Cupertino opens up app submissions for the new Apple TV
When you place your order on Monday, Oct. 26 for your new Apple TV, you can do so comfortable in the knowledge that there should be apps available for you to download to it. According to MacRumors, Apple has issued an invitation for developers to begin submitting their tvOS games and other programs for App Store review.
The app review process generally takes a bit of time, so allowing developers to submit their software now provides a bit more than a week of lead time for approval on the new platform before customers get the new Apple TV in their living rooms. We also saw updates to iOS and watchOS on Wednesday, Oct. 21, as well the golden master of tvOS for developers to use in putting the finishing touches on their apps.
With the invitation to developers, Apple has also released a new overview that provides programmers with an idea of what they need to do to make sure their tvOS apps are ready for the big screen. Cupertino reminds developers to use the latest version of the tvOS Software Development Kit, points them to Xcode 7.1, and reminds them that their apps cannot be more than 200 MB in the main bundle. Apps are allowed up to 20 GB of additional content that is downloaded on demand as users need it. The page also explains that developers should optimize their design and images for the big screen, and remember to leverage the capabilities of the new Apple TV remote.
In typical Apple fashion, there are also directions on the requirements for App Store product pages, including tips on naming programs, icons, descriptions, keywords, screenshots, and universal purchases to support both iOS and tvOS.
I can’t wait to see what kind of apps make their way to the new Apple TV. Cupertino has stated that the future of television is in apps, so let’s see what developers can come up with.