Setting up a new Aiir mobile app

This guide walks you through the steps required to a new mobile app with Aiir, including moving an existing app from another provider.

If you're only setting up an iOS or Android app and not both, please disregard instructions relating to the other platform.

1️⃣ Register for app store developer accounts

Publishing iOS and Android apps requires membership of Apple and Google's respective developer programs.

If your organization already has its own developer accounts you can skip ahead to the next section.

You'll need to register for your own accounts directly and pay the applicable fees.

Apple and Google both require you to provide your DUNS number — a unique 9-digit number used to identify businesses around the world. You can search for yours on Dun & Bradstreet's website.

To release an iOS app for iPhones and iPads, you need to register with the Apple Developer Program. Enrolment costs 99 USD per year, but non-profit organizations or educational institutions can request the annual fee be waived.

To release an Android app, you need to register your own Google Play developer account. There is a one-time fee of 25 USD.

2️⃣ Invite Aiir to access your developer accounts

Apple and Google Play both allow you, as the account holder, to invite other participants to access your accounts.

You need to invite Aiir to have access so that we can create and update apps on your behalf.

3️⃣ Keep your developer accounts in good standing

Apple and Google may periodically require you to agree to updates to their terms of service.

In the case of Apple, your membership will need to be renewed annually. If you don't renew and pay the fee, your apps will be removed from the App Store.

They'll email you in both of these cases. Therefore, it's critical that the email address you use for your developer accounts is checked regularly and that you act promptly on any emails. We recommend using an inbox accessible by multiple team members or setting up a distribution list rather than using individual email accounts.

You need to keep your developer accounts in good standing so we can submit updates to your apps. If we come to submit an update and find there is an outstanding legal agreement or that your membership has expired, we won't be able to make any changes to your apps until the issue has been resolved in your developer account.

4️⃣ Customise your apps and stations in Aiir

Head to the Mobile Apps section in Aiir, tap Stations at the top and select your station to get started.

This is where you can customise the appearance of your station in the app, enter the stream URL and set up the navigation menu and home screen.

Once you're done there, head back to the list of apps and select your app.

On the first page, you need to choose if you're moving an existing app from another provider to Aiir or if you're starting from scratch with new apps.

For apps moving from other providers, we need to know a few details about the existing apps.

On the following pages, you can add stations, enter details required for the app store, create icons and splash screen images, and generate screenshots.

We'll also talk you through requesting permission from Apple to distribute CarPlay-compatible apps. This is required for new apps or updating existing ones. We cannot say how long Apple will take to grant this approval. They have been known to respond within 24 hours, but it could be longer.

You'll also need to register for Google Firebase and create a project there. This is needed for handling analytics and push notifications in your app. There's information on how to set this up on the Policies and Notifications page.

5️⃣ Prepare for submission

After customising your app and stations, the next step is to submit your app to our team for review and processing.

Head to the Mobile Apps section of Aiir, select your app and then select 'Review and Submit' from the side menu.

You'll be asked to confirm a few things, including checking that you haven't broken any of Apple or Google's rules.

This page checks if anything needs to be completed with your app and stations that would prevent us from submitting your app to the stores. If there is, you'll be notified in a yellow box and able to submit the page once you've addressed the issues listed.

Otherwise, you can submit the app, and we'll be notified if you have. We'll contact you if there are any issues - otherwise, that's all you need to do; we'll submit your apps to the stores.

Until we actively start working on your app, you're free to make any changes to your submission. Once we start processing your app, you'll no longer be able to do this. You can make changes to the Stations within your apps at any time, as this info is stored on our servers rather than hard-coded into the app to allow it to be updated instantly without submitting updates to Apple and Google.

6️⃣ Submitting to the app stores

When we submit your apps to the stores, they'll enter a queue and await Apple and Google's review. This is where they manually check over the app to ensure it meets their guidelines. Your apps won't be available in the stores until they approve.

The process can take anywhere from a day to several weeks, depending on their workload and if there are any issues or disputes.

We'll let you know if there are any problems and when the process is complete.

7️⃣ Updating apps

If you need to change any of the app store metadata, splash screen, icons, or screenshots, your apps must be re-submitted to the stores.

This is a manual task for our team, so we may charge an administration fee.