The custom B2B app is distributed using redemption code sent as invitation link to the customer's email. The customer redeems the code and app is installed. We sent for an update but the customer is not able to see the app in the App Store or purchase list. The customer is not able to update the app. How can a customer update custom B2B apps redeemed through redemption codes?
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1According to [this](https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2012/311/) (admittedly very old) WWDC session, updates should appear in the App Store "updates" list once the new version is approved by the store. You won't be able to see the app in the purchase history or app store search however. I believe that code redemption is a deprecated distribution method and that MDM is best-practice. For my B2B app, the MDM just pushes the new version when an update is available. – Paulw11 Oct 23 '18 at 06:28
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@Paulw11 I researched and also tried some MDM solutions but it is not a desirable solution for the customers and since they use their personal device, they are quite reluctant about the control of their app remotely. Correspondence with apple is slow and they are too looking into the issue. However, we have devised a temporary solution to update the app until we find a better resolution from Apple. – prex Nov 20 '18 at 09:05
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Have you received any response from Apple? – SmoggeR_js Jan 02 '19 at 11:16
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@MtgKhaJeskai: We didn't. Since the update was very urgent, we again published the app publicly so users could update immediately. Now we are gradually devising a solution for transitioning to container app. – prex Jan 02 '19 at 11:34
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I have been sharing calls with Apple but all they send me is "we are working on it, we will notify you when we found any solution". Its absurd, specially when they was who "obligated" me to change my app distribution to B2B. I hope they fix it soon. Thanks a lot for the feedback. – SmoggeR_js Jan 02 '19 at 13:14
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@MtgKhaJeskai that was the exact conversation we had and we waited long enough. Please do share after your problem is resolved! – prex Jan 02 '19 at 15:11
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I'm sad to hear it. Yes I will. – SmoggeR_js Jan 02 '19 at 15:13
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@MtgKhaJeskai I just communicated with my team and found out that Apple sent an email saying the issue has been fixed but then we had already published app publicly in App Store so I cannot verify it. Hope they will reply you soon! – prex Jan 03 '19 at 07:21
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For the moment, my App hasn't received an update yet. The problem should be something with the update distribution. If I redeem a old code (understanding an old code as the codes I created before the update) the code will install the latest version updated. But if I already installed the old version when the updated didn't exists, it won't be updated, it suppose that in the App Store should appear an Update for that App but I doesn't. – SmoggeR_js Jan 03 '19 at 08:19
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@MtgKhaJeskai Yes, we had same problem. If we had old version app installed, there was no way to update app through App Store. Instead we had to send a redemption code again through email so that user could update the app. But this was very tedious indeed! – prex Jan 03 '19 at 08:47
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I understand you. I cannot send to all my 10000 users a redeem code each time I update the App. – SmoggeR_js Jan 03 '19 at 09:16
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1@MtgKhaJeskai: Exactly :( – prex Jan 03 '19 at 10:51
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Do your application is free or do your users have to pay for it to access to it? My application is free and maybe this could be an important part of the story. – SmoggeR_js Jan 03 '19 at 13:58
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@MtgKhaJeskai: Same here, the application is solely for the employees of an organization and its is totally free! – prex Jan 03 '19 at 15:39
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Ok, then we have another thing in common. – SmoggeR_js Jan 03 '19 at 15:39
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Have they responded you yet? I have not news about them, this seems a joke.. – SmoggeR_js Jan 08 '19 at 08:59
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1@MtgKhaJeskai we did but took long.. more than 2 months and we had already switched from B2B to public AppStore distribution. – prex Jan 08 '19 at 09:36
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Wow that was a bad new... I can't switch to public App Store due to the Apple's policies.. :( – SmoggeR_js Jan 08 '19 at 10:06
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@prekshyabasnet , I'm facing with the same issue and I asked myself about how did you reach to revert your rejected app to be able in the App Store. – SmoggeR_js Jan 16 '19 at 16:02
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@MtgKhaJeskai Our app was not rejected. It was not published then. We had other similar app just differing with themes already published. Since we found out the unpublished app would not comply with Apple’s design guidelines, we decided to publish it through B2B. And thus issues unfolded. We decided to publish B2B because we had more upcoming similar apps to publish. – prex Jan 16 '19 at 16:27
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@prekshyabasnet Oh, I understand. Then thanks a lot for the response, I hope I could get a response from Apple. – SmoggeR_js Jan 17 '19 at 09:13
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@MtgKhaJeskai We have the same problem here. Free app, which can't be switched to public. It seems that the update was delivered to some single devices, but the most won't get the update. Do you have received any feedback from apple yet? – Lars P. Jun 13 '19 at 12:02
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1Hi @LarsP. When I had that problem I had to contact with Apple to tell them the problem I was facing. They told us that was an internal Apple problem and they would notify me when the error would be resolved. Probably you will have to contact with Apple to explain your problem and they would tell you what to do. Greetings! – SmoggeR_js Jun 13 '19 at 12:44