iOS App Store Submission Guide

Now it is time to submit your game to the iOS app store for approval. In general, you can follow the normal process for uploading an app. There are a few extra Skillz-related steps you must take.

Before You Submit

First, you need to provide Apple with a Skillz Production login so that they can test Skillz related features.

A test login you can provide them with is:

Username: Apple-tester
Password: cupertino

This is to make sure they can test all the functionality in your game. Without a login, your app may be rejected. Also, you need to mark your game as containing suggestive/mature content in order for it to be approved with Skillz. Finally, make sure the game binary you upload to Apple is the same exact binary as the one you uploaded to Skillz in the previous step. If you upload different binaries, Skillz Production will not work as a security precaution against unauthorized software.

Instructions to Submit Your Game to the iOS App Store

Best Practices

NOTE

Please refer to the article on best practices for submitting your game to the iOS App Store as you follow the instructions below.

Add a New App

1. Login to your iTunes Connect account. Click on the "My Apps" button.

2. Next, you should see a + icon to add a new app. Click it, and select "New App" from the dropdown like in the screenshot below.

3. A popup will display to fill in details of your app:

Pick the platform(s) your app was designed for, enter the Name of your app, select the Primary Language, select its Bundle ID, and enter a SKU that is unique. Finally, choose between Limited Access or Full Access.

Place the cursor above the ? icon for more information about a specific field.

For the SKU, we recommend using an online GUID generator, as the probability of duplicate GUIDs are mathematically proven to be extremely small.

Naming Your App

All Skillz based games must be skill-based. Please refer to our recommendations on naming your app so that your app will not be mistaken for a chance-based game.

Click the Create button after all required details have been entered.

Enter and Edit App Information

Next, you'll be taken to a page to either edit or enter more information about your app:

Be sure to fill out all required fields, which include the Name, Subtitle, Privacy Policy URL, and Primary Category. Again, hover over the ? icon for more information about a specific field.

Click the Save button after all required information has been entered.

Pricing and Availability

After saving your changes on the App Information page, navigate to the Pricing and Availability page if the website did not automatically load it. It should look similar to the screenshot below:

As with previous pages, fill out all required information, and hovering over the ? icon for more details about a particular field.

Prepare for Submission

Now, navigate to the "Prepare for Submisson" page. This is where a number of items must be completed before being able to submit your app to await approval from Apple.

Upload App Previews and Screenshots

Be sure to upload app previews (re: videos) and screenshots for required platforms. Screenshots must conform to the exact dimensions listed for each specific platform. An easy way to meet these requirements is to run your app on the Simulator for a platform and selecting the New Screenshot item from the File menu:

Here is an example of a screenshot uploaded for the an iPhone with 5.5" screen:

Refer to the App Store documentation for guidelines on how to produce compelling app previews and screenshots in order to create a strong listing for your app.

App Ratings

Because Skillz based games allow real cash deposits, your app must be restricted to adults (ages 17 and above) for its App Rating. To do so, click the "Edit" link next to the Rating section.

A modal popup will display. Select the content descriptions of your app that will trigger its app rating to be set to 17+ while providing a fairly accurate description of it. Refer the app ratings documentation for more information.

Upload Binaries

Please refer to these instructions on how to upload a binary of your app to App Store Connect from Xcode.

Version Release Section

It is recommended that the Manually release this version option is selected in the Version Release section as pictured below:

By controlling when your app is released to the app store, you can ensure that your app's integration with the Skillz SDK has been fully tested, and better coordinate when to publish it on the Skillz Developer Console.

Fill Out Remaining Required Fields

Be sure to fill out all remaining required fields. Entering these details are fairly straightforward, so they will not be covered in-depth for this article.

Again, hover over the "?" icons for more information about a specific field.

Submit for Review

At this point, you should be ready to submit your app! Click the "Submit for Review" button. It typically takes 24-48 hours for an app to be reviewed. However, this could take longer if your submission has incomplete or missing information.

You can view the status of your app submission in the "My Apps" section of the iTunes Connect site.

Also, please refer to the App Review guidelines for more information, especially if your app submission was rejected.

Next Steps

Once your submission is approved, remember to enter your app's App ID in the Skillz Developer Console for your app.

Handling Submission Rejections

In the event that your submission is rejected by Apple, please refer to this article on common iOS Store rejections, and recommended responses.