Publish Your React-Native App to the App Store

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  1. Code Signing: Create an iOS distribution provisioning profile and distribution certificate

• First, add your Developer Program account to Xcode if you haven’t already. From the top menu, select Xcode, then choose Preferences.

• Click on Accounts. In the bottom left corner of the window, press the + sign, then Add Apple ID….

• Enter the Apple ID and password you use for the Apple Developer Program, then click Sign In.

• Next, enable automatic signing. From the Project Editor, choose a target and select General.

• Scroll down to the “Signing” section and click on the triangle icon to expand the settings.

• Click on the box to Automatically manage signing. Select your team.

  
  
  

• 2. Create an App Store Connect record for your app

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  GET AN APP STORE CONNECT ACCOUNT BY:

  • Creating your own App Store Connect organization and being the team agent. Sign in with the Apple ID you used to enroll in the Apple Developer Program

  • Or being invited by an existing organization as a user with an Admin, Technical, or App Manager role.

  • ADD A NEW APP

    In the App Store Connect dashboard, select My Apps.

    Click on the + sign in the upper left-hand corner, then New App.

    To create a new App Store Connect record, you’ll need these details: platform, app name, default language, bundle ID, and SKU. You can’t really change these details later, so be sure of what you enter.

    • Use keywords in your app name to optimize for discovery.

    • The bundle ID must be an exact match of the bundle identifier in your Xcode project Info.plist file (in the target’s General > Identity section).

    • The SKU is not visible to users and is up to you to set. It can be an identifier you use in your company or something else that is meaningful for you. Acceptable characters include letters, numbers, hyphens, periods, and underscores, and it must begin with a letter or number.

    If applicable, you can also set user access at this step.

  
  
  
  
  

• 3. Archive and upload your app using Xcode

   

  Before you can submit your app for review through App Store Connect, you need to upload the build through Xcode.

  • In Xcode, select Generic iOS Device as the deployment target.

  • Choose Product from the top menu and click on Archive.

  • The Xcode Organizer will launch, displaying any archives you’ve created in the past.

  • Make sure the current build is selected and click on Upload to App Store in the right-hand panel.

  • Select your credentials and click Choose.

  • In the next window that appears, click on Upload in the bottom right-hand corner.

  A success message will appear when the upload has completed. Click Done.

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  4. Configure your app’s metadata and further details in its App Store Connect record

   

  Under the “App Store” tab in App Store Connect, in the “App Information” page you can add additional languages, categories, and your app’s Privacy Policy URL.

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• Set your app as free or select its price tier on the “Pricing and Availability” page.

   

  Under the “Features” tab, you can add configurations to any App Store technologies in your app, like Game Center and in-app purchases.

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  at this stage, your app is marked with a yellow dot and the status “Prepare for Submission” in the left-hand panel under “App Store”. Select the build you want to configure. This is where you will add the information for your product page on the App Store.

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Upload your app’s screenshots (in JPEG or PNG format and without status bars). You can upload a set of screenshots for one device and use them for all the other sizes.

Click on Save in the upper right-hand corner of the window after your screenshots have finished uploading.

 

Scroll down and enter your app’s description, keywords, support URL, and marketing URL.

• Your app’s description and keywords are critical. Make sure you optimize them for discovery.

• The support URL can be as simple as a landing page with a contact form.

• The marketing URL can be your app’s website and is optional.

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  In the “General App Information” section below, upload your app’s icon, enter its version number, and copyright and contact information.

  • Your app’s icon should be 1024px x 1024px.

  • The version number should exactly match the one in Xcode.

  • The copyright info typically looks like this: “Copyright (c) 2017,company, Inc.”

  • The contact info here is what will be displayed to users.

   

  Click on Edit next to “Rating” and select the applicable options for your app. Be honest — your app can be rejected during review if it doesn’t match its rating.

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• Under the “App Review Information” section, enter your contact info, any notes you have for the reviewer, and set the version release date.

  • The contact information here is for the reviewer in case they need to reach you directly.

  • Notes for the reviewer can include information about specific hardware they might need to use or user account information they might need for access.

  • For first releases, you should typically leave the version release date as automatic.

   

  In the top right-hand corner, click  Save. Now you’re almost ready to “Submit for Review”.

• 5. Submit your app for review

   

  Scroll to the “Build” section in your app’s App Store Connect record.

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Click on “Select a build before you submit your app.”

 

Choose the build that you uploaded through Xcode. Click Done in the bottom right-hand corner, then Save in the top-right hand corner, then Submit for Review.