Publish for pre-order

If this is your first time publishing an app in any country or region on the App Store, follow these steps to make your app available for pre-order.

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, click Pricing and Availability, then scroll to the App Availability section and click Set Up Availability.

   

3. Select Publish as Pre-Order, then click Next.

4. Choose a date to release your app for download, then click Next.

   Set your app's release date to fall between two and 180 days in the future. You may update the pre-order release date any time before the app is released on the App Store in your selected countries or regions.

   The date and time when your app is released on the App Store varies by country or region. Learn more about App Store pricing and availability start times by country or region.

5. Select the countries or regions where you want to make your pre-order available, then click Next.

6. Click Confirm. Your new pre-order will appear under the Pre-Orders section on the App Availability page. It won't appear on the App Store until you manually release an app version.

   

7. Click Pricing and Availability to return to the Pricing and Availability overview page, then click the platform version you want to submit for review.

8. Submit the app for review.

9. Once your app is approved and you're ready to make it available for pre-order, return to the platform version you want to release, then click Release This Version on the top right.

10. In the dialog that appears, click Confirm.

    Your pre-order publishes on the App Store immediately, but it may take up to 24 hours to appear to all users.

    If new countries or regions are added to the App Store in the future, your app will automatically be available for download or purchase there. You can manage this selection by editing your app's availability.

If you’ve already published your app to the App Store in a country or region, follow these steps to make your app available for pre-order in additional countries or regions.

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, click Pricing and Availability, then scroll to the App Availability section.

3. Under the App Availability section, click Manage.

4. Click Set Up Pre-Order. Or, if you already have an active pre-order for another country or region, click the add button (+) next to Pre-Orders.

   

5. Choose a date to release your app for download, then click Next.

   Set your app's release date to fall between two and 180 days in the future. You may update the pre-order release date any time before the app is released on the App Store in your selected countries or regions.

   The date and time when your app is released on the App Store varies by country or region. Learn more about App Store pricing and availability start times by country or region.

6. Select the countries or regions where you want to make your pre-order available, then click Next.

7. Click Confirm. Your new pre-order will appear under the Pre-Orders section on the Manage Availability page in App Store Connect.

   Pre-orders for your app will be published immediately on the App Store in the selected countries or regions. However, it may take up to 24 hours for the pre-order to appear for all users. The pre-order will be published using the version of the app that’s currently Ready for Distribution or Pre-Order Ready for Distribution.

   If new countries or regions are added to the App Store, your app will be made available for download or purchase there. You can manage this selection by editing your app's availability.

You can update your app while it's available for pre-order by creating and submitting a new version in App Store Connect. Customers receive the latest app version that you've released for distribution. After submitting, you have the option to manually release the app version, set it for automatic release upon approval, or schedule it for release after a specific date. Learn more about an App Store version release options.

If this is your first time releasing the app on the App Store or if you’ve chosen a manual release, you must follow these steps in App Store Connect once App Review approves the version:

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, select the app version that has the status of Pending Developer Release.

3. On the top right, click Release This Version.

   Note: Once you click Release This Version, your app will be available for download or purchase immediately in any country or region where the App Store status is Available or Available on App Release, in addition to being published for pre-order in the specified countries or regions.

4. In the dialog that appears, click Confirm.

   Your new version will be published on the App Store for pre-order immediately, but it may take up to 24 hours to appear to all users.

During the pre-order period, you can update the release date of your app. For first-time releases, the new publish date must be within 180 days of the pre-order's initial publication on the App Store in that specific country or region. If your app is already available for purchase or download in at least one country or region, the new pre-order release date must be within 365 days of the pre-order's first publication in that area.

The release date and time of your app on the App Store may vary by region. Once the pre-order release date has passed in a particular country or region where your pre-order is published, you can’t alter the pre-order release date. Learn more about App Store pricing and availability start times by country or region.

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, click Pricing and Availability, then click Manage under the App Availability section.

3. Under the Countries or Regions column, click Edit next to the pre-order you want to edit.

   

4. When editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you can choose which countries or regions will have their release date modified. If you wish to update the release date in all the countries or regions where your pre-order is set up, ensure all are selected.

5. Click Next, select “Edit your app’s release date,” then click Next again.

   

6. Select a new release date for your pre-order, then click Confirm.

   The updated release date will appear on the App Store within 24 hours.

During the pre-order period, you’re able to release your app to customers immediately, rather than waiting for the scheduled release date.

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, click Pricing and Availability, then under the App Availability section, click Manage.

3. Under the Countries or Regions column, click Edit next to the pre-order you want to edit.

   

4. When editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you can choose which specific countries or regions you want the app to be released in immediately. To release the app in all countries or regions where you initially set up the pre-order, simply leave all checkboxes for countries or regions selected.

5. Click Next, select “Release your app to customers immediately," then click Next again.

   

6. Click Confirm.

   Your app will be released to the App Store immediately in the selected countries or regions but may take up to 24 hours to appear to all users. Customers who pre-ordered your app will be notified and your app will automatically download to their device. For paid apps, customers will be charged.

Removing your pre-order offer from the App Store will result in customers not receiving the app, and they won’t be charged unless the app is made available for pre-order again before the release date. Furthermore, after the release date has passed, republishing your app as a pre-order won’t be possible.

1. In Apps, select the app you want to view.

2. In the sidebar, click Pricing and Availability, then click Manage under the App Availability section.

3. Click Edit next to the pre-order you want to edit under the Countries or Regions column.

   

4. When editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you can choose which specific countries or regions you want the app to be released in immediately. To release the app in all countries or regions where you initially set up the pre-order, simply leave all checkboxes for countries or regions selected.

5. Click Next, select “Remove your pre-order from the App Store," then click Next again.

   

6. Click Confirm.

   Your app will be removed from the App Store within 24 hours. Customers who pre-ordered your app won’t receive it, and paid customers won’t be charged unless you make your app available for pre-order again before the release date.