iOS Apps can be distributed through different methods, which are dependent on the users/use of the app. In this article, we touch on distribution options and what you will need to comply with to get your app published in the Apple App Store or not visible in the store but available via download link or redemption codes.
In this article
- App Distribution Options
- iOS AaaS Trial
- iOS Developer Account
- Privacy Policy
- Your App's Product Page Listing - Details and Metadata Text
- App Review Details
- Display Images/Screenshots
- Important Tips for a Smooth iOS Submission
App Distribution Options
Apple has several app distribution options that cater to its user base's different market and technical needs.
App Store is the primary channel for reaching a broad audience but involves strict review processes.
Apple Business Manager is ideal for organizations that want to distribute apps exclusively within their workforce or if an organization uses MDM software (Mobile Device Management).
Unlisted Apps provide a way to distribute apps publicly without being listed in search results, which can be useful for employee-facing or internal apps not intended for public use.
Apple Enterprise Program provides organizations with the tools and capabilities to develop, distribute, and maintain custom iOS apps exclusively for internal use.
A Developer account will be required regardless of your chosen app distribution option.
- Apple App Store
- Apple Business Manager
- Unlisted App
Apple Enterprise Developer Account
- Apple Enterprise Program
If you're unsure on the best distribution method for your needs please review our supported iOS App Distribution Options.iOS AaaS Trial
While a user account is still in the trial phase and they're looking to trial the iOS AaaS offering, they can signup with any email address. The email address does not need to be linked to a developer account at this stage or an Apple ID. It's only once the user wants to get their branded iOS app in the Apple App Store that they will need an Apple ID and a Developer Account with Apple. Details for this are below.
iOS Developer Account
For us to publish your branded app under your company brand in the Apple App Store, you will need to sign up for an Organizational iOS Developer Account.
Apple Developer Accounts cost USD $99 per year.
It is your responsibility to pay for and maintain your Developer Account subscription.
How to create an iOS developer account with Apple.
Privacy Policy
As part of this process, you will also need to provide a link to your company's Privacy Policy.
This must be hosted as a page on your company's website.
If you don't already have a Privacy Policy page, you can generate a privacy policy document quite easily - just do a web search for "privacy policy generator". Here's one such site that generates a reasonably standard privacy policy:
https://app-privacy-policy-generator.firebaseapp.com
Once you generate appropriate privacy policy words, add this as a web page to your standard company website.
The result should be that your policy can be accessed via a website link - e.g., www.mycompany.com/privacy-policy.
Make a note of this link since you will need to provide it to us as part of your app publishing process.
If you're unsure how to add a Privacy Policy page to your company website, ask the IT person/provider who maintains your website for help.
Your App's Product Page Listing - Details and Metadata Text
We suggest you read Apple's guidelines about configuring your app's App Store listing page. This contains good advice and essential information about how to avoid issues.
We will also walk you through the process, starting with the required text for setting up your app's listing.
Refer to the text definitions below, then provide us with your desired text for each area.
| Field Name | Max Length | nomorePAPER Example Text | Description |
| Copyright | nomorePAPER | The name of the person or entity that owns the exclusive rights to the app, preceded by the year the rights were obtained (for example, "2008 Acme Inc."). | |
| Primary Category | Productivity | The primary App Store category to list the app in | |
| Secondary | Business | The secondary App Store category to list the app in | |
| App Name | 30 | nomorePAPER Mobile Client | Your chosen name for the app. Please ensure an app with the same name does not already exist in the App Store. |
| Description | 4000 | Smart client app for the nomorePAPER Cloud service. Easily create Forms, Docs, Lists and Tasks on the nomorePAPER Cloud, then access and collect data on your device. NOTE: nomorePAPER is a PAID subscription service with a 30-day free trial. Sign-up on our website to create your nomorePAPER Mobile credentials. Cut Costs Printing, distributing and updating paperwork is costly. Go paperless and save, without needing expensive special-purpose devices. … Fill out Smarter Forms Capture GPS, photos, video, audio, barcodes and even signatures without needing IT geeks. Simply drag ‘n drop with our easy Form Designer available on our website. Work Anywhere, Anytime nomorePAPER was designed to work in the middle of a hurricane, so you can keep working even when you don’t have a network connection. * Internet connection is required for first-time login on the app. | Describe the app, detailing benefits, features, and functionality. Content is plain text. You need to provide a detailed description that relays the purpose of their app. Generic descriptions will get rejected by Apple. |
| Keywords | 100 | forms, documents, tasks, lists, dispatch, signature, barcode, GPS, maps, paperless, inspection, audit, survey, | Keywords that will be indexed for App Store search. |
| Support URL | https://support.nomorepaper.ca | Required | |
| Marketing URL | https://www.gonomorepaper.com | Required | |
| Phone | Company telephone number incl. international dialing code | ||
| Privacy Policy | http://www.gonomorepaper.com/privacy-policy/ | Required | |
| EULA | nomorePAPER defaults to the standard Apple End User License Agreement (http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/stdeula) | Optional. By default, the standard Apple EULA applies. You can provide your own EULA as desired, though it must mean the minimum Apple terms – see http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/appstore/dev/ minterms |
Please ensure that you do a trademark check by searching the App Store for an app with the same name as your proposed. Apple will not accept apps that have the exact same name as an existing one or if the app/brand name is already trademarked. We recommend you search the US trademark database to ensure no matches.App Review Details
Apple will review your app every time it is submitted for updates.
This means that you MUST make available a demo user account (within your main nomorePAPER account) that Apple reviewers can use to log into your app and verify it works.
Generally, reviewers don’t do much in the way of testing, but you must ensure that the demo account is working at all times, with a few sample Screens installed on that user account for test purposes.
The Screens in the demo account should be consistent with your stated app - e.g., don't have medical Forms in your demo account if your app is targeted at real estate!
Enabling NFC support, iOS only supports the reading of tags after a video showing the functionality has been provided when they review apps.
| Field Name | Max | Description |
| Review Notes | 4000 Characters | It is recommended that you briefly (3 sentences) explain your business model for the app – e.g., that it is free and no charges are levied on app users. Apple can be painful with apps that it thinks are bypassing its In-App purchasing model. |
| Demo Account Email | Email address for the Reviewer to use when logging into the app. This must be a valid app user on your branded account. It is very important that the demo account details must never be changed and should ALWAYS be available. | |
| Demo Account Password | The password of the demo user account. |
Display Images/Screenshots
Apple requires that all App Store listings contain a minimum of 2 screenshots showing your app in action.
We require you to provide us with these 2 (or more) screenshots, which MUST be accessible from the Demo Account Email you specified in the App Review Details section above.
The Required Dimensions for Mobile devices and iPads are:
- 1242 x 2208
- You need the screenshot in this resolution. The phone scales them down to 1080 x 1920
- 2048 x 2732
Please note that the screenshots may not include photos.You can use any iOS device to capture a screenshot as follows:
- Press and hold the menu button (the main button below the screen).
- While the menu button is held down, press the power/lock button (the switch on the top edge of the device).
- Your screen will flash white for a second and make a camera shutter noise to indicate that the screenshot has been taken.
A screenshot is automatically saved in the default Photos app under an album called "Saved Photos" or "Camera Roll" depending on your device.
Please note the following:
- Images MUST be in PNG file format
- Copyright images will be rejected by Apple (e.g., picture of Mickey Mouse) and images that feature likenesses to Apple or other mobile devices.
AaaS theme style, standard app colors, and image requirements.
Important Tips for a Smooth iOS Submission
- Ensure all screenshots provided are relevant to the app you are publishing and is consistent with what your App Store listing text says about the app.
i.e., do not include shots of medical forms if your app is being listed as a real estate app! - Apple reviewers seek to ensure that apps use in-app purchases (since Apple gets 30% of the price) whenever there is a suggestion of money being charged for app use.
Obviously, in B2B apps like those created with nomorePAPER, in-app purchase is entirely unsuitable since all fees are charged to the business entity and never the employees/contractors (who would be forced to pay for their own personal credit cards if an in-app purchase was in place).
Apple struggles to understand this - the reviewers seem to be highly incentivized to force in-app purchase use.
They also tend to think in consumer app terms and do not "get" B2B apps.
Thus, when you create App Store listing text, you should use language that clearly explains that business entities are the customer (and charged as such) and that the app is a complement to your existing cloud service rather than the app being the sum total of the solution.
NOTE: We do not support in-app purchases and have no plans to do so in the future. - Do not include direct signup links in any App Store listing text. Apple does not accept this.
- Do not include links to websites or anywhere else in the text. Apple usually sees this as advertising and rejects it.
- Generally, less is more - i.e., the less you say in your listing text, the less chance Apple finds something to reject :)
As part of our App as a Service offering, our team will review everything you provide us and edit as necessary to ensure a clean review and App Store approval.
Due to the strict nature of Apple's policies and the subjective nature of their review process, acceptance to the Apple App Store is not guaranteed. Should your app be rejected for any reason and all our attempts to remedy the situation with Apple fail, we'll refund your App as a Service subscription for iOS on a pro-rata basis.