icon__search

Custom Branded Church Apps Are Back!

What You Need to Know About Apple's Updated Policy

As you have probably heard, Apple has made some major changes to their App Store policy in recent months. We wrote about those changes here, and now we are writing again because Apple has since updated that policy. If you are a current Subsplash client, you can rest easy and you don’t have to bother reading the rest of this blog, as Apple’s update affects new clients only. We always want to be quick to provide you with honest and clear information about anything involving the Subsplash Platform, and this is no exception. Subsplash has been blessed to work alongside Apple over the past nine years, and we have developed a great relationship with them. This update will help us provide a full spectrum of options for any organization looking to build an app, and we are excited to share it with you.

In recent weeks, Apple has revised its App Store Review Guidelines. The original 4.2.6 App Store policy stated that “Apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected.” As of December 2017, Apple has updated the 4.2.6 policy, which now states, “Apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app’s content.” The new addendum to this policy is huge, as it allows Subsplash to continue publishing standalone custom-branded apps for clients with no deadline. We have been in close communication with Apple about this, and can confirm with you that this is indeed the case. Simply put, standalone custom apps are back!

There is one slight difference from the olden days of publishing custom apps. In order for Apple to approve your new standalone app, your organization must acquire your own Apple developer account. This simply means that if your organization is wanting to build a custom-branded app on the Subsplash Platform, then you must also use or sign up for your own developer account. But don’t fret! Subsplash makes this process simple and attainable for you. With a quick invite to your account, we’ll take care of all the app publishing details so you don’t have to worry about it. We’ve developed and published thousands of apps over the years, so we know a thing or two about the process.

So what about The Church App®? We still believe The Church App® is the future of mobile church engagement, and we will continue to build and innovate on that app. Apple’s new update simply provides us with the ability to offer churches a full spectrum of options when deciding which app solution works best for their ministry. Moving forward, Subsplash will offer churches the ability to have a presence within The Church App and build a custom-branded app. Many churches will have both! Each of these options will also include all the extra features and abilities available on the Subsplash Platform, such as Subsplash Web Tools and Subsplash Giving. We’ve built some of the most widely-used custom apps for the last nine years, and we are excited to offer you that option in conjunction with The Church App.

Do you have questions? Great, we have answers! And if we don’t, we’ll make sure we find the right answer for you. Subsplash Consultants would love to talk with you about these new updates and help you find the best solution for your organization. If you would like to learn more about the resurrection of custom-branded apps, give us a call at 206-965-8090.