Apple is one of the companies that are adjusting their schedules due to the coronavirus outbreak, and today the company announced a new deadline for app updates that would provide devs with more time to align with the iOS 13 and watchOS 6 requirements.
The new deadline is June 30, and Apple explains that by that time, all apps for iPhone and iPad must be built with the iOS 13 SDK or later and use an Xcode storyboard for the launch screen.
Furthermore, Apple says that it’s mandatory for all developers to update their iPhone and iPad updates to support all screens of these devices. And of course, the same thing for the Apple Watch, as apps developed for the smartwatch must be built with the watchOS 6 SDK.
There are also new requirements for apps that authenticate or use options to create new accounts. Apple explains that all these apps must support Sing in with Apple, according to the guideline 4.8 of the App Store Review Guidelines.
The COVID-19 impact
There are new guidelines for developers building apps in the Kids category or those relying on HTML 5, and Apple recommends everyone to read the new App Store Review Guidelines to make sure they comply with everything and the app isn’t rejected when submitted for listing.
“We greatly value the worldwide developer community, and appreciate your commitment to making a difference in people’s lives through the power of technology. To accommodate developers who may need additional time to update their existing apps on the App Store, the deadline for adhering to the requirements below has been extended to June 30, 2020,” Apple says.
The Cupertino-based tech giant is one of the companies struggling to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Apple has already canceled the physical WWDC conference, moving instead to an online-only event, with all sessions to be live-streamed on its website.
https://news.softpedia.com/news/apple-gives-developers-more-time-to-meet-ios-13-watchos-6-requirements-529582.shtml
