Business App Distribution

We have a free business-focused app that lets our users "remote control" a virtual reality experience (running on other VR devices). The app is only useful if you're already using our VR platform and tools.


We're trying to decide how/where to distribute this app. It'd be ideal if we could make it available in the Mac App Store, but we're concerned that—because it's only useful if you're already using our platform—that it would be rejected during app review. Does anyone know of another product in the App Store that requires an account or other service before it works at all? We don't want to spend a bunch of time getting ready for the App Store if we believe that it will be rejected.


Otherwise, we're considering a standard downloadable DMG with drag-to-application-folder style functionality. But, this requires that our users visit our site and manually download the app. Plus, we then have to deal with automatic updates using other tools.


Thank you for your advice in advance.

Accepted Reply

Does anyone know of another product in the App Store that requires an account or other service before it works at all?

There are lots of apps on the store that require you to log in before you can do anything useful. I’m not going to mentioned specific apps, but looking at my phone (which, admittedly is not my Mac, but still…) I see that I have a bunch of apps like that installed (a video streaming app, a VPN app, a social media app, and so on).

App Review specifically addresses the review side of this on their page on the developer web site, which says:

Providing App Review Information — If your app requires specific settings, user account information, or special instructions, include these details in the App Review Information section of App Store Connect.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Replies

Have you reviewed the ASRG's Hardware Compatibility 2.4.5?

Does anyone know of another product in the App Store that requires an account or other service before it works at all?

There are lots of apps on the store that require you to log in before you can do anything useful. I’m not going to mentioned specific apps, but looking at my phone (which, admittedly is not my Mac, but still…) I see that I have a bunch of apps like that installed (a video streaming app, a VPN app, a social media app, and so on).

App Review specifically addresses the review side of this on their page on the developer web site, which says:

Providing App Review Information — If your app requires specific settings, user account information, or special instructions, include these details in the App Review Information section of App Store Connect.

Share and Enjoy

Quinn “The Eskimo!”
Apple Developer Relations, Developer Technical Support, Core OS/Hardware

let myEmail = "eskimo" + "1" + "@apple.com"

Thanks for the reply, Eskimo. I appreciate it.