iOS7 app backward compatible with iOS5 regarding unique identifier

Question

My app is compatible with iOS5 and iOS6. Until now I had no problem using:

NSString DeviceID = [[UIDevice currentDevice] uniqueIdentifier];

Now with iOS7 and with uniqueIdentifier not working anymore I changed to:

NSString DeviceID = [[[UIDevice currentDevice] identifierForVendor] UUIDString];

The problem is, this would not work for iOS5.

How can I achieve backward compatibility with iOS5?

I tried this, with no luck:

#if __IPHONE_OS_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED >= 60000
    // iOS 6.0 or later
    NSString DeviceID = [[[UIDevice currentDevice] identifierForVendor] UUIDString];
#else
    // iOS 5.X or earlier
    NSString DeviceID = [[UIDevice currentDevice] uniqueIdentifier];
#endif

might [openUDID](https://github.com/ylechelle/OpenUDID) be a suitable replacement for you? — Tim Bodeit, Sep 12 '13 at 16:54
openUDID is wrong answer. http://blog.appsfire.com/udid-is-dead-openudid-is-deprecated-long-live-advertisingidentifier/ — Grzegorz Krukowski, Sep 12 '13 at 17:04
You can't use compile time directives for this, you need a runtime check. — rmaddy, Sep 12 '13 at 19:32

Grzegorz Krukowski · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-12T19:15:26.327

6

The best and recommend option by Apple is:

 NSString *adId = [[[ASIdentifierManager sharedManager] advertisingIdentifier] UUIDString];

Use it for every device above 5.0.

For 5.0 you have to use uniqueIdentifier. The best to check if it's available is:

if (!NSClassFromString(@"ASIdentifierManager"))

Combining that will give you:

- (NSString *) advertisingIdentifier
{
    if (!NSClassFromString(@"ASIdentifierManager")) {
        SEL selector = NSSelectorFromString(@"uniqueIdentifier");
        if ([[UIDevice currentDevice] respondsToSelector:selector]) {
            return [[UIDevice currentDevice] performSelector:selector];
        }
        //or get macaddress here http://iosdevelopertips.com/device/determine-mac-address.html
    }
    return [[[ASIdentifierManager sharedManager] advertisingIdentifier] UUIDString];
}

edited Sep 12 '13 at 19:15

answered Sep 12 '13 at 17:03

Grzegorz Krukowski

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Thanks Grzegorz Krukowski. Still getting: "No visible @interface for 'UIDevice' declares the selector 'uniqueIdentifier'" error because Apple removed the uniqueIdentifier property from the UIDevice class. – Khaytaah Sep 12 '13 at 17:17
Ok than modify that part: return [[UIDevice currentDevice] uniqueIdentifier]; for some other UID in that case :) either generate on your own or use UUID in that case or get MACAddress - updated my answer – Grzegorz Krukowski Sep 12 '13 at 19:13
Ok I found another safer way to use respondsToSelector and performSelector - that should not raise errors. – Grzegorz Krukowski Sep 12 '13 at 19:19
Thanks Grzegorz Krukowski! – Khaytaah Sep 17 '13 at 10:11
3

Apple no longer allow the user of `ASIdentifierManager` without any advertisements in the app. You will be rejected if you use `ASIdentifierManager` without showing a banner. – rckoenes Mar 04 '14 at 11:19

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

1

Why just not to use CFUUIDRef and be independent with iOS verion?

CFUUIDRef uuidRef = CFUUIDCreate(kCFAllocatorDefault);

self.uuidString = (NSString *)CFUUIDCreateString(NULL,uuidRef);

CFRelease(uuidRef);

And of course remember calculated uuidString in the Keychain(in case of application removal)?

Here is written how to use keychain

edited May 23 '17 at 12:17

Community

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answered Sep 12 '13 at 19:30

B.S.

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score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 28 '16 at 08:59

0

As hard replacement of static macro, you can try dynamic if statement to check it.

UIDevice has property named 'systemVersion' and you can check this.

edited Sep 28 '16 at 08:59

Jagat Dave

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answered Sep 23 '13 at 07:48

youknowone

919
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14

iOS7 app backward compatible with iOS5 regarding unique identifier

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