In order to keep your iOS app up to date and published in the App Store, it is essential to stay up to date with Apple's policies and agreements as well as to keep your Apple Developer Membership active.
Please remember that:
Failing to accept Apple’s latest terms and conditions
Letting your Apple Developer Membership expire
Can lead to various critical issues - from Flipdish being unable to provide your app with new features, bug fixes and stability updates - to the app being unpublished from the App Store by Apple.
How to accept latest Terms and Conditions
Apple periodically updates its Apple Developer License Agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions for using their developer tools and services. If you have received a notification about an updated license agreement, this helpdesk article will guide you through the process of accepting the updated agreement.
When accessing the portal, you can check for the latest agreements here:
Step 1: Accessing the Agreement
Open a web browser on your computer and go to the Apple Developer website (developer.apple.com).
Sign in to your Apple Developer account using your credentials.
Step 2: Navigating to the License Agreement
Once you are logged in, you will be redirected to the Apple Developer homepage.
In the top navigation menu, click on 'Account'
On the Account page, scroll down to the 'Agreements' section
Step 3: Reviewing the Updated Agreement
On the License Agreements page, you will see a list of available agreements.
Locate the updated agreement that requires your acceptance.
Click on the agreement title to review its content.
Take your time to read the agreement thoroughly, ensuring you understand the terms and conditions.
Step 4: Accepting the Agreement
After reviewing the agreement, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
You will find a checkbox labeled 'I have read and agree to the terms above.'
Tick the checkbox to indicate your acceptance of the agreement.
Some agreements may require you to provide your name or company name for verification purposes. Enter the required information if prompted.
Click the 'Submit' or 'Accept' button to finalise your acceptance.
The agreement may look similar to the below:
Conclusion: By following the steps outlined above, you can easily accept Apple's updated Apple Developer License Agreement. Remember, it is crucial to stay informed about the terms and conditions to ensure compliance with Apple's guidelines. Regularly reviewing and accepting updated agreements will help you maintain a seamless developer experience within the Apple ecosystem, and ensure that your customers will get all the latest app features.
You can also find more detail directly on Apple's website:https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-agreements/sign-and-update-agreements
How to renew your Apple Developer Membership
Active Apple Developer membership is crucial in order for the app to be visible on and downloadable from the Apple App Store. Once the membership expires - the app can no longer be viewed or downloaded by any of your clients.
First, log in to https://developer.apple.com/account with your Apple Developer Account credentials
As per Apple’s official instructions:
To renew, sign in to your account with the Apple ID you used to enroll, and click the Renew Membership button. If you renew while your membership is still active, your renewal will go into effect when your current membership expires.
If you renew after your membership expires, your renewal will activate when you complete the renewal process and any free apps you had available for download will become available again within 24 hours. Any paid apps you had available for download will become available again after you sign in to App Store Connect and accept the Paid Applications Agreement. You don’t need to resubmit your apps.
Another handy tip is to enable automatic renewal:
If you enrolled through the Apple Developer website, you can opt in to automatic membership renewal by turning on “Auto-renew” in the “Membership details” section of your account. If you’ve opted in to automatic renewal, the default credit/debit card associated with your Apple ID will be charged the annual membership fee on your expiration date. Please note that automatic renewal is only available in certain regions.
Please remember that failure to keep your Apple Developer Membership active will result in your app being unpublished by Apple
More information about the process can be found on Apple’s Support page: https://developer.apple.com/support/renewal/