Building the app is only half the job. Getting it onto the App Store involves accounts, legal pages, privacy answers and a review by Apple. Here is the checklist we use for every launch.

1. Join the Apple Developer Program

You need a paid membership to publish. Decide early whether to enrol as an individual or as an organisation:

  • As an individual, your personal name appears as the seller on the App Store.
  • As an organisation, your company name appears, but Apple asks for a D-U-N-S number and checks that you can sign on behalf of the company. Allow extra time for this.

2. Prepare the pages Apple asks for

Every app needs a privacy policy URL and a support URL. They must be public web pages, not PDFs, and the privacy policy must describe what data the app collects and why.

3. Answer the privacy questions honestly

App Store Connect asks what data your app collects, whether it is linked to the user, and whether it is used for tracking. Your answers become the privacy label on your App Store page. Modern apps also include a privacy manifest that lists the data types and sensitive APIs they use.

4. Create the App Store listing

  • App name, subtitle and description
  • Keywords (they matter for search inside the App Store)
  • Screenshots for the required iPhone sizes, and iPad if you support it
  • An app icon at 1024 × 1024 pixels
  • Age rating questionnaire

5. Test with TestFlight first

Upload a build from Xcode and invite testers through TestFlight. Real people on real devices find problems that simulators never show — and TestFlight builds go through a lighter review, so it is a good rehearsal.

6. Submit for review

Most reviews complete within a day or two. The most common reasons for rejection are crashes, broken links, placeholder content, missing account deletion for apps with sign-up, and privacy answers that do not match what the app actually does.

7. After launch

Watch crash reports, reply to reviews and plan small, regular updates. Apps that are updated often tend to rank and convert better.

If you would like help with any of these steps, tell us about your app.