Replacing Your App with a New Version

When you’re ready to distribute a new version of your app, you upload the new app binary version into the same iTunes Connect record you created for the app’s previous version. Updated versions keep the same Apple ID, iTunes Connect ID (SKU), and bundle ID as the original version. You can update the metadata used in the store for the new app version and add a description of the new version’s features. Updated app versions are available free to customers who purchased a previous version.

Adding a new version of an app is similar to adding the first version, except that you can set three additional options:

• What’s New in this Version. When adding a new version, you provide version-specific text to augment the app description in the store.
• Version Release Control. You can set a date for when the new version is available for sale, or you can trigger the release of the new version manually.
• iCloud availability. If you are updating an app for legal or usability reasons, you can indicate that you don’t want a previous version of the app to be available on iCloud.

Creating the Next App Version in iTunes Connect

You can add a new version of an app when the current version’s status is “Ready for Sale” or Developer Removed From Sale. The new app version goes through the same review process as the first version.

Note: If you find a problem with the binary whose status is “Waiting for Review” or In Review, you can reject the binary and upload a revised version of the app without starting a new version. See“Rejecting Your Binary.”

Only the team agent or users with an Admin or Technical role can add a new app version. If your user account doesn’t have the appropriate role, you don’t see the Manage Your Apps module on the iTunes Connect homepage. Contact a user in your organization with an Admin role to give you the right access. See “Viewing and Editing iTunes Connect Users.”

To add an updated version of your app

Uploading the New Binary

After you’ve prepared your iTunes Connect record for a new app version, you’re ready to upload the updated binary. There are two ways to upload your binary. Both methods produce the same results:

• Using Xcode. If you choose to use Xcode, follow the steps for submitting and shipping your app in the App Store Submission Tutorial. From inside Xcode, you associate your binary with the iTunes Connect record you created for the app and complete the upload.
• Using Application Loader. From inside iTunes Connect, follow the steps below to answer additional questions about the app, then download, install, and run Application Loader to upload the binary. You’ll be loading a .ZIP file for an iOS app or a .PKG file for a Mac app.

To begin the Ready to Upload Binary flow

When you’ve successfully completed these steps, your app version status changes to Waiting For Upload. This status allows Xcode or Application Loader to deliver the binary to iTunes Connect.

After the binary is uploaded, the new app version status is Waiting For Review. The App Summary page shows the app currently for sale with the status “Ready for Sale” and the version just added. This page will only ever show up to two app versions.

Preventing App Versions from Appearing in iCloud

You can indicate a legal or usability issue with a version of your app to make sure that the version is excluded from being pushed to existing customers on iCloud. There are two places to make this choice:

• While you are preparing a new app version to replace the problematic version
• From the bottom of the “Rights and Pricing” page for the app

If the version of your app whose status is “Ready for Sale” has a legal or usability issue, you must submit an update for the app and indicate the issue with the previous version when submitting the new version.

To disable a version of an app for availability through iCloud

If a legal dispute is resolved, you can reenable the app version to be available again on iCloud. Follow the steps in “To disable a version of an app for availability through iCloud” and change the selections.

Specifying When App Versions Are Released

When you upload a new version of an existing app, you can specify when you want to release an app version to the store by using iTunes Connect version release control.

As part of your “Ready to Upload Binary” questions, you are shown the two options for version release control:

If you choose to automatically release your app update, that app is posted to the store as soon as it’s approved by Apple (pending the availability date you have set).

If you choose to control the version’s release, your app status changes to Pending Developer Release after it’s approved by Apple, indicating that you can release it to the store when you’re ready.

To release a Pending Developer Release version to the store

You can release your app version using iTunes Connect Mobile by selecting the app version from the Manage App screen and tapping Release This Version.

Note: You can use version release control only for app updates. It’s not available for the first version of your app.

If you have an app in the Pending Developer Release state for longer than 30 days, you receive an email reminder from Apple. If you decide that you don’t want to release a Pending Developer Release version, reject your binary and submit a new one. See “Rejecting Your Binary.”