Developers who make apps for Apple’s platforms are used to opening App Store Connect in a browser to manage their apps in the App Store. This portal provides access to edit an app’s description, screenshots, keywords, and also follow sales reports, analytics, and customer reviews. There’s also an official iOS app from Apple available in the App Store that gives access to some limited functionality.
During this year’s WWDC, Apple announced the launch of an official API for App Store Connect, to let developers create their own tools using an officially supported API rather than the hacks that were previously required. Indie developer Vadim Shpakovski announced NativeConnect, a native Mac app to access the same features offered by the web version of the portal. Today, NativeConnect is available on its website.
I’ve been using NativeConnect since its first early betas, with it you can create separate documents to manage different developer accounts and teams, or add multiple teams to a single document. The app allows bulk editing of metadata in different locales and offline editing, requiring an internet connection only when syncing content to and from Apple’s servers.
Another welcome feature is the ability to generate promotional codes for your apps right from within the app’s sidebar, a process that would previously require manually logging in on the web and going through several menus. In-app purchase promocodes are not supported yet, but the developer has promised it’s a top priority to get those implemented.
The stats page shows a summary of the app’s ratings, with a panel showing the latest downloads, revenue, in-app purchase and refunds stats, the date range for which can be customized. A separate tab can be used to browse through customer reviews, filtering by territory, app version, and star rating. Responding to reviews is also supported.
Overall, NativeConnect is a really welcome tool for any Apple developer. It streamlines many workflows that would previously require going through the web interface. NativeConnect is available for free on its official website. The free version offers read-only access to all data and requires a subscription to push data to App Store Connect.
