So I’m getting finished up on a rough draft of my first full-fledged Xojo app. Looking to deploy it to the AppStore via AppWrapper 3 to save on the headache of learning how to do all the prep work on my own.
My question is in regards to getting beta testers, and providing some protection for app during this phase (looking to sell for a few bucks when finished). If I understand correctly, it is the AppStore, and not AppWrapper that provides the copy/piracy protection for the app? If so, is there any way to build a protected copy of the app for beta testing? Ideally, I would like to have a random sample of target users do the beta testing (for best feedback & a bit of marketing), but not sure how to go about it as to not give an completely unlocked version? Do I have to do a ‘soft launch’ in the AppStore for the beta testers, or are there other means of doing this?
Any help would be great. Tried to do a bit of forum and internet searching but haven’t been able to put the pieces together.
Uh… NOBODY provides copy/piracy protection for you app…
If it is an iOS app its a bit more difficult since it must be deployed via the iOS App Store…
but if it is an OSX app, there is zip, nada, zero copy protection … All a user has to do is copy the app from one computer to the other…
No. Anyone who purchased your App can copy it to any other Mac and use it.
You can create provisioning profiles for your Apps in the Member Center and then Macs with this Provisioning Profile (bound to the UID of the Device) can launch your App Store Build.
Or send copies to your beta testers before going to the App Store at all.
This you can do with OSX apps, but not with iOS apps (these require the use of TESTFLIGHT)
Wow. Totally didn’t realize the whole thing was run on an honor system. Was mislead by some articles stating best to go with AppStore for the built-in licensing. Whoops.
That certainly makes life a lot easier then :). Thanks guys.
AppStore will generate a receipt which you can validate. So it’s half of a DRM system, but you must be the one to implement the receipt check.
Do not beta-test by launching to the app store. I actually think there’s an Apple rejection rule for this.
Beta test outside the app store, it will save your testers and you headaches.
Have some respect for your beta testers, don’t send them crippled software - they won’t be able to test the features you’ve locked off, and you could miss bugs.
I use MacDeveloper for testing. Costs 12,50$ per month. Not the greatest participation. But it get’s me the embarrassing bugs out. Every tester who finds a bug gets a free license.
[quote=267234:@Tim Parnell]AppStore will generate a receipt which you can validate. So it’s half of a DRM system, but you must be the one to implement the receipt check.
Do not beta-test by launching to the app store. I actually think there’s an Apple rejection rule for this.
Beta test outside the app store, it will save your testers and you headaches.
Have some respect for your beta testers, don’t send them crippled software - they won’t be able to test the features you’ve locked off, and you could miss bugs.[/quote]
Ah, that makes more sense then. Thanks. Will try to be kind to Beta Testers. Currently runs smooth on my non-Retina, 11" MacbookAir, but realise may be a long way away from being done (80/20 rule, no?). Hoping to send to a few alpha testers with various Mac builds to get the resolution and overt bugs out before sending a beta out to batch of target users (for free lifetime use in return).
FYI… sometimes… you will find willing beta testers right here…
that being said, anyone from this forum will likely be a bit MORE critical than others (not that its a bad thing), because we are all developers as well…
[quote=267252:@Dave S]FYI… sometimes… you will find willing beta testers right here…
that being said, anyone from this forum will likely be a bit MORE critical than others (not that its a bad thing), because we are all developers as well…[/quote]
Will remember this. Hopefully will be ready for a first batch of testing in a few weeks for the more technical stuff (resolution issues, overt bugs, etc). May reach out to the Xojo community when the times comes.
