Renaming an approved iPhone app

Question

I'm looking for the best procedure to rename my app in the App Store. I have a free iPhone app that I released last year. I'm a hobbyist programmer. When I went to update it for 2012, I wanted to use the storyboard feature in 4.2, so I rewrote it. It has been approved and I have removed the original App. However, I unfortunately renamed the app differently than my original one and now I'm not getting as many downloads. I would like to correct this.

What is my best option to re-release it with the name I want? Re-submit a new app?

Answer 1

Just tried it today and it works. Make sure your app is in editable state on itunes connect. See the table here: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnect_Guide/Chapters/ChangingAppStatus.html

Once it's their a lot of the store listing information that would have been uneditable would be editable like the name. You would have to submit a new binary at the end.

Answer 2

You could reuse the App Name of the app you have deleted if you change the Default Language of the application information.

Full details here: http://hesh.am/2012/01/recovering-a-deleted-app-name-in-itunes-connect/

Answer 3

In general, if you want to change the name of an app that is on the app store, you can do that when submitting a new binary.

However, you can't reuse the name of the app that was deleted from iTunes Connect, see here, and here for more information.

Answer 4

As you said, you can rename the app when submitting a new binary which may be the easiest option.

Alternatively, you can also mail devprograms@apple.com and ask them to change the name for you. This might actually take longer though as dev support usually takes 3-4 days to reply.

Answer 5

Just submit a new version of the app and change the name in iTunes connect for the new version. Also remember to change the bundle display name in the -info.plist when building the new version.