14 DAY TRIAL // As it happens every year, Apple is shutting down the App Store review program temporarily during Christmas, encouraging developers to submit new apps and updates early to have them approved in advance.
This year, the app review shutdown window takes place in the same time frame as in 2016, with no new apps and updates accepted in the App Store between December 23 and December 27.
Apple explains in a notification posted on its developer website that all the other services will continue to be available to app creators, but sending new items for approval before the deadline is critical.
“The busiest season on the App Store is almost here. Make sure your apps are up-to-date and ready for the holidays. New apps and app updates will not be accepted December 23 to 27 (Pacific Time), so any releases should be submitted, approved, and scheduled in advance. Other iTunes Connect and developer account features will remain available,” Apple explains.
Update apps with iOS 11 support
Apple also encourages app makers to update their titles for iOS 11 and take advantage of all the improvements that are part of this operating system version.
“With the new App Store on iOS 11, you can let customers know about promotions, upcoming features, and events within your app at any time using the promotional text field. Your app’s promotional text appears at the top of the description and is up to 170 characters long,” Apple says.
Ironically, iOS 11 has proved to be quite a roller coaster for users who updated their devices to this new latest version, with a plethora of bugs reported since the September release, such as app crashes, freezes, and huge battery drains on all iPhone models, including the recently-launched iPhone 8.
Few of the updates released so far for iOS 11 improved performance and addressed the bugs, and now all hope are that iOS 11.2, expected to go live by the end of the year, would make a bigger difference in this regard.