I have been told to change the release date of my app, and updates of my app, the moment they are approved to the date of approval. That's all well and good (although I think it's something that should be done automatically by Apple, especially when they didn't even email me to say my app had been approved). But I notice that the release date is always there as an option to change in your app details. So what's to stop the developer changing this date to keep the game at the top of the sort-by-release-date lists? Do Apple keep a check? It's not something I would consider doing, btw- just wondering.
It's kind of hard to explain... the release date on the app store always shows as the actual approval date, assuming you changed your availability date in iTunes Connect. Otherwise it shows as the date the app was submitted. If you set your release date to a date after the approval (assuming not a future date also), the release date in the app store will still show as the date of approval. In short, it just doesn't work how you think it does
Simply place a date that's a few weeks ahead. Then when you're approved, change the date to the approval date and it should update it once it's filtered through. Whether setting the initial date makes Apple review it by a scheduled date is another matter...
Thanks for the response. I really wish Apple would sort this out. Why can't they just automatically set the release date to the date of approval? We shouldn't have to manually edit it ourselves, especially when there is no prior warning of approval as in my case. And as a new developer, I didn't know I could change the date of my app, hence it starting several pages down the release date list, which I am sure affected sales.
A little warning, do NOT do this for updates. You app will disappear from the store. When you're first submitting an app, make it whatever you'd like, as it doesn't matter. But for updates, leave the date alone until you get the ready for sale email.
Apple did have it automatically set the release date for updates. They changed it sometime in late 2008; I think there was the feeling that developers were abusing this by releasing trivial updates just to get on the new releases list again. Of course, the situation now is the same as it was before the change, with the exception that you have to know how to do it manually. --Eric
Oh... and good luck trying to find any of this documented in their iTunes Connect docs. Was very disappointed in the amount of info provided, and I don't believe I'm the only one in that regard.
Wait so.. when my update is approved for sale, I should be setting my release date to that day? I didn't know that at all. Damn..
Yes, this will ensure it's put at the top of the list with the other apps of that date when looking at apps in the store by release date. It's something I didn't do when my game was first released because I didn't know, but will make sure I do when the update is approved.
So Apple doesn't actually require you to update the date, but it's a good idea for the sake of getting proper date-ranking in iTunes? Either way, it's good to know. Thanks. (Hopefully I'll procrastinate on finishing my game long enough for Apple to automate this!)
As I said, Apple did have this automated. They changed it so it's not automated anymore; I doubt they'll change it back. --Eric
Not as it now stands, maybe. But they will keep improving the system, and automating that again makes sense. (As does using OTHER methods to stop people gaming the date system. For example: only allow one "rankable" update per week and two per month. Newer version dates will be SHOWN, but not used for list ranking once the limit is hit.) The lack of automation doesn't stop people from gaming the system, so it's not necessary that they keep it manual.
release date Do not bump a release date forward of the approved date this I just learned the hard way. All it does is make sure that you app never sees the light of day since the app store no matter when you release goes by the approval date. So if before the app is approved you bump the date ahead and wait until some time after approval to release all you have done is to make sure you never hit the new release front page.
Apple has one technique to keep people from gaming system - a turn-around on approvals of 7 to 8 days. Or is that just me?
Re: app release date I found an excellent blog post concerning App release dates at http://majicjungle.com/blog/?p=115 We set our release date a month ahead and we were planning on moving the date a week into the future after a after Apple approves our game. Per the above blog, that would just remove our game from the App store for a week and when it came back into the store, the release date would still be Apple's approval date. Also per the above blog, Apple has a FAQ (which I haven't tracked down yet) which defines the release date as follows: "The Released date is currently determined by the date of the apps approval by Apple and the date that the developer has listed for the apps availability within iTunes Connect, whichever is earlier." A problem occurs when Apple approves an app after the date that the developer entered as the release date. In that case, Apple uses the developer's date and the app is sorted down the list of new apps (ie never appears at the top of the new app list). If your app has not released by the release date that you entered, the solution is to watch the iTunes Connect site and quickly log in and change the date to Apple's approval date. It is necessary to watch for the release because a bunch of developers lately have not received app approval emails. Their apps just suddenly appeared on iTunes.
