Holding an app after approval - does it show up in New?

[MHille]

I released JiggleSaw just over a week ago this is what I saw happening.

As soon as the app review was complete the app appeared as released in the app manager on iTunes connect. I found that a little confusing, but I now think of it as meaning released to the store by apple. Remember at this point you can give out promo codes, so people can download it from the store.

I didn't hold the app for very long (probably less than a day). When I found the app in the app store it was very close to the top of the just released lists. I could see it slowly falling down these lists by the hour, so I would assume the release date here was my release date to the store.

JiggleSaw appeared in the new listing for family games and puzzle games in the Australian app store. Based on App Annie the Australian store was the only one to put JiggleSaw in the new listings like this. So I'm not sure if these lists are some how automatically made or put together by apple.

As for "New & Noteworthy", like all the lists on the front page, it looks to be human generated by apple staff.

And no JiggleSaw didn't make it to New & Noteworthy... yet.

Matthew

[MelissaMarie]

Originally Posted by jDun1212

Could you speak more about the editorial that apple does on Thrusdays?

I've heard that Thursdays are when apple changes Staff Pics, New and Noteworthy, What's Hot and other categories. I know that apps are never approved over the weekend, so I have my suspicions that iTunes editorial staff do not work weekends either.
Also, Thursday at 00:01am seems to be the time when big game apps launch. Maybe one was affected by the other - people started releasing them because thursday is editorial day?

[AppRocketeer]

We did the marketing for RoboHero and it was held for about a week after it was approved and it was still featured in the New and Noteworthy sections of the main iTunes home page and in the main Games sections for the iPhone and iPad on Thursday.

It does seem like many games are released on Thursdays, however that doesn't mean it's the best day to release your app. For example on Mobile Orchard they suggest releasing your game on Sunday and to steer clear of Thursdays- http://mobileorchard.com/best-time-t...app-is-sunday/ (they have a very convincing chart and everything...)

The benefit of releasing early is that you can get your community which you have been building (you did do your pre-release marketing and community building didn't you??) to download your app and rate it early. That gives you some great early exposure and reviews to show the Apple review team that you are have a solid app. It probably will help increase your chances of getting noticed by them!

If you do get featured in the Thursday New and Noteworthy feature you've already got some history and reviews under your belt and are more likely to be downloaded by the end users as well when they see you already have high quality reviews too.

Anyway, that's been our experience.

[Moonjump]

Originally Posted by MelissaMarie

I've heard that Thursdays are when apple changes Staff Pics, New and Noteworthy, What's Hot and other categories. I know that apps are never approved over the weekend, so I have my suspicions that iTunes editorial staff do not work weekends either.
Also, Thursday at 00:01am seems to be the time when big game apps launch. Maybe one was affected by the other - people started releasing them because thursday is editorial day?

I have had updates approved on a Saturday, so there are people there.

[MelissaMarie]

Originally Posted by Moonjump

I have had updates approved on a Saturday, so there are people there.

Saturday at what time? Cupertino is 9 hours behind UK time (I noticed your profile,) that may make a difference?

[MelissaMarie]

Originally Posted by AppRocketeer

We did the marketing for RoboHero and it was held for about a week after it was approved and it was still featured in the New and Noteworthy sections of the main iTunes home page and in the main Games sections for the iPhone and iPad on Thursday.

It does seem like many games are released on Thursdays, however that doesn't mean it's the best day to release your app. For example on Mobile Orchard they suggest releasing your game on Sunday and to steer clear of Thursdays- http://mobileorchard.com/best-time-t...app-is-sunday/ (they have a very convincing chart and everything...)

The benefit of releasing early is that you can get your community which you have been building (you did do your pre-release marketing and community building didn't you??) to download your app and rate it early. That gives you some great early exposure and reviews to show the Apple review team that you are have a solid app. It probably will help increase your chances of getting noticed by them!

If you do get featured in the Thursday New and Noteworthy feature you've already got some history and reviews under your belt and are more likely to be downloaded by the end users as well when they see you already have high quality reviews too.

Anyway, that's been our experience.

That is a lovely chart, good research. We've been playing with release days, and these chats & charts definitely help.

Can you explain a bit more about holding an app and previewing it? Do you mean that you release on sunday, get your arsenal of fans to play it and rate it, then when Apple picks New & Noteworthy they look at all those reviews & plays? Or is there some kind of trick, like giving out codes when it's approved but not released? Need a little clarification.

We have a nice community with Techno Kitten, which really helped pre-release last year. Learn a little more with every game.

[Moonjump]

Originally Posted by MelissaMarie

Saturday at what time? Cupertino is 9 hours behind UK time (I noticed your profile,) that may make a difference?

Saturday evening, so USA daytime.

[MelissaMarie]

Originally Posted by Moonjump

Saturday evening, so USA daytime.

Oh well, kills my hypothesis.

[Moonjump]

Originally Posted by MelissaMarie

Oh well, kills my hypothesis.

It might not be all the time. Perhaps it is overtime in the run up to Christmas, or when a backlog build up.

But I notice a lot of app updates appear on a Saturday. Updates don't often need holding back the same as new releases, so I wonder if a lot of them are Saturday updates?

[artcue]

A short question about giving out codes when an app is approved but not released: Is it possible to rate an app when you got a code for it, even if it is not released at that time?
Thank you for any answer :-)