iOS – App Updates That Don’t Require App Store Submission

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Some apps, I've noticed that developers are able to update their software without submitting them to the App Store.

For example, Game of War will occasionally tell you that an update is available and to restart your device. You can then watch the progress bar carefully and see that updates are being pushed to the app.

I'm assuming they are using XML to change certain attributes and their location on the server. That's a guess but I don't know. They are able to make significant feature changes to the game, like adding hyperlinks to map locations, push sales promotions, add certain events etc. These methods don't require compilation, as that would obviously require resubmitting the app.

What technologies allow this? Are they all server side changes with XML objects being updated on the client? What is apple's policy in the developer terms?

Best Answer

Apple now explicitly allows interpretted code like Javascript to be 'Hot Code Pushed' to a device without an update.

3.3.2 An Application may not download or install executable code. Interpreted code may only be used in an Application if all scripts, code and interpreters are packaged in the Application and not downloaded. The only exception to the foregoing is scripts and code downloaded and run by Apple's built-in WebKit framework, provided that such scripts and code do not change the primary purpose of the Application by providing features or functionality that are inconsistent with the intended and advertised purpose of the Application as submitted to the App Store.

See here: Apple Allows Hot Code Push - Meteor

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