Apple

No Firebase Needed: Operating an iOS App with Apple-Native Tools Only

Introduction When you start operating an iOS app, you quickly face these questions: Is the app crashing? Where? How many downloads and sessions do we have? How can we prompt users on old versions to update? How can we encourage reviews? Most guides recommend Firebase Crashlytics + Firebase Analytics, but this means sending user device information, usage data, and crash logs to Google’s servers. You’ll also need to declare “data collection and tracking” when submitting to the App Store. ...

March 24, 2026 · 8 min · Nakamura

How to Submit an iOS App Update for Review Using the App Store Connect API

TL;DR I submitted an iOS app update for review—build → upload → build association → whatsNew → review submission—entirely from the command line using the App Store Connect REST API. Unlike the initial release, metadata and screenshots carry over from the previous version, so the required operations are minimal. Prerequisite: This guide assumes you’ve already completed the setup from Complete Guide to Submitting an iOS App for Review Using Only the App Store Connect API (API key, JWT generation, helper functions). ...

March 11, 2026 · Updated: March 14, 2026 · 7 min · Nakamura

Complete Guide to Adding a Tip Jar (In-App Purchase) to Your iOS App with App Store Connect API

TL;DR I added a Tip Jar feature to my iOS app. The app side was implemented with SwiftUI + StoreKit 2, and the App Store Connect REST API was used to complete product registration, localization, pricing, review screenshots, territory availability, and TestFlight distribution entirely from the command line. This article documents the full procedure in a reproducible manner. Prerequisites: This is a follow-up to Complete Guide to Submitting an iOS App for Review Using Only the App Store Connect API. It assumes you have already set up API key retrieval and JWT generation. ...

March 10, 2026 · 9 min · Nakamura

Submitting an iOS App for Review Using Only the App Store Connect API

TL;DR Using the App Store Connect REST API, I completed nearly all the tasks required for iOS app review submission—metadata, screenshots, age ratings, build association, encryption compliance, pricing, and URL configuration—from the command line. This article documents the procedure in a reproducible way. Note: As of March 2026, “App Privacy” (data usage declarations) cannot be configured via API and must be set through the App Store Connect web interface. Prerequisites Enrolled in the Apple Developer Program API key issued in App Store Connect Bundle ID registered A build archived and uploaded via Xcode (can be uploaded with xcodebuild -exportArchive) Python 3 + PyJWT + cryptography installed pip install PyJWT cryptography 1. Preparing the API Key 1.1 Issuing an API Key Go to App Store Connect → Users and Access → Integrations → App Store Connect API and generate a new key. ...

March 5, 2026 · 11 min · Nakamura