Apple Warns Developers of Temporary iTunes Connect Shutdown

Apple is reminding developers that iTunes Connect will be inaccessible over the winter holidays, namely between Dec. 22 and Dec 29. The Mac maker advises them to submit any pending updates ASAP, otherwise they will have to wait until Dec. 30, or next year.

A fresh post on the section dedicated to News and Announcements for Apple Developers reveals the iTunes Connect Holiday Shutdown Details for people making a living selling iPhone and Mac apps.

“iTunes Connect will be temporarily shut down December 22-29 for the winter holidays,” says the company headquartered at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.

“During this time, access to iTunes Connect and the delivery of apps and updates will be unavailable,” Apple outlines.

The Mac maker’s advice is to “not schedule pricing changes that would take effect during the shutdown, as these changes will not be reflected in the App Store and the app will become unavailable for purchase.”

The same goes for releases scheduled between these dates - they will not go live until after the shutdown, says Apple.

It’s more of a reminder than a new development, but it’s still a warning for everyone trying to access iTunes Connect to submit any new apps or updates during December 22-29.

Both Mac developers and those coding apps for iPhone and iPad are targeted by the announcement.

For those who aren’t very familiar with iTunes Connect, it’s a platform developed by Apple’s engineers to help third party developers with the submission and updating process of their apps.

It started with the iOS app store and then expanded to the Mac App Store as well.

Apple describes it as a “suite of web-based tools that allow you to submit and manage your apps for distribution on the App Store and Mac App Store.”

Developers can further leverage the tool to check the status of their contracts, set up tax and banking information, obtain sales and finance reports, manage users, metadata, and In-App purchases, as well as request promotional codes for free distribution of their apps.