In December 2017, Apple announced that it would loosen up guideline 4.2.6 so that template apps could be submitted to the App Store again. In this context, the company announced an important target: To successfully submit apps, your customers need to create their own developer accounts. In January 2018 we decided to reintroduce native iOS apps into our offer. We informed in our club post App Submission again possible: Apple loosens guideline 4.2.6 about it in detail and by e-mail.
Now there are news concerning the submission and rejection of apps. Apple made it clear to us in prolonged conversations that by April 1,2018, all your existing apps in the App Store will remain online and will not be blocked because of the 4.2.6 and 4.3 guidelines. This means that repeated app submissions (app updates) are possible – even independent of the current developer account and owner. However, rejections can still be made on the basis of Guidelines 4.2.2 – Minimum Functionality and 5.2.1 – Intellectual Property.
So far so good. However, as of April 2,2018, the company will consistently implement its established guidelines. This affects both the submission of new and existing apps. If apps are still submitted under your own reseller developer account, they must be transferred to your customer’s developer account by April 2,2018. With our Submission Service Plus we take over the creation of the accounts for you. Simply contact us.
The following specifications apply as of 02.04.2018
- Repeated submissions (app updates) are still possible as long as the name of the developer account represents the app
- Submission of completely new and existing apps can be rejected due to guidelines 4.2.6 and 4.3
- Rejections of apps because of guideline 4.2.2 – Design – Minimum Functionality are still possible
- Violations of guideline 5.2.1 – Legal – Intellectual Property will also lead to a rejection
- City and listing apps can still be submitted via the developer account of the reseller
- Multiple developer accounts can be paid with one credit card
What exactly do these specifications mean?
Point 1 – Repeated App Submissions
App Updates, e. g. a new app icon, new app name and start screen, as well as activation of the in-app registration, which require repeated submissions to the App Store, provided that the developer account is uniquely assigned to your customer. However, if you make other changes in the app, e. g. adding a new module, it is sufficient to republish the app via the dashboard.
Point 2 – Directives 4.2.6 and 4.3
If new apps violate 4.2.6 and 4.3 – due to low interactivity, lack of added value or multiple apps containing the same content, they are declared as spam apps with no added value and rejected by Apple. This also includes the lack of an own developer account and the ambiguous assignment that app owners and owners of the developer account are identical.
Point 3 – Rejections on the basis of Directive 4.2.2
Guideline 4.2.2 prohibits apps with low functionality and insufficient added value for the app user. Such apps are also rejected. This includes, for example, apps that only consist of text and image modules or have the same content and therefore offer no added value for the app user.
Point 4 – Infringement of guideline 5.2.1
Apps can also be rejected due to the guideline 5.2.1 – Legal – Intellectual Property. This means intellectual property – if you like, copyright. Therefore, make sure that only content created by you or your customers themselves is included in the app and does not infringe any applicable copyright laws.
Point 5 – City and Listing Apps
City and listing apps are an exception. Apple allows the submission of such apps. As a reseller, you can submit these apps via your own developer account.
Point 6 – Using a credit card for multiple developer accounts
A credit card is required to create a developer account. Apple allows you to link multiple developer accounts with one credit card. If your customers do not own one, they can also use a prepaid credit card. One of these services that offers this is MyCard2go. If your customers use a prepaid credit card, it is important that the credit card information and the name of the developer account are identical.
Alternatively, you as a reseller can also use a prepaid credit card to create your customers’ developer accounts. Here, however, the credit card information and the name of the developer accounts differ. For this reason, it is necessary that you prove the existence of the developer account owner by photo ID. To do this, you will need a copy of your customers’ identity card. If this proof is not provided, the Developer Account remains locked and cannot be used.
What does this mean for you as a reseller?
Even if it means more work for you, we recommend that you carry out the necessary app transfer by 02.04.2018. Proceed as follows:
- Login to the appropriate iTunes Connect account where the app to be transferred is located
- Click onto the link Transfer App
- In the form that opens, all the necessary criteria must be fulfilled
- App data (owner ID of the app) of the new developer account will be noted in it (at this time the new developer account must already exist)
- After successful verification (this may take a few days), the transfer in the new developer account only needs to be confirmed.
- Your customer’s app will then appear in his own new developer account
A detailed instructions on how to carry out the app transfer can be found in our Knowledge Base.
You should also encourage your customers to create their own developer accounts. We have prepared a small guide for the creation of such a developer account. In addition, we would like to point out that Apple may reject the application at any time. If apps do not comply with the guidelines, we also reserve the right to reject these apps before submission.
Submission Service Plus
If you already use our Submission Service Plus, we will contact you shortly and inform you about the next steps. If you have previously used our simple submission service, you can switch to the Submission Service Plus. We take over the creation of the required developer accounts in the name and on behalf of your customers. For this we need a copy of your customer’s identity card and a credit card so that we can create the accounts on your behalf for your customers.
Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions regarding Apple and the application submission, you can contact us at any time by e-mail or phone. You can also use the extensive developer support by phone from Apple. This is available in several languages.