If you're thinking about building an app and want to know what it takes to get an app approved by Apple, check out what Jason Becker has to say on the topic. He and his team created Dreamt It -- an ingenious little app that taps into the iPhone's Siri voice recognition software to help its users keep track of and share their dreams. After a 60-day build, Dreamt It was approved for the Apple app store in about two hours.
Apple's app submission process is often viewed as mysterious or extremely difficult. Use these tips to successfully navigate it and get your app approved:
Understand Apple's standards before building your app. Apple takes care to establish clear guidelines for developing applications for its app store. Dreamt It's developers understood the constraints and expectations that Apple has for new applications, which helped the start-up quickly refine its app's functional goals.
Build your app with open-source tools. Dreamt It uses ShareKit, an open-source tool that developers can integrate into their apps to enable users to share content through social networks, email and SMS. Dreamt It didn't need to invent its own sharing capabilities to be successful, and you don't, either.
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Submit once you're a user, not a tester. A winning recipe for application approval is to submit an app that's bug-free, looks great and provides clear, differentiated value for users. If you find yourself happily using (not testing) your app every day, you're probably ready for submission.
Don't forget the details. Apple has a lot of secondary requirements for apps, including logo size, links to support pages and age-appropriate settings. Overlooking these details is a surefire way to have your app rejected.
Expect a subjective feedback. A real, live person leads the app review process, so you should expect a review from Apple. While review times vary, your Apple reviewer will be assigned between seven and 10 days following your submission. How long a review takes and whether you'll pass on the first try is anyone's guess. Be sure your expectations for launch include time to fix issues and re-submit to Apple if necessary.