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November 15, 2021
Connect with Apple experts to learn how to create best-in-class apps. Tech Talks 2021 features office hours and live sessions with Q&As, so you can get your questions answered. We’ve updated the schedule with the third set of new content (including new office hours for App Store business and marketing), and the last set will be released in two weeks. Register today if you’re a member of the Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
It’s time once again for the Tech Talks Digest. We’ve got new sessions and office hours for you to explore, recaps for the events you missed, and a few tips on making the most of your office hours appointment.
Check out the latest activities, which run through December 3. These sessions and office hours are designed to help you learn more about our latest technologies, get your questions answered, and receive one-on-one guidance.
We’ll publish the final digest on November 29, highlighting updates to the sessions schedule, office hours signups, and more — so stay tuned!
You can browse and register for all Tech Talks activities taking place through December 3. We release new sessions and appointments for one-on-one office hours every two weeks, so check back on November 29 for the final round of activities through December 17.
Note: To register for sessions or request office hour appointments, you must be a current member of the Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
Get notified about new activities and your appointment requests by opting in to push notifications in the Apple Developer app or signing up for email notifications. To enable push notifications, visit the Account tab in the Apple Developer app. To enable email notifications, sign in to your developer account, open the top-right menu, and click Email Settings.
Each Thursday, we offer office hours: 25-minute one-on-one appointments with a member of Apple’s Evangelism, App Review, Developer Technical Support, App Store Connect, or App Store Business teams. We encourage anyone who works on an app to apply for an appointment — especially if you’re a newer designer or developer. Each conversation is unique and tailored for you and your app, and all questions are welcome.
We’ve put together a short guide to help you decide which kind of appointment is right for you. If you don’t receive an appointment, please consider requesting another one in the future and providing more detail in your request. Since we have a limited number of spots, we prioritize requests based on where we can be most helpful.
Technology & Design Evangelism
What can you do to make your app not just good, but great? Whether you need advice on designing or developing for Apple platforms, exploring a new native framework or technology, or want advice on a specific experience within your app, the Apple Evangelism team has extensive expertise designing for or developing on Apple platforms and wants to help take your app to the next level.
Apply if… You’re an engineer or designer and want advice and feedback on improving your app, or want a fresh take on your app’s experience.
Prepare by… Including as much detail as possible in your request. Do you want feedback on specific technologies or areas within your app? Do you have general questions about adding a new framework or exploring a new design idea? If you’re asking about an existing app, make sure to include a link (or TestFlight invitation) to your app — this helps us explore your app in advance and make the most of our time together. If you’d like to share content during your appointment, make sure you’ve set up your computer for screen sharing.
Learn how to set up your Mac for screen sharing
Learn how to share your screen in a meeting
During the appointment… We’ll discuss your goals, provide feedback, and answer any follow-up questions. Be prepared to show device screens or comps if needed.
Developer Technical Support
Want help implementing SharePlay or chasing down a pesky error? DTS can help you with direct, personalized technical guidance on resolving a crash in your app, fixing a bug, or understanding a specific framework in more detail.
Apply if… You have code-level questions or an open Technical Support Incident (TSI) and want in-person guidance on resolving your problem.
Prepare by… Providing a clear, detailed description of your issue or question in your request. If you have an open TSI, be sure to include your follow-up number to continue the conversation. If you plan to show an Xcode project, set the theme to Presentation Mode in the Xcode Font & Colors preferences.
During the appointment… We’ll take a look at your issue and provide support to help find a resolution.
App Review
Our App Review specialists are here to chat about the App Store Guidelines, preparing your app for review, or reasons for common rejections.
Apply if… You want to know how your app can best align with the guidelines, how to get ready to submit your app, or what to expect during review.
Prepare by… Letting us know what you’d like to discuss in as much detail as possible, so we can assign your request to the right specialist. You may also want to take a look at the App Review page on the Apple Developer website.
During the appointment… We’ll go over your questions and provide advice on how to help the review process go more smoothly.
App Store Connect
Whether you’re getting your app on the App Store for the first time or configuring a new feature like in-app events, you can request an appointment with the App Store Connect team for help with uploading, submitting, managing, or monitoring your apps.
Apply if… You need insight into any feature of App Store Connect, such as configuring in-app purchases, beta testing with TestFlight, monitoring performance with App Analytics, and much more.
Prepare by… Writing a descriptive request that helps us understand what you’d like to do in App Store Connect or what issues you’re running into. You may also want to take a look at App Store Connect Help on the Apple website.
Learn more about App Store Connect
During the appointment… We’ll go over your questions and provide support so you can move forward with distributing great apps and content.
App Store Business & Marketing
Are you looking to explore different business models, marketing options, and opportunities? Would you want to learn how to increase engagement in your app? The App Store Business & Marketing team is here to help.
Apply if… You want to learn more about marketing, engagement, subscription models, or expanding to different international markets.
Prepare by… Giving a thorough description of what you’d like to learn about so we can connect you with the right person. If you have an existing app, include a link (or TestFlight invitation) to help us explore your app in advance and make the most of our time together.
During the appointment… We’ll review your goals and possible options — and provide guidance on how to choose what’s best for your app.
We had a bit of fun on November 8 when we hosted a miniature audio challenge, asking developers to recognize the audio signature of a song using Siri or Shazam. This challenge — which most of our audience successfully completed! — was part of a session that explored the technologies you can use to “listen” to the world. Afterward, evangelists and the Shazam engineering team hosted over an hour of Q&A about implementation, recognition, and great experiences with audio.
If you missed this session, we’re presenting it again live from London on November 22. And for more information on using audio classification models, check out “Train custom Core ML models within your app” on November 29.
Whether you have an app that uses augmented reality (AR) already on the App Store or you’re just starting to explore potential AR opportunities, this session can help you understand some of the key ingredients for creating a great experience on Apple platforms. First we’ll show you how to craft an immersive onboarding flow, then we’ll go over techniques that can help you blend digital content effectively with reality for compelling and persuasive interactions.
Have thoughts about Tech Talks? We’d love to know what’s on your mind.
There are many, many magical parts of being a parent. Assigning chores isn’t one of them.
S’moresUp can help. The app democratizes household tasks by establishing an easy, simple-to-follow calendar for the whole family that makes it clear who does what and when — and lets parents offer rewards for going above and beyond.
In the four-plus years since its launch, the app has helped more than 130,000 families spread the chores around — and not just to kids, according to founder Priya Rajendran.
“The first feedback we got was ‘Why can’t I assign chores to my husband or partner? Why is it only for kids?’” laughs Rajendran. “We made changes to open it up to families of all kinds.”
We caught up with Rajendran and cofounder Reeves Xavier to discuss the story behind S’MoresUp and why things seem to go wrong on birthdays.
*S’moresUp* incentivizes tidying the kitchen, finishing homework, and keeping those teeth clean.
How did you get the idea for S’moresUp?
Rajendran: I was a divorced single mother with a daughter in seventh grade. I needed to figure out how to manage her time between two houses and how to bring consistency into her life. I thought, “Well, there’s an app for everything, I’ll look there.” I found a lot of apps that did one thing very well, but I never found one that did everything.
What was the early feedback like?
Rajendran: We had kids telling us, “We hate you! You’re making me do chores every day!” [Laughs.]
What features of the app have you seen resonate?
Xavier: For older kids, the financial-education side is gaining popularity. Kids can cash out their accounts, so they learn how to save toward a goal and how to spend smart.
How has S’moresUp evolved since launch?
Xavier: The family setup in the past 20 years has changed drastically, and we got constant feedback on that: “How do we bring in more people — a grandparent or a nanny? How do I make sure my son’s chores transfer to a parent in another home?” Also, we no longer ask for a name; all we need is a nickname and age so we can give you age-appropriate chores.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
Rajendran: The past two years, we’ve had a major production outage on the day before my birthday. It’s as if someone knew! Last year I was on the road, so I pulled over to call my team in India and troubleshoot on the fly. My team wished me happy birthday and then went back to sleep. We’re a small operation — when things go bad, you just have to roll up your sleeves and get to it.
November 8, 2021
This year, we’re pleased to continue accepting submissions in App Store Connect throughout the upcoming holidays. Make sure your apps are up to date and ready for the busiest season on the App Store. Due to anticipated high volume, plan to send time-sensitive submissions early. Please note that reviews may take longer to complete from November 24 to 28 and December 23 to 27.
Last year, to support apps that adapted services from in-person to digital, we temporarily deferred the requirement to offer paid online group event services (one-to-few and one-to-many realtime services) through in-app purchase in accordance with App Store Review Guideline 3.1.1.
In November 2020 we extended the deadline to June 2021, and in April 2021 we extended it again to December 31, 2021. These extensions were granted to support businesses and provide time for you to update your apps to comply with long standing in-app payment rules.
As a reminder, new apps and updates offering these realtime one-to-few and one-to-many services must use in-app purchase by December 31, 2021, or they won’t be approved per guideline 3.1.1. Apps offering realtime person-to-person services between two individuals (for example, tutoring students, medical consultations, real estate tours, or fitness training) can continue using purchase methods other than in-app purchase.
November 3, 2021
You can now invite people to try out beta versions of your Mac apps and provide valuable feedback before release. Invite up to 10,000 external testers using their email address or by sharing a public link, create multiple groups of internal testers and configure build access for each one, and more.
Andrés Ugarte is the type of person who’s always on the lookout for the perfect app to help him navigate life, but he never found one for managing his money. “I lost count of how many I tried,” he says.
So in 2018 he quit his job as a software engineer and started working on Copilot. This privacy-first app lets you view details across all your accounts with a clear, colorful interface. Machine learning automatically categorizes spending to help you budget, while elegant charts make financial data — not always the zingiest of topics — easy to make sense of.
We caught up with the New York–based founder to chat about when he knew Copilot was an idea he could bank on and why a CEO should always code.
*Copilot* categorizes your transactions using machine learning (on your device, not in the cloud) to help you stick to a budget.
How long did it take to launch Copilot?
Roughly a year and a half. For the first six months, it was just me designing, prototyping, and building. We had seven users, and each week I would launch new features and send out an email.
How did you persuade people to trust Copilot with their financial information? I’m wary of sharing my personal data, and that was one thing that bugged me with other apps: They’re free, but since the company has to make money, they’re selling your data. In the early days users told us, “Please don’t sell my data or put in ads. I’m willing to pay a few bucks for this service.” That was when we decided to charge a subscription, even though nobody really charges in this category. We can cover the cost of growing the business and building new features.
What’s been your biggest challenge?
In the early days, it was fundraising. I thought I was going to be able to fundraise with just an idea, honestly, but I got a lot of pushback: “People have done this. You’re wasting your time. Do you have any other ideas?” That’s why we started fully bootstrapped. But once we had a product — and with the type of love we get from users — the dynamic changed.
From a technical standpoint, what else is key to the Copilot experience?
We want you to open Copilot and feel like it’s a first-class app. I believe that having a native Swift app makes a difference the moment you start interacting with it. We invest a lot of engineering resources in crafting an experience you want to come back to.
What’s it been like to go from software engineer to CEO?
I still code. Not as much as I used to, but I believe that to be an effective leader, I need to stay close to that. Engineers and designers are often told they should focus on the technical aspects or the design and leave the rest to businesspeople. I believe that’s fundamentally wrong. We have a little bit of a superpower when it comes to understanding what goes into crafting a product that people want to use. At the end of the day, users can tell if you’re doing something with passion and love.
Tech Talks 2021 features live online sessions and office hours through December 17, so you can connect with Apple experts to learn how to create best-in-class apps. We’ve updated the schedule with new content, and will post more every two weeks.
Based on your overwhelming response, we’re increasing capacity for all sessions and repeating our most-attended sessions. Register today if you’re a member of the Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
Welcome to the second Tech Talks Digest. After a fantastic start last week, we’re adding more sessions, more office hours, and — you asked for it! — more capacity.
Check out our latest activities, which run through November 19. These sessions and office hours are designed to help you learn more about our latest technologies, get your questions answered, and offer one-on-one guidance.
Due to popular demand, we’re re-presenting several of our most-attended sessions from last week. We’ve also increased the capacity of our sessions, and we’re offering two chances to sign up: We’re releasing half of the available spots today at 9 a.m., and the remaining half will be released at 11:59 p.m. PT to support developers worldwide.
Did you miss a session, or want a recap of some of the highlights from week one? Read on to learn helpful tips from the SwiftUI team, find out the latest updates to App Clips, and answer the question: just how old is AVFoundation?
We’ll publish a new digest every two weeks highlighting updates to the sessions schedule, new office hours signups, and more — so stay tuned!
You can currently browse and register for all Tech Talks activities taking place through November 19. We release new sessions and appointments for one-to-one office hours every two weeks, so check back on November 15 for the next round of activities.
Note: To register for sessions or request office hour appointments, you must be a current member of the Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program.
Get notified about new activities and your appointment requests by opting in to push notifications in the Apple Developer app or signing up for email notifications. To enable push notifications, visit the Account tab in the Apple Developer app. To enable email notifications, sign in to your developer account, open the top-right menu, and click Email Settings.
Our SwiftUI engineers enjoyed answering your questions so much that they’re returning for another round! Technology Evangelist Betsy Langowski joins members of the SwiftUI engineering team to showcase some of the latest improvements to SwiftUI, explore the life cycle of a bug report, and answer your questions.
This session will be presented in English live from Cupertino on November 16.
One of the first sessions we hosted was Design Evangelist Doug LeMoine’s “Design delightful App Clips,” which took developers and designers through some of the latest changes to App Clips. Doug covered October’s update to the App Store Connect API, exploring the new automated registration and maintenance process for both default and advanced App Clip experiences and the metadata requirements for creating an App Clip card. He also showed attendees how they could create multiple App Clip experiences using the bulk upload functionality.
Doug also covered one of the most common questions we get around App Clips: What do I need to do to make my App Clip invocable from Maps? There are a few steps to follow, including using the Apple Business Registry to create a place association and releasing your App Clip on the App Store. For more details, check out the “Places on Maps“ page on apple.com.
Missed “Design delightful App Clips“? We’ll present this session again live from Cupertino on November 16. We’ll also host this presentation in Japanese live from Tokyo on November 1, in English live from Tel Aviv on November 2, and in English live from Singapore on November 16.
Our Technology Evangelists and engineers came together on Wednesday with attendees from Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Ukraine, and the United States to explore the Center Stage, Portrait mode, and Mic mode features available in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. During the session, Evangelists Eric Hanson and Charlyn Keating explained how to best incorporate these features into your app, build in direct UI controls, and disable options when not appropriate for your experience.
We also learned a fun fact about AVFoundation during the Q&A, when an attendee asked about the venerable framework’s history. Did you know: AVFoundation premiered in 2008 with iOS 2.2 and came to the Mac in 2011 with OS X Lion! Its origins, however, lie in the QuickTime framework, QTKit, which launched as part of OS X Tiger back in 2005.
We’ll present this session again in Japanese and Mandarin live from Tokyo and Shanghai on November 8 and November 15.
Want to improve your app’s notification experience on iOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8? We’ll help you learn how to craft meaningful moments through interruption levels and Time Sensitive notifications. And we’ll also introduce you to Focus and Focus status, which allows your app to convey someone’s availability to others.
To get the most out of this session, we recommend having some experience with creating local and remote notifications.
This session will be presented in English live from Cupertino on November 9, and presented in Japanese live from Tokyo on November 15.
Have thoughts about Tech Talks? We’d love to know what’s on your mind.
SharePlay is now available in iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, and tvOS 15.1, giving people the ability to share synchronized experiences right inside their FaceTime calls. You can submit your apps that support SharePlay today.
It’s also enabled in macOS 12.1 beta, so you can now build SharePlay experiences across Apple platforms using the GroupActivities entitlement, without the need for the SharePlay Development Profile.
