CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iphoneapp-store
Rohith Nandakumar
Rohith Nandakumar

Reputation: 11427

App store like app for ios

I need to build an Store app that can be used to install a few apps that I've developed. I'm planning to do this using in-app purchasing. i.e. the user can purchase the new apps from my store. Is this possible?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 233

Answers (6)

Alex Reynolds
Alex Reynolds

Reputation: 96974

One option is to ship your "parent" app with all the content for "children" apps, albeit encrypted. Use in-app purchasing to decrypt "children" content.

Upvotes: 0

Fabian Kreiser
Fabian Kreiser

Reputation: 8337

If your other apps just deliver new content, what you should do is build an universal app that handles all your content and then let the user download new and different content using in-app purchasing. Then you end up with an app similar to iBook, that offers different content, but the same user interface.

Upvotes: 1

Caleb
Caleb

Reputation: 125017

No, your app can't install other apps directly, but you can use an app store url to send your customers to any of your other apps in the app store. There's more info in this SO thread.

It would be a different story if you were working under the enterprise or ad hoc distribution models, in which case you could link to your apps on a web server and install them over the air. But given that you're talking about in-app purchase, it's pretty clear that you're distributing under the standard distribution model.

Upvotes: 1

hotpaw2
hotpaw2

Reputation: 70733

No. The iOS security sandbox will prohibit installing any additional apps from your app. Only apps purchased from Apple's iTunes App store can be installed on a customer's device (except for a developers own devices, and a very limited number of beta test users).

You might be able to sell access to web apps, which a user would have to manually clip as web clippings onto their device (they can't be auto installed). But Apple may or may not accept an app which sells those web clippings, so you'd might have to figure out a way to sell them from your web site.

Upvotes: 3

Alex
Alex

Reputation: 167

It would ultimately have to link to the app store to do the app downloads. In-app purchasing is just that...in your apps. You can set up a store, but if you want them to be installed as separate apps on the user's phone, you will just have to link to the app store.

Upvotes: 2

snowflakekiller
snowflakekiller

Reputation: 3568

Apple most likely won't allow it.

if you are using your "store" app to distribute full apps, instead of just additions to your store app, it DEFINITELY won't pass.

It would be circumventing their distribution system (and 30% cut) and they won't like that very much.

Upvotes: 1

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