Details under the cut.
In the work on the article, we relied on the original source - What's New from Apple. We have just filtered out, which may be especially important for those who are promoting in the App Store.
Let's remind that the beta version of iOS 15 is already available for developers, the time of public tests will come in July, and in September, as usual, this version will become available to the general user.
Inapp Events
The Inapp Events function will allow you to promptly inform users about current events in applications and games, for example, game competitions, movie premieres, live broadcasts, and so on. Beginning in the fall, visitors will be able to learn about internal in-app events right in the App Store on iOS and iPadOS.
On iOS and iPadOS, in-app events are displayed in the App Store in the form of event cards, which include: the name of the event, a short description, and images or videos. A click opens a page with more detailed information about the event / event (in particular, whether a purchase or a subscription is required to participate) and with buttons with which you can share information on social networks. There you can also subscribe to a mini-mailing list to receive a notification about the start of the desired event.
New users can download the application both from the event card and from the event information page. After the download is completed by clicking on "Open", they will go directly to the desired screen of the application or game.
Events in the application appear:
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Events are configured and managed in App Store Connect: the developer is asked to enter metadata, select regions, add additional information. You can send events for consideration at any time; they do not need to be tied to updates. The maximum number of events that can be placed on an application page in the App Store at the same time is five ; App Store Connect can store up to ten approved events.
Recommendations for the selection and decoration of events
- The event icon appears above the title on the event card in the app and on the details page. It should be selected according to the type of event planned.
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Events can be of different types, depending on the topic of the application and the form of user participation:
Challenge: an event aimed at motivating the user to achieve a specific goal - for example, a fitness challenge in a training application or passing a certain number of levels in a game.
Competition: An event that involves users competing against each other for the highest ranking or rewards - for example, a tournament in which the one who wins the most matches wins.
Live Event: An event that takes place in real time and is available to all users at the same time, such as a sports match or a live broadcast of a concert.
Major Update: Introducing significant new features or content, such as the launch of new game modes or levels - that is, events that go beyond minor improvements.
New Season: Introduce a new block of content, storylines, or media library (new season of the series, etc.).
Premiere: The first appearance of content in the public domain - for example, for recently released films or audio materials, and so on.
Special Event: Limited-time events that do not qualify for other types and badges (for example, an event associated with a collaboration with another publisher).
New features for the product page Optimizing the product
page (A / B testing)
On the App Store, it will be possible to try different icons, screenshots and texts on the product page in the App Store to compare the effect and better understand user preferences. Up to three different options can be used for comparison , and the test duration is limited to 90 days. Users are encouraged to track results through App Analytics in App Store Connect, which displays impressions and conversions for original and new designs. The administration recommends introducing changes in small portions to make it easier to establish what exactly gave a positive result.
Any alternative materials (options for the test) must be moderated. If these include only screenshots and previews, there is no need to submit a new version of the application. When testing icons, all variations (including the 1024 by 1024 version for the App Store) must be included in the binary of the published application.
Custom product pages
Another innovation will allow the product page to exist in several variations, each of which is designed for a specific slice of the audience. This will make it easier for developers to target by showing a group of users the content or functionality that interests them the most. For example, placing an advertising post about a sports application in a group of fans of a specific team, you can link to a custom page, where the emphasis will be on it - each custom page has its own unique address.
In total, the developer can download up to 35 versionsproduct pages with unique texts, screenshots and previews. Custom pages are reviewed by moderators without reference to updates. It is convenient to measure the performance of each page in App Analytics, comparing the number of impressions, downloads, conversion and user retention rates, average revenue, and so on over long periods.
TestFlight on Mac
By the end of the year, Mac developers will be able to invite testers, both within the ecosystem and from outside, to get feedback on the product before it is published on the market. Testing applications for any Apple devices will be organized as flexibly as possible: internal testers can be combined into groups and set their own settings for access to assemblies for each.
StoreKit 2
StoreKit 2 introduces modern Swift-based APIs that make in-app purchases easier and more user-friendly. The new API uses the latest language features to provide up-to-date information about in-product offers, transaction history, subscription status, and more.
Users make purchases through a secure App Store account using the payment method that suits their preferences. Deep integration with Touch ID and Face ID keeps your data safe. In StoreKit 2, transactions are cryptographically signed by the App Store with a web signature in JSON format, which improves security and simplifies the process of parsing information. In addition, StoreKit 2 automatically makes live transactions available to the app when launched on any device.
Thanks to the new API, users can more freely resolve any issues related to payments and purchases. Refund requests and subscriptions are managed directly from the app. Additional customer support options are also provided for handling all kinds of emergencies.
App Store Server API
server the API the App Store - is a REST API, which the developer can call from your server to request information about customer purchases in the application. The app store signs the transaction and renewal information that the API returns using the JSON Web Signature (JWS) specification. To get information about the status of a transaction and subscription using the API, you need to provide any original transaction ID owned by the customer. The Transaction History API will return a complete list of transactions, 20 at a time , starting with the oldest.
The API returns the status for all customer subscriptions, sorted by subscription group ID.
It is suggested that this API be used to submit information to the App Store when customers request a refund for in-app purchases after the CONSUMPTION_REQUEST App Store notification is received. This data will help you decide on the return of funds to the user.
App Store Server Notifications
Keeping track of in-app purchase events in real time is made easier with App Store Notifications .
The App Store sends real-time notifications of purchase status changes to the developer's server.
When a developer activates the App Store Server Notification URL in App Store Connect, they can automatically receive server notifications to their secure server. The app store sends notifications as JSON objects for many in-app purchase events. These JSON events, documented in responseBody, contain information that can be used to react to transactions according to the project's business logic.
DeviceCheck
Allows you to reduce the number of cases of fraud. DeviceCheck Services consist of a platform interface that the developer accesses from his application, and an Apple server interface that he accesses from his own server. By using the DCDevice class in your application, you can get a token that will be used on the developer server to set and query data for each device, this will help maintain user privacy. For example, you can use this data to identify devices that have already taken advantage of an in-app advertising offer, or to flag a device that has been identified as fraudulent. Cross-server APIs also allow you to check what exactly is going into the received token from the application on the Apple device. Somebody,Whoever modifies the original app and distributes it outside of the App Store may add unauthorized features such as cheat codes to games, remove ads, or access premium content. Application Attestation provides the ability to validate your rights so that the server can more confidently grant access to sensitive resources. The developer uses the DCAppAttestService class to generate a special cryptographic key on the device, and Apple will validate that key. The developer can then use this key to validate the application whenever he requests sensitive data from his server.Application Attestation provides the ability to validate your rights so that the server can more confidently grant access to sensitive resources. The developer uses the DCAppAttestService class to generate a special cryptographic key on the device, and Apple will validate that key. The developer can then use this key to validate the application whenever he requests sensitive data from his server.Application Attestation provides the ability to validate your rights so that the server can more confidently grant access to sensitive resources. The developer uses the DCAppAttestService class to generate a special cryptographic key on the device, and Apple will validate that key. The developer can then use this key to validate the application whenever he requests sensitive data from his server.The developer can then use this key to validate the application whenever he requests sensitive data from his server.The developer can then use this key to validate the application whenever he requests sensitive data from his server.
App Store
Widget The new widget includes data on leading apps that were promoted by the editorial office (featured), as well as a list of apps and internal events from the "Today" tab - the information will be available right on the home screen.
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