOS 2 as the company prepares to launch iOS 9 and watchOS 2 to the general public next Wednesday. Developers are also able to seed apps with iOS 9 and watchOS 2 features to external beta testers using TestFlight. Prior to today, only...