So I have never released an app yet (working on my first one.) But I've heard many warnings from developers that you can't actually use the 'release date' field to choose the day your app will show up (post approval), because if its after the approval date the app will show up way down the 'new release' list. I searched this forum and many others for answers, so I'm sorry for reposting; but most of the threads are a year or more old, so I don't know if anything's changed...and I've also seen answers to the question on places like stackoverflow where 2 developers disagree on what's correct. So...in a nutshell: Say I go to iTunes connect today, and submit My App for approval, setting the Release Date to August 15, 2011. Apple approves the app next week, say July 28, 2011. Does that mean the app will show up in the app store August 15, 2011, AND will be 'at the top' of the new releases sort when it does?
I'd appreciate myself an answer on this from someone having recently released an app. To further expand OP's scenario, if after approval I set the release date to August 1st or 5th to sync it with any scheduled press releases (say from prMac), what will be the actual rendered date? Apple's, my initial estimated one, or the one I've chosen post approval? Thanks.
The game will show up on Aug 15 only. As far as new release list is concerned, check other games which got released with a pre-set date and see where they stand in the list. Here's a game which got released with a pre-set 22nd july date http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=101384 Also here's the list of games which had 21st july set as the release date http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=71951 You need to set the date before approval. If you set it after approval, the game might show up in iTunes before you get the chance to set the date. But, you can always pull the app if something like that happens (just do it asap) and then set the release date again and it'll show up again on the new date. Edit: And here's a list of all the games with release dates set as 23rd July (ie tomm). Keep an eye out on when / where they show up on New Releases list once they show up in US store at 11pm EST tonight.. http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/mega-bad/id444724290?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/donuts-chaser/id448294959?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4# http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/baby-madness/id448871285?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/gobasketball/id448867401?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/feed-the-duck/id449810568?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/wooords/id413308545?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/treasure-seekers-3-follow/id421162514?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/treasure-seekers-3-follow/id424220628?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/word-wizard-talking-movable/id447312716?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/flybird/id448834665?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/touch-of-magic/id382001956?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/moon-birds/id449510997?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/donuts-chaser-lite/id448553109?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4# http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/iguncon/id434559028?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/cataline-hd-mini/id450031111?mt=8# http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/doors-mind-inner-mysteries/id419942845?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/doors-mind-inner-mysteries/id419945283?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/gill/id444708980?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/summer-pop/id443438326?mt=8
Thank you very much, ImNoSuperMan! So I followed a few links then checked new releases, and saw a few of them not too far down the list. So, just so its explicitly stated for future visitors to this thread (and please confirm if you would): "Accurate as of this date: If you set a Release Date {YOUR_DATE} in iTunes Connect and submit your app, and its approved at prior date {APPROVAL_DATE}, the game will not show up on the App Store until your date {YOUR_DATE}. When it does show up, it will be listed in the top of the New Releases sort, on {YOUR_DATE}. The {APPROVAL_DATE} has no bearing on this, assuming {YOUR_DATE} is AFTER {APPROVAL_DATE}, and you may safely plan your release with a future date without worrying about list sorts.
It's exactly the paragraph I hoped to find in the iTunes Connect FAQ from Apple. But since there's so much confusion and it's not there, hoping putting it here with some 'yes thats right' from seasoned developers will help future Googlers.
Another thing which I've noticed is, if you've set a release date too close to the approval date (for example, you set 28 July as release date and the app got approved on 26th or 27th july), the app sometimes doesnt show up in stores at the correct time. Its delayed by atleast a few hours and sometimes almost a day. So make sure you have enough of a gap between your release date and approval date. I think the current average time of app approval is about 5-8 days from the day of submission.
Thanks ImNoSuperMan & milkmangames! The above process sounds natural and as it should be. Hopefully it'll stand exactly like this, once we're under the radar -flod
