Apple Will No Longer Approve Apps Using Unique Device Identifier (UDID) Beginning May 1, Must Also Support iPhone 5 and Retina Display

[MacRumors]

Apple has informed app developers that it will no longer allow apps to use the unique device identifier or UDID after May 1, according to a post on Apple's developer website.

Instead, Apple requests developers use the new 'Vendor or Advertising identifiers' that were introduced in iOS 6. Developers will also be required to support both the Retina display and the iPhone 5's 4-inch display, beginning on May 1.

Using Identifiers in Your Apps
March 21, 2013

Starting May 1, the App Store will no longer accept new apps or app updates that access UDIDs. Please update your apps and servers to associate users with the Vendor or Advertising identifiers introduced in iOS 6. You can find more details in the UIDevice Class Reference.

Make Your Apps Look Great on the Retina Display and iPhone 5
March 21, 2013

Starting May 1, new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store must be built for iOS devices with Retina display and iPhone apps must also support the 4-inch display on iPhone 5. Learn about preparing your apps by reviewing the iOS Human Interface Guidelines.

Apple announced in 2011 that it would be phasing out developer access to UDID's, and instead create a non-identifying marker for advertisers to use. A year ago, it was reported that Apple began quietly rejecting apps for the use of the UDID, but this public announcement suggests Apple has gotten more serious about shutting down use of the identifier.

Apple had been under increased pressure to change how the UDID works due to the privacy implications of a developer knowing which particular iOS device is being used to access their app. Apple and several app developers were sued over the use of the UDID to track users across different apps. While the UDID doesn't specifically identify a user, the sharing of UDIDs across ad networks and apps can help piece together a valuable picture of activity and interests of the user of a specific device. Apple seems to be requiring apps to generate their own unique identifiers for each installation to avoid this ability to share such information across apps.

Article Link: Apple Will No Longer Approve Apps Using Unique Device Identifier (UDID) Beginning May 1, Must Also Support iPhone 5 and Retina Display

[jav6454]

Finally. No more "Oh dear god, your ad chained to your UDID is different from mines" Or the targeting of ads to specific people.

[Peace]

Retina is required for IOS devices also.

Starting May 1, new apps and app updates submitted to the App Store must be built for iOS devices with Retina display and iPhone apps must also support the 4-inch display on iPhone 5.

[japanime]

Privacy trumps convenience, which is a good thing. Glad to see Apple implement this policy, even if it means a change in how developers approach their apps.

[F1 Fan]

Sounds like good news to me

[SoGood]

Good move Apple!

[troop231]

Long overdue IMO

[calisurfboy]

Why make it retina required when they still sell products without retina like ohhhhh lets say the iPad mini.......

[ccmovies]

Originally Posted by calisurfboy

Why make it retina required when they still sell products without retina like ohhhhh lets say the iPad mini.......

Or even iPad 2.

[boshii]

Originally Posted by calisurfboy

Why make it retina required when they still sell products without retina like ohhhhh lets say the iPad mini.......

Not sure if serious.

[Moonjumper]

Originally Posted by calisurfboy

Why make it retina required when they still sell products without retina like ohhhhh lets say the iPad mini.......

Because they do sell retina devices. It is not excluding non-retina devices, it is just making sure that all the retina devices are supported in all new apps or updates.

[cousin itt]

So, what does it mean to "support" retina resolution? Don't all apps already support this? Or, are they saying that all apps must RUN at retina resolution? Because, if so, that's going to cause a lot of problems for video games, which will have to cut back drastically on graphical detail/effects if they must run at full resolution.

[needfx]

but how will they know which kind of porn apps I like? oh wait

[sdf]

Originally Posted by japanime

Privacy trumps convenience, which is a good thing. Glad to see Apple implement this policy, even if it means a change in how developers approach their apps.

As noted in the article, Apple's been doing this for a year. I'd find it hard to believe any developer in the last six months got away with using the UDID.

[MVallee]

I'm glad updated apps will be required to support iPhone 5 screens. It's been long enough and still a lot of my apps do not support the full screen, despite having been updated with other new features and fixes.

[troop231]

Originally Posted by cousin itt

So, what does it mean to "support" retina resolution? Don't all apps already support this? Or, are they saying that all apps must RUN at retina resolution? Because, if so, that's going to cause a lot of problems for video games, which will have to cut back drastically on graphical detail/effects if they must run at full resolution.

It "basically" means that all image resources in the app will need another set of images which have 4x the pixels for devices that have Retina displays.

Ex: iPhone 3GS and lower, iPad 2, mini, and lower would use an image asset named: Image1.png which is 20 px x 20 px

iPhone 4 and up would look for an image asset named: Image1@2x.png which is 40 px x 40 px.

[alexander25]

About ****ing time!!! Rogers and TD bank here in Canada need to get their chit together.

The apps are being updated for "bug fixes" but not the new displays. Both those apps are running at the 3GS resolution still. Smh

[ijohn.8.80]

Wonder what this means for Google Now getting iOS approval, particularly in regard of UDID, when they get around to submitting it that is?

[MatthaiosSaraj]

Originally Posted by F1 Fan

iPhone 4S 32GB :: A slow and unstable Windows laptop whose survival to the end of each day is only due to my self-control!

off topic
like youre signature. precisely describes my situation 2 months ago. Now thankfully i have shiny new imac insted of hot jet engine called hp laptop runing console os

[pubwvj]

Please update your apps and servers to associate users with the Vendor or Advertising identifiers introduced in iOS 6.

So what Apple is doing is making it so that all Apps that are new or get updated will no longer work with older devices that don't support iOS6. Of course, Apple controls what devices get iOS6. This is Apple's way of trying to force people to upgrade their hardware. Apple is being both greedy and very not green. What a bad Apple.

[Nermal]

What happens if an app is running on iOS 5 or earlier, and it tries to access one of the new identifiers?

Edit: pubwvj posted while I was typing that; indeed I too am wondering whether this has an effect of killing off support for older devices.

[Radio]

Where is that guy that complained about being followed with google apps?

[sdf]

Originally Posted by pubwvj

So what Apple is doing is making it so that all Apps that are new or get updated will no longer work with older devices that don't support iOS6. Of course, Apple controls what devices get iOS6. This is Apple's way of trying to force people to upgrade their hardware. Apple is being both greedy and very not green. What a bad Apple.

Developers who need to support iOS 5 can generate their own identifier using Core Foundation (CFUUIDCreate and CFUUIDCreateString) and persist it across sessions using NSUserDefaults.

[Moonjumper]

Originally Posted by cousin itt

So, what does it mean to "support" retina resolution? Don't all apps already support this? Or, are they saying that all apps must RUN at retina resolution? Because, if so, that's going to cause a lot of problems for video games, which will have to cut back drastically on graphical detail/effects if they must run at full resolution.

It is referring to the iPhone 5 in particular. Apps from before it was released run in an iPhone 4 sized window. Developers will no longer be allowed to submit apps that do not support the 16:9 screen ratio.

[Nermal]

Originally Posted by sdf

Developers who need to support iOS 5 can generate their own identifier using Core Foundation (CFUUIDCreate and CFUUIDCreateString) and persist it across sessions using NSUserDefault.

Thanks, that assuages my fears for the moment