Getting your iPad app in the App Store

If you’re planning on developing an iPad app, you’ll need to make sure you understand the process for getting it into Apple’s App Store.  The biggest difference between Android and Apple, in fact, is that the former prides itself on diversity, and the latter on consolidation.  This might mean a smoother purchase process for iPad users, but for you, it means you’ll need to satisfy Apple’s vetting requirements before you can get your app in the App Store.  Here are a few things you’ll need to know:

• First, you’ll need to read over the App Store Review Guidelines.  Most of the entry requirements are clear and based on common sense, but Apple insists that the guidelines are a “living document.”  In other words, Apple can reject your app if there’s something about it that doesn’t sit well with the quality controllers, even if it doesn’t break any specific rules.
• You app will be rejected if it requires modification of the iPad’s OS or other native software.
• If all your app does is reproduce an existing website, it’s likely to be rejected.  There’s a little wiggle room here, since apps almost always carry the same logos and much of the same content as the sites with which they’re associated, but if your app’s function can be achieved simply by typing the site name into the browser, it’s time to head back to the drawing board.
• Inappropriate language or content will lead to rejection.  This appears to be based on the “I’ll-know-it-when-I-see-it” litmus test, but be aware that any content crossing, or even approaching the line is subject to rejection.

Lastly, Engadget recently sifted through the guidelines and published an article with many of the more pertinent points.  Perhaps the most important among these is the decision to reject apps that are too similar to others already in the store.

This list is not comprehensive, of course, and neither are the App Store’s guidelines.  Some developers have complained that Apple’s vetting process is shrouded in mystery, but if your app is original, inoffensive, and doesn’t monkey with the hardware, then you’re well on your way.