Distributing your products for iOS (info by ChatGPT)

[Christoph Hart]

Yeah that‘s one of the cases where I wouldn‘t trust ChatGPT - distributing an iOS app outside the Appstore is completely pointless so you definitely have to jump through whatever Apple expects you to.

[gorangrooves]

@Christoph-Hart Pointless in which sense?

[d.healey]

@gorangrooves Can't they only be installed by people who "side-load" apps or jail break their phone?

[gorangrooves]

@d-healey I don't know. It is absolutely maddening that there isn't a clear reference and a guide for the whole process.

[Lindon]

@gorangrooves @d-healey is correct you would need a 3rd-party app to load your app onto the iOS device (I think)...

[Christoph Hart]

This and I think the combination of people with jailbroken iPhones and the people who are willing to spend money on apps is not very big so you've got a tough crowd ahead of you.

[gorangrooves]

@Christoph-Hart Got you. I didn't realize you needed to jailbreak your phone to install the software. At least I understand that much now

Would the following be feasible?

Create the AUv3 plugin to distribute via AppStore, which is identical to the normal plugin in terms of functions. The plugin opens up and gives you a prompt to either enter the license key or click on the free trial to start using it. Free trial unmutes it and plays white noise every so often. The license key unlocks it fully and is the simple implementation ("licensing done right...").
The product would be presented as "Free trial" in the AppStore, and customers who have bought the plugin can unlock it using their license key.

There is nothing on iOS stopping it from working like this, right? Is there an Application Support directory where this can be stored and read from?

[Christoph Hart]

@gorangrooves I'm pretty sure that Apple will not allow a free product in their App Store that can be externally purchased (AFAIK that's the entire case behind the Apple vs. Epic games lawsuit in the last year).

My experience is that unless you create exclusive content for the iOS ecosystem putting up with their bullshit is not worth the extra revenue.

[d.healey]

@gorangrooves Read Apple's licensing terms carefully. Apple doesn't like developers bypassing their in-app purchase system.

edit: What Christoph said :)

[Lindon]

@d-healey said in Distributing your products for iOS (info by ChatGPT):

@gorangrooves Read Apple's licensing terms carefully. Apple doesn't like developers bypassing their in-app purchase system.

edit: What Christoph said :)

what these guys said - I spent 12 month as part of a team building a giant work around Apple for Liberty Media a few years back - it wasnt easy - and they "owned" the customers TV/set top....I long since decided iOS wasnt worth the effort for the amount of returns and pain from Apple.

[gorangrooves]

@Lindon @d-healey @Christoph-Hart I know of their bullshit, but I think there may have been some change implemented last year. As I wouldn't be selling the iOS app, though, I could bypass their crap. I would simply provide an additional extension, along with VST, AU, AAX, and Standalone, to purchasing customers. Nobody can purchase just the iOS app. I will need to read their current terms and conditions.

We've been getting inquiries and requests for the AUv3 for our plugins. That's the only reason why I would like to make it happen.

The main thing is that as far as HISE is concerned, my current system for the plugins should work on iOS, right?