Plans to publish the ios app on appstore?

[vordenken]

I think CoronaTracker is in a really usable state right now, would love to see it on the appstore.
I know that Apple put a few restrictions on those type of apps a few days/weeks ago, but the fact that this one is using the data from CSSE at the JHU might be a point?

[mhdhejazi]

I tried submitting the app before but it got rejected as expected. Apple is requiring the publisher to be a "governmental entity, hospital, insurance company, non-governmental organization, or university".

[vordenken]

Oh okay, sad to hear that.
What about contacting the CSSE and tell them about your app? Maybe they are willing to cooperate with you and publish this app.

[jonas4climate]

Has there been contact with the CSSE (though I can imagine they are currently difficult to reach ) or any update or feedback from institutions/unis? Could a different university allow publication of the app or does it need to be the JHU given their data is used? I'm a student at the University of Birmingham (UK), I could offer trying to get in contact to see if they can help with publication.

[mhdhejazi]

I've contacted CSSE before but got no reply. I'm fine with any well-known university or organization publishing the app, and I'll be glad if the University of Birmingham is interested. Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[jonas4climate]

I sent an email to the University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science (where I study). They might not be available for a week now due to easter vacations, I will let you know once I get something back.

[rbottoms]

I'm working forking the app to add a news feed. Have you tried submitting as a News & Information app? Only medical organization can submit Medical apps, news & entertainment apps have a different standard.

[rbottoms]

I finally had a chance to look at the CCSE Johns Hopkins Dashboard, your app really improves on the concept and the real time updating is great. Stick it under the News category so you can get it approved and into the AppStore ASAP. People could really benefit from this app.

[octopuserectus]

Any chance for a prebuilt .ipa so we can sideload? @mhdhejazi

[kimptoc]

I guess TestFlight is out of the question :P

[mhdhejazi]

@rbottoms I highly suspect changing the category or adding news will make any difference. Apple made it very clear:

Communities around the world are depending on apps to be credible news sources — helping users understand the latest health innovations, find out where they can get help if needed or provide assistance to their neighbors.

To help fulfill these expectations, we're evaluating apps critically to ensure data sources are reputable and that developers presenting these apps are from recognized entities such as government organizations, health-focused NGOs, companies deeply credentialed in health issues, and medical or educational institutions. Only developers from one of these recognized entities should submit an app related to COVID-19. Entertainment or game apps with COVID-19 as their theme will not be allowed.

@kimptoc Yeah, the same rules apply there too.

@octopuserectus There is a deb package made by @an20olives for jailbroken devices. Check it from here: https://github.com/an20olives/CoronaTracker/releases

[rbottoms]

I tried submitting the app before but it got rejected as expected. Apple is requiring the publisher to be a "governmental entity, hospital, insurance company, non-governmental organization, or university".

What a waste. I get why, just common sense they ought to work with you. I see the value in plugging other data into it tracking everything from police shootings to voter suppression in real time. The JH dashboard gets a lot of press but your system is much more fluid.

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Separate question, I tried Archiving for AdHoc testing of my changes but the dynamic libraries are a problem. I’ve got another developer looking in to it. Is it just a matter of settings, or refactoring the charting libs to Static?

[jonas4climate]

Update: I heard back from my uni, they forwarded me to the public affairs team as the School of Computer Science doesn’t have the authority to do this. Will keep you posted on how that goes.

[mhdhejazi]

@rbottoms Make sure you're using the latest Xcode. If it doesn't work, open a new issue and post the error message please.

[mhdhejazi]

@j0ner0n Thank you for the follow-up, I really appreciate that 👍