iTunes Connect Availability Date vs. Release Date Explained
WARNING!
— Information below is outdated and kept here for SEO —
When we submit our first app to the iTunes Connect, one of the most confusing things was understanding the difference between Availability Date and Release Date. There are many discussions about that topic and some of them thinks that as a “BUG” but in reality there is no bug, that’s just how it works. To get listed on top of the “New Releases” there is no need to set Availability Date in the future and change it back to same as the Release Date once it’s released. Once you understand the connection between two, all should be clear.
Availability Date
You may initially set that date while creating your app record in iTunes Connect for the first time, it’s also editable after that even if your app is live… By default, it’s set to the date of your app record creation. Or you may set it to a different date in future.
Release Date
Simply, you have no control over this. When your app passes the review and it’s status becomes “Ready for Sale” your app is “released” by Apple at that date.
So, how those really works?
First rule is, only when the current date (today) is greater than the both, your app becomes visible on the AppStore. in other words, your app must be both “released” by Apple and “made available” by you. Otherwise, it won’t be listed anywhere.
You can use Availability Date to make your app appear on the store on a specific date. For example, if you are planning a marketing campaign and want your app to be available on a specific date but not before that, you can use that to make that happen. Only if your app is released by Apple prior to that date of course…
But there is one downside of doing that, you’ll miss the opportunity to getting listed on top of the “New Releases” section of your app categories.
If you want to be listed on top of the “New Releases’ simply do not change the Availability Date when setting up your app.
Some Examples
Let’s say the App is created on January 1st, you didn’t change the Availability Date so it is also January 1st. And let’s suppose your app waited a week for the review and released by apple at January 8th, which is also the Release Date. Outcome: Your app will be available on the App Store at January 8th and will be listed on top of the New Releases list…
Let’s say the App is created on January 1st, but you DID change the Availability Date to match your marketing release, so let’s say it is January 15th. And let’s suppose your app waited a week for the review and released by apple at January 8th, which is also the Release Date. Outcome: Your app will be available on the App Store at January 15th but it won’t be listed on top of the “New Releases”. It will be still listed, but among the apps released about a week ago, few pages back…
So there is no “BUG”, no need for hacks or fixes…
In Short
If you do not need a synchronised release with your marketing, do not change the “Availability Date” or if you do, make sure to set it to a date before Apple’s “Release Date”. You’ll get full possible exposure on “New Releases” list of your app categories.
What you’re saying doesn’t match my experience. The ‘Date Released’ listed for my app, which has already been approved, matches a date in the future that I chose to make it available. The Apple documentation states: “After your app is approved, you can set the date when it is available to customers.”
What is strange, however, is that, although my app is clearly not yet available, when I changed the release date to a different date in the future, it warned me that I was changing the date for an app that was ‘live’. Also, when I click the “view in app store link”, it says the app is not available in the UK, but is in the US. I then go to the US store, but it is not available there, either (as it shouldn’t be).
Apple clearly has not worked out all the kinks in this process.
Hi! Thanks for this info, it’s really helpful. I have a question- if I set my “Available Date” to a date in the future and my app is approved before that date, what time of day does it go live? If for example, it’s set to be available on February 8, 2013, will it go live at 12:01am on Feb 8th? Once my app is approved, can I change the available date and release the app myself at 5pm on Feb 8th?
Thanks for any tips!
Hi,
Any update from your newly released app? Basically I would like an update on what Brandon said.
No sorry, not yet. We’re still working on it and estimated release will be at the end of January…
This is not what I have seen with my app releases. When creating the app record I set the date way in the future, not knowing how long it will take to complete or be reviewed. When the app is approved I then strategically pick a day that makes sense to release it and get the most exposure. Usually a Thur, Fri or Sat tend to work best, and if you can schedule it around a PR or some marketing that helps. I see my app in the new releases section for the day I release it regardless of when it was approved. If you let it go live as soon as its approved you are cutting yourself short in my opinion. You may only get a few hours on the new releases section depending on what time of day it was approved and how long apples caching takes. Did you get this info from Apple or from your own testing?
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for your input. Information the post is based on my own experience but our last “new app” release was few months ago, so things might have been changed.
Our new app will have an specific date release after the approval, that’ll be my chance to test it again. I’ll update the post with the results…
Good news – it is on page one of the new releases for games category! Phew!
Ah great to hear that! :) Best of luck with sales…
My game Button Board was approved today and now is in the app store. No sign of it in the new release list yet:(
As far as know those kind of changes (app updates, etc.) are not happening live at the App Store, it needs to refresh it’s cache. As both dates are set to today, it should show up fairly soon…
My app Button Board is in review state now (19 September 2012) so I have set the Availabilty date to this same date and will leave it at this date. I am therefore hoping if the app is approved today it will appear in the new release list today. And likewise if it is approved tomorrow it will appear at the top of the new release list tomorrow. Still not 100% sure if this is the correct way to go about this but I will soon find out:)
Thanks – this is really useful information as I have been trying to confirm what the current situation is with regarding setting the availability date to ensure my app appears in the new release list. There seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there but what you have stated matches my previous experiences.