14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has begun notifying members of its iPhone Developer Program that they can now control when an app update goes live, rather than have it appear as available as soon as it is approved by App Review. The function is appropriately called Version Release Control and it its found nowhere else but in iTunes Connect.
Developers looking to learn more about the change are advised to read through the Version Release Control section of the iTunes Connect Developer Guide. There, Apple specifically notes that iOS programmers can now determine when their app updates go live on the App Store. “With the Version Release Control, you can control when a version of your app goes live, rather than have the version go live as soon as it is approved by App Review,” the iPhone maker states. “You will be presented with the Version Release Control option as part of your Ready to Upload Binary questions,” reads the amendment.
Still, devs who choose to automatically release their app update will see it go live as soon as it is approved by Apple (pending thr set availability date), Apple says. “If you choose to use the Version Release Control, your app status will change to Pending Developer Release once it is approved by App Review, indicating that you can release it to the App Store whenever you are ready,” the company behind Mac OS X explains.
When a developer decides that an app update is ready to go live, he will be directly responsible for releasing the new app version to the App Store, Apple says. To do this, developers must follow these exact steps, according to Cupertino:
1. Log into iTunes Connect. 2. On the Home page, click Manage Your Applications. 3. Locate your app and click on your large icon to view your App Summary page 4. You will see that there is an action indicator for your new version where you set the Version Release Control indicating that the version is held for developer release.
A final note is then offered, with Apple signaling that “You can only use the Version Release Control on app updates. It is not available for the first version of your app since you already have the ability to control when your first version goes live, using the Availability Date setting within Rights and Pricing.” The updated version of Apple’s iTunes Connect Developer Guide can be found here (PDF).