A new update from Apple enables developers to make their new apps available for pre-order on the App Store. This new feature will allow customers to view and order the app even before it is available for download. Users will be notified once the app is released and it will get automatically downloaded onto their devices. Payment for paid apps will be charged to the user once the app is available for download.
Super Mario Run was the first app to avail this feature, back in 2016, when the game was available for pre-order prior to the official release, but until now, this feature was available to select developers only. The official rollout, on Tuesday, means that all developers will now be able to take advantage of the feature.
To make their app available for pre-order, developers need to go to the homepage of iTunes Connect. They will now see a new pre-order option under the Pricing and Availability tab on the left side of their app's page. Before choosing a date of release, developers need to keep in mind that the release date must be at least two days in the future, but no more than 90 days in the future. You can find out more details on Apple's website.
If the developer changes the price of the app during the pre-order period, customers will be charged the price that is lower - the price they accepted for pre-order or the price on the day of release. The new feature is currently only available for all new, unreleased apps and not for existing apps, which means updates to apps cannot be pre-ordered.
Apple has also released new data for pre-orders in their Sales and Trends report. Developers will be able to track the performance of their pre-orders, enabling them to make pricing and availability decisions accordingly.
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