Should I learn how to launch an iphone app or leave it to a contractor
June 14, 2013 3:23 PM Subscribe
I've had one contractor develop an iphone app that is linked to our dating site. But he didn't know how to launch it. Now we need to launch it. Should I learn to do this myself, or trust someone else to do it?
The iphone app is based on Adobe Air. It will be a free app. Should I trust some overseas person to launch it? Should I get my own developer ID with apple? Should I buy a mac (required to launch it, I've been told) and if so, just a cheap one or something middle-of-the-line? Should I learn to do everything myself? I'm a php developer so I could do it, although I would prefer to be able to trust someone. I don't know anyone in the field I can trust, as apps are new to me. Thank you!!
The iphone app is based on Adobe Air. It will be a free app. Should I trust some overseas person to launch it? Should I get my own developer ID with apple? Should I buy a mac (required to launch it, I've been told) and if so, just a cheap one or something middle-of-the-line? Should I learn to do everything myself? I'm a php developer so I could do it, although I would prefer to be able to trust someone. I don't know anyone in the field I can trust, as apps are new to me. Thank you!!
Apple offers extensive resources for developers. It really isn't that hard to get started, although it does cost some money to become a registered developer who can upload an app to the store ($100/yr for an individual developer, IIRC more for a business account).
To start with, however, you can open a developer account (free) and get get XCode downloaded and installed on a Mac - any recent model (Mac Mini or a laptop) will be fine. Then you can at least load up this developer's work and see what it looks like in the iOS simulator.
Keep in mind, iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 have *just* been announced. At this point, there's going to be a somewhat tricky transition period when you have to decide if you want to target iOS 7 only (which has no normal users yet), or older versions as well.
posted by RedOrGreen at 4:05 PM on June 14, 2013
To start with, however, you can open a developer account (free) and get get XCode downloaded and installed on a Mac - any recent model (Mac Mini or a laptop) will be fine. Then you can at least load up this developer's work and see what it looks like in the iOS simulator.
Keep in mind, iOS 7 and OS X 10.9 have *just* been announced. At this point, there's going to be a somewhat tricky transition period when you have to decide if you want to target iOS 7 only (which has no normal users yet), or older versions as well.
posted by RedOrGreen at 4:05 PM on June 14, 2013
To upload an app, you'll have to join the iOS developer program. It costs $99 a year. If you let another person or company upload it using their account, they will have control over your app unless you have a very good legal agreement. You shouldn't do this unless you are dealing with a reputable company or someone you trust. In the long run, doing it under you own account is better.
To set up an account, go to the Apple Developer Center and register. You'll need some bank and tax info and it generally takes a few weeks to process. Set it up as a company, not an individual. That way, you can add team members. Team members are important so that you can allow other people (developers) to upload the app for you, but under your name. The company account costs the same as the individual. You don't need the Enterprise account.
Uploading an app is tricky and involved. You have to deal with creating certificates and provisioning profiles, and navigate iTunes Connect (the upload website). You should have someone (above mentioned team member) do it for you. You'll need to set up a technical team member in iTC too.
The reason your dev couldn't upload it is probably because they only do iOS on the side, not enough to pay the $99 themselves. Adobe Air is written using web development languages, then wrapped to let it run on iOS. Most iOS developers will write in Objective-C. It doesn't mean it's a bad app but you should definitely test it yourself.
https://developer.apple.com/programs/start/ios/
posted by nevan at 6:57 PM on June 14, 2013
To set up an account, go to the Apple Developer Center and register. You'll need some bank and tax info and it generally takes a few weeks to process. Set it up as a company, not an individual. That way, you can add team members. Team members are important so that you can allow other people (developers) to upload the app for you, but under your name. The company account costs the same as the individual. You don't need the Enterprise account.
Uploading an app is tricky and involved. You have to deal with creating certificates and provisioning profiles, and navigate iTunes Connect (the upload website). You should have someone (above mentioned team member) do it for you. You'll need to set up a technical team member in iTC too.
The reason your dev couldn't upload it is probably because they only do iOS on the side, not enough to pay the $99 themselves. Adobe Air is written using web development languages, then wrapped to let it run on iOS. Most iOS developers will write in Objective-C. It doesn't mean it's a bad app but you should definitely test it yourself.
https://developer.apple.com/programs/start/ios/
posted by nevan at 6:57 PM on June 14, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, Sounds like I should definitely pay to get our own developer account. That won't be a problem.
I wouldn't mind paying $500 to someone who would then do the actual upload with my developer account (nevan suggested a Technical Team Member could do this I think). Is $500 reasonable, assuming the app is already working with minimal issues? More if there are any additional features to be addressed.
I think we would want to target both ios7 and previous versions.
How do I find and choose the developer to do the actual upload using his mac? Trust someone from overseas, or is there any way to find someone in North America who would do it? I use odesk to hire people but recently it seems that only overseas contractors are available on odesk.
Thanks again for the help and if you have any specific referral who might want to have this small job feel free to make the connection.
posted by peter_meta_kbd at 7:32 PM on June 14, 2013
I wouldn't mind paying $500 to someone who would then do the actual upload with my developer account (nevan suggested a Technical Team Member could do this I think). Is $500 reasonable, assuming the app is already working with minimal issues? More if there are any additional features to be addressed.
I think we would want to target both ios7 and previous versions.
How do I find and choose the developer to do the actual upload using his mac? Trust someone from overseas, or is there any way to find someone in North America who would do it? I use odesk to hire people but recently it seems that only overseas contractors are available on odesk.
Thanks again for the help and if you have any specific referral who might want to have this small job feel free to make the connection.
posted by peter_meta_kbd at 7:32 PM on June 14, 2013
$500 may or may not be reasonable depending on the complexity of the app and whether it meets apple standards already. If the developer did not adhere to those standards (like not using private APIs) - and they are numerous - then the app will be rejected by Apple and major parts of the app will have to be entirely rewritten.
You seem to be missing the idea that an app can not just be "submitted to the app store" there is an approval process which may take days or weeks to go through. Portions of the app may have to be rewritten to meet Apple's standards. If rejected then the app has to be rewritten. If you submit an app that violated Apple's standards in some gross way then your account will likely be flagged for increased scrutiny upon further submissions.
I wouldn't do it for a flat $500 fee. I'd be charging 70-80 an hour (and that's low) and it's going to take me a minimum of 5-10 hours time (if the app is very very simple) to just review the other person's code prior to even submitting it.
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 10:26 PM on June 14, 2013
You seem to be missing the idea that an app can not just be "submitted to the app store" there is an approval process which may take days or weeks to go through. Portions of the app may have to be rewritten to meet Apple's standards. If rejected then the app has to be rewritten. If you submit an app that violated Apple's standards in some gross way then your account will likely be flagged for increased scrutiny upon further submissions.
I wouldn't do it for a flat $500 fee. I'd be charging 70-80 an hour (and that's low) and it's going to take me a minimum of 5-10 hours time (if the app is very very simple) to just review the other person's code prior to even submitting it.
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 10:26 PM on June 14, 2013
If you'd like me to do this work, please get in touch. I'd have to charge you for the work at an hourly rate.
It would go something like this:
After you get the developer account you can either set up the team members yourself or give me your admin password and have me set them up. After I'd set up what I needed to upload it myself, I'd get you to change the admin password. Generally developers wouldn't need such broad access. I'm not sure who has access to setting up signing certificates, it may be that only the admin can do that. I'd have to check.
There are two places that need to be set up, the developer portal and iTunes Connect. They take the same admin password, but aren't connected otherwise. In iTunes Connect, the admin can do things like change banking info so it's not a good idea to hand out such broad privileges. It doesn't matter so much with a free app (no money paid there to redirect) but it's better to have separate access.
I can't guarantee that the app will pass the review process, or that it will be allowed into the review process (depending on how your developer built it, whether they used private APIs, etc).
You can't target iOS 7 yet. You won't be able to until a couple of weeks before it's officially released. If you try to (and you can only even try with the newest Xcode beta) the app won't even make it past the upload phase.
posted by nevan at 4:24 AM on June 15, 2013
It would go something like this:
After you get the developer account you can either set up the team members yourself or give me your admin password and have me set them up. After I'd set up what I needed to upload it myself, I'd get you to change the admin password. Generally developers wouldn't need such broad access. I'm not sure who has access to setting up signing certificates, it may be that only the admin can do that. I'd have to check.
There are two places that need to be set up, the developer portal and iTunes Connect. They take the same admin password, but aren't connected otherwise. In iTunes Connect, the admin can do things like change banking info so it's not a good idea to hand out such broad privileges. It doesn't matter so much with a free app (no money paid there to redirect) but it's better to have separate access.
I can't guarantee that the app will pass the review process, or that it will be allowed into the review process (depending on how your developer built it, whether they used private APIs, etc).
You can't target iOS 7 yet. You won't be able to until a couple of weeks before it's officially released. If you try to (and you can only even try with the newest Xcode beta) the app won't even make it past the upload phase.
posted by nevan at 4:24 AM on June 15, 2013
« Older How do we get the most out of our couple's photo... | Help me visit my dentist for a checkup. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also - you say this person created an app. Has it actually been published in the app store as yet ? Because if not then you have no way of knowing if he created the app according to Apple requirements such that the app will actually be accepted by them.
Finally a developer claiming that he has no idea how to launch the app ( I presume that you mean getting it in the app store) sounds incredibly suspicious to me. It sounds as if this developer isn't a registered Apple at all but rather downloaded the APIs and Xcode without actually registering as a developer - which likely renders the app worthless as it likely will not be considered acceptable by Apple to be placed in the app store.
posted by Podkayne of Pasadena at 3:57 PM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]