iOS Developing an app to access a website?

[Orange Furball]

Hello, I made this app using the site TheAppBuilder.com, I knew it was a web app when I made it but figured it would only be a few dollars a month to get the full app to submit to the App Store. I'm thinking that I could make a very limited browser sort of app that accesses literally just the link to the web app, essentially making the web app a full app. After a little bit of googling I didnt find anything so I don't know if its possible.

Heres what im thinking would happen. User downloads the app from the App Store, they open the app, the app accesses the one and only link it is ever allowed to (That being the link to the web app) and then letting the user navigate the web app as they please.

Please tell me its possible!

 

[chown33]

Apple may reject an app that's nothing but a web app (website).

See here:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5478848/does-apple-reject-mobile-web-shell-applications

From the app review guidelines for iOS:

2.12 Apps that are not very useful, are simply web sites bundled as apps, or do not provide any lasting entertainment value may be rejected
​

That StackOverflow post is from 2011. If anything, the criteria for acceptance are tougher now.

Nevertheless, "may" ≠ "will", and there are some dissenting opinions (including examples) in the SO thread.

Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

What's the point of putting the "app" on the app store? Your users can visit it themselves using Safari already. They can even "install" it by tapping the button in Safari that'll save a link to springboard, making it look exactly like an installed app. You'll have full control over your app, it'll be installable on iPhones, and you won't have to hand any money over to Apple.

 

[Orange Furball]

Well we already paid last year for a developer account that never even worked. So why not just make an app and make it seem "official"

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Well we already paid last year for a developer account that never even worked. So why not just make an app and make it seem "official"

It's not even remotely difficult. Drag and drop a UIWebView into the storyboard or xib of a new single view iOS app, hook it up to an IBOutlet, and send it loadRequest: passing in a requestWithURL:. You can go from nothing to installed and running in 90 seconds if you know what you're doing, or learn just enough xCode and Obj-C to do the steps I described in... IDK how long it would take to learn just enough... Certainly no more than a day or two...

Also, when your account with Apple expires (you mentioned you got it last year so it might be approaching its end) you'll need to renew it if you want to continue having your app on the store or on your test devices.

But Apple doesn't want any app like that, so they won't let it on the store. If you want to actually make it native, you'll need to build at least the interface from scratch...

 

[troop231]

If you truly want your app to be on the App Store, I suggest implementing some useful app side features that can't be experienced using a typical web app.

If it's just a pointer to your website, it doesn't need and shouldn't be on the App Store at all.

 

[truehybridx]

It's not even remotely difficult. Drag and drop a UIWebView into the storyboard or xib of a new single view iOS app, hook it up to an IBOutlet, and send it loadRequest: passing in a requestWithURL:. You can go from nothing to installed and running in 90 seconds if you know what you're doing, or learn just enough xCode and Obj-C to do the steps I described in... IDK how long it would take to learn just enough... Certainly no more than a day or two...

Also, when your account with Apple expires (you mentioned you got it last year so it might be approaching its end) you'll need to renew it if you want to continue having your app on the store or on your test devices.

But Apple doesn't want any app like that, so they won't let it on the store. If you want to actually make it native, you'll need to build at least the interface from scratch...

For arguments sake
If your paid account expires, you still have a year left before your developer certificate and provisioning profiles expire that you can continue to use to test on devices you had before you expired, (Wont be able to add new devices, and AdHoc builds might still work if you have the profiles), but mine expired around the beginning of the year and i can still atleast test on devices


Moving on, depending on what your site does, you are going to have to put some effort into it as Apple doesnt even call an app that's just web views but provides PNS suitable "User Experience" to allow on the store. You will need to display the site on the app in a manner thats different from if you just went to it from safari.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Moving on, depending on what your site does, you are going to have to put some effort into it as Apple doesnt even call an app that's just web views but provides PNS suitable "User Experience" to allow on the store. You will need to display the site on the app in a manner thats different from if you just went to it from safari.

IDK, Facebook's website and their app look pretty much the same. They try making the native app and the web app look the same.

 

[Orange Furball]

Moving on, depending on what your site does, you are going to have to put some effort into it as Apple doesnt even call an app that's just web views but provides PNS suitable "User Experience" to allow on the store. You will need to display the site on the app in a manner thats different from if you just went to it from safari.

The safari page goes to a mobile website while the web app goes to an iPhone themed app that looks like an app so they do look and behave differently

 

[truehybridx]

IDK, Facebook's website and their app look pretty much the same. They try making the native app and the web app look the same.

Facebook is Facebook, entities like them get slack

The safari page goes to a mobile website while the web app goes to an iPhone themed app that looks like an app so they do look and behave differently

That *might* work, its worth a shot