Newsstand

About Newsstand

Newsstand can be enabled for new and existing apps in iTunes Connect. After a version of your app that is enabled for Newsstand is approved and ready for sale, the app remains a Newsstand app. Newsstand cannot be disabled for it.

The Newsstand metadata you set up in iTunes Connect is displayed on the App Store only. The app itself is still responsible for delivering content to users. For information on using the Newsstand Kit framework, refer to Newsstand Kit Framework Reference.

To submit a Newsstand app, your app must be enabled for Newsstand and offer at least one free or auto-renewable In-App Purchase subscription. The Info.plist file of the associated binary must include the setting UINewsstandApp=true. In addition, the UINewsstandIcon attribute must be included in the CFBundleIcons key.

Enabling Newsstand

You can enable your app for Newsstand from the app summary page for an app by clicking Newsstand.

For the Newsstand button to appear on the app summary page, your app must be in a pre-binary upload state:

• Prepare for Upload

• Rejected

• Developer Rejected

• Invalid Binary

• Waiting for Upload

The Newsstand button does not appear on the app summary page for existing apps until a new version is created and that new version is in a pre-binary upload state.

When you click Newsstand from the app summary page, you are taken to the Manage Newsstand page. To enable your app for Newsstand, click Enable.

A lightbox is displayed, asking you to provide default cover art for your app. If you do not provide issue art or there are no issues available for your app on a given date, the default cover art is used to represent your app on the App Store. The cover art must be a .png file, at least 72 dpi, having a minimum of 1024 pixels on the long edge an aspect ratio between 1:2 and 2:1. The artwork must be flat, with no rounded corners. See “Newsstand Icons” in iOS Human Interface Guidelines for more information.

To complete enabling your app for Newsstand, click Save.

Managing Newsstand

After you have enabled your app for Newsstand, you can manage Newsstand from the app summary page for your app by clicking Newsstand.

The Manage Newsstand page allows you to set up and edit issues for your app. Using issues, you can communicate information to users about the content of your app’s most current issue. The issue-related information you enter is displayed only on the App Store. The published date should correspond to the date when the issue will be available within the app itself.

To add an issue, click Add Issue.

For each issue you add, make sure the following fields are filled in:

• Published Date. The date this issue will be available on the App Store (it will be displayed at the beginning of the day).

• End Date (optional). The date this issue will be removed from the App Store (it will be removed at the beginning of the day). For example, a special one-day issue would not be added and removed on the same date. Rather, it would be removed at the beginning of the next day.

• Issue ID. An internal identifier that will not be visible on the App Store.

• Summary. A summary of the issue that will be seen by customers on the App Store. The summary can be no longer than 2000 bytes.

• Issue Cover Art. The cover art to be displayed on the App Store while this issue is current. The cover art must be a .png file, at least 72 dpi, having a minimum of 1024 pixels on the long edge and an aspect ratio between 1:2 and 2:1. The artwork must be flat, with no rounded corners. If you do not add issue cover art, your Newsstand default cover art is displayed on the App Store for that version.

After you have provided all of the necessary information for an issue, click Save.

You may now add another issue by clicking Add Issue, or if you are finished adding issues, click Done.

If you need to delete or modify issues, do so from the Issues table.

Updating Issues Automatically

If you want to automate the management of issues, you can provide an atom feed URL to automatically update issues for the App Store. To do so, click the Add Atom Feed button from the Manage Newsstand page.

Provide the atom feed URL, user name, and password, if necessary, and click Save. iTunes Connect automatically validates the atom feed URL. The feed at the URL provided is processed once a day, and any new information is imported automatically.

If iTunes Connect experiences issues with your atom feed at any time, an email notification will be sent to admin and technical users for your developer account.

For more information, refer to the Newsstand Atom Feed Specification.