This article will answer the most frequent questions about managing your Futuri Mobile app in the App Store and Google Play. If you have a question that's not on this list, please contact Futuri VIP Support.
- My station already has an app, but we want our Futuri Mobile app to be published as an update to the existing one. How can we do this?
- I can't find my app by searching a certain keyword in the app stores. How can I fix this?
- If my app has already been published, how can I change the info that shows up in the store listing?
- Where can I find the links to download my station's app from each app store?
- I've heard that Apple rejects "template apps." Does that affect my Futuri Mobile app?
My station already has an app, but we want our Futuri Mobile app to be published as an update to the existing one. How can we do this?
We strongly agree that your Futuri Mobile app should be a replacement for your existing app to prevent fragmenting your mobile users.
In order to do this, you will need to have your existing app(s) transferred to your own Developer Account (if they weren't already built under that account).
If your existing app is not already listed under your own Developer Account, you will need to work with the existing app's developer to transfer ownership of the app.
- How to transfer ownership of an Android app from one Google Play account to another
- How to transfer ownership of an iOS app from one Apple Developer account to another
If Futuri will be submitting your Futuri Mobile app as an update to your existing app(s), the existing app(s) will need to be transferred to your own account before Futuri starts to build the new app(s) so that we can use the same package ID as the existing app(s).
I can't find my app by searching a certain keyword in the app stores. How can I fix this?
For your iOS app, Futuri will use the keywords you submitted in your Initial App Setup form. If you want to change these, please contact Futuri VIP Support as keyword changes require us to re-submit your app to Apple for review.
Google Play does not have a "keywords" field, so users will search based on the app's Name and Description fields. A Google Play listing's Description field can be modified without re-uploading the app. To do this, log in to your Google Play developer console, open the app's page, and adjust your description as needed to contain the term(s) you want to use for searching.
NOTE: If your app has a common brand name (like KISS, Hot, or Eagle), your app may not be displayed at the top of the search results for your brand name because there will be many other apps in the store that meet the search criteria. You can improve your placement in the search results by increasing downloads and gathering positive reviews.
If my app has already been published, how can I change the info that shows up in the store listing?
For the Apple App Store, many metadata changes can be made without submitting an update. However, if you want to change the App Store Name or keywords, Futuri will need to re-submit the app to be re-reviewed by Apple. This is usually a much faster process than the initial 7-10 day app review process.
For both stores, you can log in to your developer console to make metadata changes, or you can contact Futuri VIP Support to make the changes for you.
Where can I find the links to download my station's app from each app store?
For iOS apps, you can log in to iTunes Connect and navigate to My Apps > [App Name] > View On App Store to see the app's URL.
For Google Play, you can search https://play.google.com/store/apps on a desktop/laptop computer for your app to find its URL.
Futuri VIP Support can also provide an easy-share link that will redirect users to their correct app store based on device detection (and will re-direct desktop users to a landing page on your station's site). This can be used for easy app promotion on social media and ad campaigns
I've heard that Apple rejects "template apps." Does that affect my Futuri Mobile app?
We are aware of changes occurring with the App Store, and we update each app on a regular basis – every 30-60 days. Sometimes the updates are for new features, but we also make updates to the quality of the apps regularly. For example, we update the player, load time of the app, graphics, etc. This keeps the rank of the app high in the app store.
Apple is on the hunt for apps that look like they haven’t been updated in 6+ months or that appear to crash often. They are also on the lookout for developers who "copy and paste" the same app and deployed to the App Store multiple times. One notable example is "Flappy Birds," which was posted several times in the App Store under different names.
Futuri Mobile apps have been vetted with Apple (through many app submissions and interactions with their vetting team), and since our apps are highly customized based on the station and market and are updated frequently, Futuri's apps are the type that they like to celebrate and feature. In fact, many of our apps have been featured apps of the day or apps of the week in the App Store. We've also had a number of stations show up in the top of the rankers for most downloaded entertainment apps.