Important Native Information
Please Note: A Branded Native App is an optional add-on and may not be included in your app package. If you're unsure whether a Native App is included in your package, please refer to your invoice or contact your Account Manager.
For app packages without a Branded Native App, you can still benefit from the native experience by using our Native CrowdComms Container app. For more information, please contact your App Support Specialist.
IMPORTANT - Resubmissions resulting from requiring app imagery or descriptions to be changed after sign-off will incur a Resubmission Fee of £1200 exc vat. Please ensure images and descriptions are correct to avoid this. Changes to branding and content on the app will not require a resubmission.
Before you begin the native process, there are some important things you must be aware of.
Your Developer Accounts Must Match your App's Brand
It's very important that the Apple and Google Developer Accounts which we submit your app into both match the brand of your app. Here's a rejection message we receive when the Developer Accounts don't match the brand of the app:
We noticed that your app appears to be created from an app generation service or a commercialized template, but it was not directly submitted by the owner or provider of the business, brand, or service. -Â Apple
For example, if your event is Acme's Annual Conference, the developer accounts used to submit the app should be Acme's developer accounts, rather than Pinnacle Event Agency's developer accounts.
🕒 Timeframe: Creating new Developer Accounts
You must allow 1 week to setup new Apple or Google developer accounts if you don't already have them. Apple checks each new organisation's developer account and approves them manually. If you need to apply for a "D-U-N-S Number" for your organisation, this can take additional time.
You must allow 3 weeks between giving us access to your developer accounts and the app being approved in the stores.Â
Requirements To Create New Developer Accounts
✅ Company / Organisation Developer Accounts
When signing up for new Apple and Google developer accounts, it's important to choose the Company / Organisation type, rather than sole trader or individual. An Individual / Sole Proprietor / Single Personal Business account will not be able to grant access to a third party, which is necessary for us to submit apps on your behalf.Â
✅ Apple ID & iOS or Mac Device
In order to sign up for an Apple Developer Account, you need an Apple ID with Two Factor Authentication enabled. In order to setup Two Factor Authentication, you need access to an Apple iOS or Mac device.
Our suggestion for the smoothest way to setup an Apple Device with Two Factor Authentication is to use a Mac (rather than iOS device) and create a new user account on the Mac purely for this. This will give you the opportunity to log out of this user account once the Apple Developer account is setup, without disrupting any existing personal Apple ID or iCloud accounts on the Mac.
(An iOS device can only have one user account and therefore one iCloud account linked to it, which is why a Mac may be less disruptive.)
Two-Factor Authentication is not the same as Two-Step Verification
Apple has a help article explaining the difference which you can read here. In short, in Apple's ecosystem, two-step verification is when Apple sends a text message or email to a phone number or address which they have on file for you. Two-Factor authentication requires an Apple device which is signed into iCloud using the Apple ID which is being used for the Apple Developer Account.Â
Apple assumes Two-Factor Authentication is more secure than Two-Step Verification because they control the security of Apple devices, whereas the email or phone network providers are outside of their control.
✅ D-U-N-S Number
A D-U-N-S number is a requirement of Apple during the enrolment process. If you have a D-U-N-S number, you are ready to continue. If you are unsure, you can use this easy look-up tool logging in with an Apple ID. If your organisation does not have a D-U-N-S, you can register for one here - as a note, this can take between 5-10 business days to receive.
Our guide for creating Apple Developer Accounts can be read by clicking here.
Final Steps Before We Submit
Once you've got on-brand, Company / Organisation Developer accounts setup,
✅ Invite CrowdComms to Your Accounts
✅ Approve App Submission Details
Even when you've created Apple and Google developer accounts which match the brand of your app, and have given us access to those accounts, we still need you to sign off certain app content and design assets which can't be changed after we submit the app without a resubmission.
IMPORTANT - Resubmissions resulting from requiring app imagery or descriptions to be changed after sign-off will incur a Resubmission Fee of £250 exc vat. Please ensure images and descriptions are correct to avoid this. Changes to branding and content on the downloaded app will not require a resubmission.
If you have any questions about this process, please email support@crowdcomms.co.uk and we'll get back to you!