We have a suite of travel apps, branded as Trip Boss XYZ (see the sidebar), that required updating to work on iOS 11. We almost got them updated in time, perhaps a week behind the release, but now some have been delayed by Apple through rejection in the review process. These apps are heavy on the customer data, so we wanted to get them into compliance and released before our customers deleted them (which deletes all the data) in frustration. Some customers have contacted us and we have provided guidance, but many of the thousands of customers are impossible to contact, since we have no method provided to us as developers. So the delays, potential impasse (it’s very possible!) will leave our customers with potential losses of cherished travel memories and invaluable travel information that some of compiled for over seven years. This post will explain the status of the app rejections and review board appeal, and provide two paths to resolution for our customers (all hope is not lost). The choice of time, work, and/or cost is involved. Unfortunately, we cannot offer any more of a solution at this time. Our hands are tied by the review process.
We have a suite of travel apps, branded as Trip Boss XYZ (see the sidebar), that required updating to work on iOS 11. We almost got them updated in time, perhaps a week behind the release, but now some have been delayed by Apple through rejection in the review process. These apps are heavy on the customer data, so we wanted to get them into compliance and released before our customers deleted them (which deletes all the data) in frustration. Some customers have contacted us and we have provided guidance, but many of the thousands of customers are impossible to contact, since we have no method provided to us as developers. So the delays, potential impasse (it’s very possible!) will leave our customers with potential losses of cherished travel memories and invaluable travel information that some of compiled for over seven years. This post will explain the status of the app rejections and review board appeal, and provide two paths to resolution for our customers (all hope is not lost). The choice of time, work, and/or cost is involved. Unfortunately, we cannot offer any more of a solution at this time. Our hands are tied by the review process.
iOS11 and 64-bit
When iOS11 released, a lot of apps broke. Apple warned customers by flashing a cringeworthy information alert every so often. iOS 11 requires 64 bit architecture, so it breaks a lot of apps. Some of us smaller developers had working apps, through many iOS updates, mainly because we played by the rules and didn’t try to do things non-standard. We were working on a huge update to our iPad Recipe Manager app, so we did not update Trip Boss for quite a while. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Especially when you have more limited resources.
The update to comply for 64 bit architecture is a long process, especially for the complex Trip Boss apps. (All other apps had been updated earlier, just Trip Boss was left.) After releasing our Recipe Manager update, we set to updating all the Trip Boss travel apps. We hit a few snags in testing (the separate apps are complex, and have many screens, which resulted in a much longer debug time than expected). Debug time is not an exact science. We finally got the apps updated about a week after iOS11 was released (we had been burning the midnight oil by this point).
Two Apps Approved, Two Apps Rejected
At this time, Trip Boss travel manager (the combo, “Pro” app) has been released. In addition, the journal version, renamed Trip Boss Travel Journal, has also been released. Expense and Itinerary are rejected mostly because of similar content to Trip Boss travel manager, but they are the Basic versions, so we feel our app biz model has been misunderstood (Basic/Pro). We should be speaking to Apple over the phone in the next week or so; we are just waiting for them to set up the call. We hope to stress that these apps are heavy in customer data and not updating them could potentially result in customer data loss. In our opinion, that is the worst thing for our customers.
If you do not know which app you have, and if yours is released or rejected, the easiest way is by the icon:
The first icon is Trip Boss travel manager (approved)
The second icon is Trip Boss Expense Manager (formerly named Trip Boss Expense & Budget travel manager) (rejected)
The third icon is Trip Boss Itinerary Manager (formerly named Trip Boss Itinerary travel manager) (rejected)
The fourth icon is Trip Boss Travel Journal (formerly named Journal for Trip Boss) (approved)
Interim Options Until Approval Resolution
In the meantime, the good news is that all the apps have been designed so that the trips database file is interchangeable and can be moved via iTunes File Sharing. (Also a great way to create a backup!)
If you own the Expense & Budget version, or the Itinerary version, at the moment, you have two choices, if you want to still use the app, and maintain your data. One option requires time, one requires money. We’re sorry we can’t offer anything better right now. Apple is a big company and things take time. But we are hopefully making progress.
What you can do so that you do not lose your data:
1) If you are patient, DO NOT delete the app off your device. Use iTunes File Sharing to save a backup copy of the trips database to your computer if you have not already done so. You can do this even if you’ve updated to iOS11 already and your TB app is no longer functional. Here’s a tutorial from Apple on using File Sharing: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4094 Contact us for help, as needed. Then wait for us to resolve the issues with Apple.
2) If you are less patient, and don’t mind supporting us, you can purchase Trip Boss travel manager. This app includes both Expense & Itinerary (with an option to add Journal IAP). It has been updated to iOS11 and released by Apple onto the AppStore. Then use iTunes File Sharing to copy the trips database from the old temporarily dysfunctional app to the new app. Please contact us if you have any trouble with the transfer.
Thank you
We really appreciate your patience in all this. We have been unable yet to convince Apple that the Basic apps, the Expense app & the Itinerary app, are separate apps from the Pro (the combo app), not just “re-skinned” with different content. Evidently “features” and “content” are the same thing, so considered spam. We are appealing this.
But we know your data is important. So we are trying to find a solution for you. We regret we are unable to provide a simple solution. Our hope is that we can convince Apple that customer data over the past seven years is important, and that we can our keep our Basic/Pro business model intact.
UPDATE!
Finally we were able to work things out with Apple and Trip Boss Expense and Trip Boss Itinerary have been updated for iOS11 and released to the AppStore. Thank you for your patience!
