14 DAY TRIAL // Apple not only allows developers to name their mobile and desktop apps the same, but downright encourages programmers to do so, in order to maintain the consistency of the brand, and make the app easily recognizable.
“Using the Same App Name for Mac and iOS Apps,” the latest update to Apple’s Developer News and Announcements reveals that existing iOS devs looking to make a buck in the upcoming Mac App Store can do so without fear that Apple will look funny at application names.
Well, as long as one has already been approved, anyway.
“You can now submit a Mac OS X version of your app to the Mac App Store with the identical name as your iOS app on the App Store,” the Mac maker confirms.
“Having the same name for your app on both the App Store and Mac App Store allows you to maintain the consistency of your brand and makes your app easily recognizable to customers,” the company explains.
In a separate post, Cupertino adds that, once developers have submitted their Mac application, certain metadata is not accessible anymore.
This is an important heads-up on from Apple who suggests that developers need to get their app’s name right before they decide to show it to the Review Board.
“Once you have submitted your app for review, there is certain metadata which cannot be edited, such as keywords and the name of your app,” Apple claims.
“However, some metadata can be edited at any time, such as screen shots, your marketing description, and your support URL,” according to the company.
Developers are encouraged to review Appendix A and Appendix B of the iTunes Connect Developer Guide for complete details on when they can edit or update the metadata of their app.