DiscoverNP - first release
After a month of testing and fixing bugs, DiscoverNP is on the app store.
Prepare to release the app
Before releasing the app, there are couple non-code related things I need to do:
- Write an app description
- Write a privacy policy statement
- Provide app store images for the app
I use AppLaunchpad for my app store images, and GetTerms.io for privacy policy statement. App store images and app description take me a lot of time. I feel it’s hard to explain what the app is doing unless the reader knows what are National Park passports. I tried to write less because I know if it’s long no one is going to read it.
First Submission
The app was rejected by Apple the first time I submitted it. This is expected as I heard their review process is strict. Often the reason the app is being rejected is not about bad code.
My first submission is rejected because of two reasons
First, when the app launch, it automatically download the map. Apple suggest:
- build a mechanism for people to NOT download the map
- disclose the download size.
To be honest, my app does not need the map to work offline since the GPS can work offline. If someone did not download the map and uses it offline, they will just see a blank rectangle. In response to this suggestion, I build a simple alert control.
Secondly, the message of asking location service permission is unclear. I put “This app uses your location”. This is not enough. The message should state the purpose of using user’s location. I read couple different app’s location statement to get a sense of what is acceptable statement.
What's next?
My second submission was accepted by Apple. Now the app is on the app store. This is just a start. I have so many features I want to add to the app, but I should prioritize features that brings most value to the user. Low hanging fruits will be building some sort and filter features. Social network sharing feature might be more complicated to build, but it is very valuable as it will help brining more people to try the app.
If you’d like to give me some feedback or suggestions, feel free to contact me!