, showing version 1.0.1 ready for distribution. Includes screenshots and a sidebar menu with various sections.](/images/blog/store-publishing-apple/app-store-app.png)
, showing metrics like 'App Units', 'In-App Purchases', and 'Sales'. Includes a 'Top Apps' chart and a sidebar menu with sales and financial reports options.](/images/blog/store-publishing-apple/app-store-trends.png)
How to deploy our Android app on Google Play
At the beginning, when we have a developed application and want to publish it, many questions arise. …
read moreHow to publish our iOS app on the App Store
Aug 1, 2024
This article is part of the series:
Publishing an application on Apple’s App Store may seem like a complicated process, but with this guide, it will become a completely manageable task. Below, we will see the essential steps to take your app from development to making it available to millions of users on the App Store.
Just like we have done with the Google store, we will look at the necessary requirements to bring our application to Apple’s App Store. The processes are similar but with their differences, so it is important to know them to avoid unpleasant surprises.
App Store
With an Apple account and an annual payment of $99, we can create a developer account to publish our applications on the App Store. This payment is an essential requirement and will give us access to Apple’s developer console and App Store Connect, where we can manage our applications, view download statistics, revenue, etc.
Apps
In the Apps section of App Store Connect, we can see all the applications we have uploaded to the App Store, as well as the versions of each and their statuses, whether they are under review, approved, rejected, or removed, etc.
When selecting an app from the available ones, we can distinguish several sections on the screen. First, at the top, three tabs: Distribution, TestFlight, and Xcode Cloud. In the App Store tab, we can see the app’s information, screenshots, description, keywords, etc. In the TestFlight tab, we can manage the different test versions we have uploaded to the App Store, and in the Xcode Cloud tab, we can build, test, and deploy our app automatically directly from Xcode.
Distribution
In the central part of the screen, we can see the app’s information, such as the name, language, category, promotional screenshots, app URL, description, keywords, etc. We can also see the current version information of the app, such as the version number, build number, version status, release date, etc.
On the left side of the screen, we can see the different sections of the app, such as App Information, App Review, Ratings and Reviews, Pricing and Availability, and In-App Purchases, among others.
The important thing is that here we will manage everything related to the app’s distribution, from information, images, texts, keywords, etc., much of what is seen on the App Store when a user searches for our app.
TestFlight
In the TestFlight section of App Store Connect, we can manage the different test versions we have uploaded, as well as the testers who have tested each one, the tester groups, the version notes, etc.
This will help us test on real devices before sending the app to production, aiming to detect and correct errors, thus improving the app before it becomes available to all users.
We can also receive feedback from users, including crashes and screenshots sent by testers so we can see how the app looks on their devices and where errors are occurring.
Xcode Cloud
Xcode Cloud is an integrated tool in Xcode that allows automating the building, testing, and deployment of applications. To start, it is necessary to set up a workflow in Xcode. This tool lets you adapt workflows to your development process or use the default workflow and customize it according to your needs. Each committed code change is built automatically, and your team receives instant alerts if issues are detected, saving valuable time by identifying errors before they reach users.
The results of builds and tests, as well as user feedback on failures, are presented directly in Xcode. As builds are performed in the cloud, Xcode shows real-time status indicators and allows filtering the build tasks you want to monitor. Additionally, Xcode Cloud integrates with TestFlight to install new versions of the app for your team, facilitating immediate testing or sending specific versions to external testers to experiment with new ideas.
Xcode Cloud also allows parallel testing, configuring the tool to test different types of devices and detect issues across a wide range of configurations. Resources are allocated in parallel to complete tests quickly while you continue working on your code. Integration with App Store Connect provides a web dashboard where you can view critical information about your builds and test results, edit workflows, and launch builds directly from the web.
Security and privacy are fundamental aspects of Xcode Cloud, with all data encrypted and access protected by two-factor authentication. The source code is only accessed during builds, and the build environments are destroyed once completed.
Metrics
This section (and the next), called Analytics, is of utmost importance to see how our app is performing in the App Store. Here we can see the usage statistics of our application and how users are interacting with it. It shows the number of impressions, sessions, and the number of errors that have occurred in the app, among other things.
- Impressions: This column indicates the number of times your app’s page has been viewed on the App Store. Impressions represent the reach and visibility of your app to users.
- Units: This shows the number of unique installations of the app. This metric lets you know how many users have downloaded and installed your app on their devices.
- Proceeds: This column reflects the revenue generated by the app. It includes earnings from in-app purchases, app sales, subscriptions, etc.
- Sessions: This metric indicates the total number of sessions users have had with the app. A session is defined as the period during which a user interacts with the app.
- Crashes: This shows the number of times the app has unexpectedly closed. This information is crucial to identify stability issues and improve the user experience.
Each of these data points is essential to improve our app and make it more attractive to users. If we see many errors, we can correct them and improve the app’s stability. If we see few installations, we can improve the description, screenshots, keywords, etc., to make it more appealing and encourage users to download it.
Trends
The Trends tab in App Store Connect provides a detailed and deeper view of your applications’ performance over time. This section is crucial for developers and marketing teams as it offers a comprehensive view of various key metrics, allowing informed decisions to improve engagement, visibility, and consequently, the success of the applications.
At the top of the Overview, we find a summary that includes essential metrics such as App Units, In-App Purchases, and Sales. App Units shows the number of unique installations of the application over a specific period, helping to understand the app’s acceptance and demand. In-App Purchases indicates the purchases made within the application, providing an idea of the success of monetization strategies. Finally, Sales reflects the revenue generated, covering both direct app sales and in-app purchases.
Further down, the Top Apps section highlights the most popular applications in terms of app units per day. Here, a chart illustrates the trend of daily installations, along with a list ranking the apps by their popularity. This information is useful for identifying which apps are performing better and analyzing the factors contributing to their success.
The Territories section offers a geographic view of the applications’ performance, showing app units by territory. This allows developers to identify the strongest markets and potentially focus their marketing efforts on specific regions where the app has greater acceptance.
In Devices, we are presented with a distribution of app units by device type. This helps to understand on which devices users are most frequently installing the application, influencing development and optimization decisions for different platforms.
In addition to the Overview, the left sidebar provides several additional options to explore sales and trends metrics in more detail. The sections include:
- Units: Here you can see installations broken down in more detail.
- Sales: Provides information about the sales generated by the application.
- Proceeds: Shows the net revenue after deducting commissions and other expenses.
- Pre-Orders: Allows viewing metrics related to app pre-orders.
- Sales and Trends Reports: Offers detailed reports that can be downloaded for deeper analysis.
- Payments and Financial Reports: Presents financial reports detailing payments made to your developer account.
The Trends tab complements the App Analytics metrics and provides a wide range of data and charts that allow developers and marketing teams to better understand user interaction with their applications and make informed decisions to continually optimize and improve their products’ performance.
Reports
In the Reports section of App Store Connect, developers can access a quick summary of revenue and units sold. It provides a header showing the total amount earned, the number of units sold, and the bank account to which the payment has been made, along with the transaction status. Below the header, there are options to filter reports by date. This allows you to select a specific month for which you want to see financial data, making it easier to analyze specific periods.
In the main section of the screen, there is a detailed financial report summary showing several columns with information on:
- Country or Region: Indicates the region or country where the sales were made.
- Units Sold: Shows the number of units sold in the specified region.
- Earned: Reflects the revenue generated from sales in that region.
- Taxes and Adjustments: Details any taxes or adjustments applied to the revenue.
- Total Owed: Indicates the total amount to be paid to the developer after deducting taxes and adjustments.
- Exchange Rate: Shows the exchange rate used to convert foreign currencies to the payment currency.
There is also the possibility of new customized financial reports according to the developer’s needs. This feature is useful for obtaining specific data that may not be covered in standard reports.
Business
In the Business section, we find the business account information and all related documentation regarding taxes, laws, and other necessary aspects for publishing our app on the App Store as well as the bank accounts linked to the developer account.
Users and Access
In the Users and Access section, we can manage the permissions and access levels of team members. This section is essential to ensure that each member has the appropriate level of access and can perform tasks related to app development and publishing. We can also set up access accounts for external services with appropriate limitations.
We have seen all the possibilities offered by both the Apple store and Google’s store for managing and publishing our applications. Knowing these tools and how to use them is essential to succeed in publishing our applications and reaching millions of users worldwide. I hope this has helped you learn more about how to publish your app and that this article has been useful to you.