Apple has allowed the release of so-called unregistered applications in the App Store. They are not suitable for public distribution for various reasons and will not be issued in the search for a store. Now they can be accessed via a direct link.Apple told about the changes on the official website for developers.
Attention was drawn to this on the MacRumors portal last Friday.
Unregistered apps have zero visibility and findability in the App Store. They are missing from categories, recommendations, charts, search results and any lists. At the same time, they can be accessed through Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager.
Now developers will be able to publish similar applications in the store and get a special direct link for their distribution. According to Apple, such products are suitable for various organizations, events, research or for internal use by employees of companies.
Thus, all scenarios of using the application by a narrow audience for specific purposes fall here. At the same time, Apple does not exclude that in the future it may expand the scope of the new functionality.
Unregistered apps will be supported in all countries where the App Store operates.
To be able to distribute your product in this way, you need to fill out a special form to get a direct link to an unregistered application. If the application has already been approved for private download to Business Manager or School Manager, you will need to change the distribution method to public, and then send a request to Apple.
Important — applications are accepted only for the final versions. The company will reject all requests for distribution of unregistered applications that are in beta or pre-release state.
Something similar has already been introduced as part of the Developer Enterprise Program. It was intended for internal testing and distribution of applications before their official review by Apple. However, as a result, some developers began to circumvent the rules of the App Store using the program, secretly releasing pirated games, gambling and porn applications in the store.
It is unclear how strict the approval process for unregistered applications will be. However, Apple immediately made it clear that they should be intended only for a narrow audience and have certain use cases.