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I have an app that needs to fetch background media from the server even when the app is closed.

I know that ios 5 newsstand does this for once a day.

but i also know that this feature is intended for magazines and not any app.

so what is the limitation of integrating it in my app? will it simply get rejected ? is there a format for the app to be a newsstand?

Charles
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Dany Y
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3 Answers3

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Newsstand applications can receive Push Notifications with a special payload ("content-available":1) that causes the app to launch in the background so that it can check for content to download. This notification can only be sent once a day (the rest of the time it is ignored).

In order to receive this notification, your app must have a UIBackgroundModes that includes newsstand-content. Apple has suggested that non-newsstand apps with this background mode will be rejected, but I have not seen any evidence one way or another.

jemmons
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They're very strict on the requirement that the app's content be a newspaper or magazine.

That is, issue-based, mainly written content. Don't waste your time if your app is none of these.

THM
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    Citation please? I can't find any mention of "mainly written content" being a requirement in any of the documentation. Likewise, Apple's been pretty clear that subscriptions outside of Newsstand are *not* limited to enabling issue-based purchases. What makes you think this limitation is in effect for Newsstand apps? – jemmons Nov 20 '11 at 23:54
  • That's what I have been told, in person, and on the phone, by at least four different Apple representatives. The documentation is incomplete, there are additional factors that are enforced at App Review. – THM Nov 21 '11 at 16:18
  • Can anybody confirm if this is a technical limitation (i.e. enforced by the OS), or an App Store review policy limitation ? You see, I'm actually developing enterprise apps that will be deployed internally, and don't have to go through review - so potentially this functionality could be very useful. – rennarda Jun 01 '12 at 09:12
  • This is a review policy. If you're deploying an enterprise app, feel free to do whatever you want. NSURLConnection doesn't care if the bits contain written content or something else. – THM Jun 01 '12 at 12:50
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According to the App Store Review Guidelines,

Apps that are offered in Newsstand must comply with schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Developer Program License Agreement or they will be rejected.

The License Agreement requires that

[You] confirm that the content of the Licensed Application is a periodical (e.g., newspaper or magazine)

You acknowledge and agree that Apple reserves the right to recategorize or reject your Licensed Application if it is not appropriate for Newsstand.

(I'm in the same boat - would love to use the NK features to manage downloads, spent half a day reading about it, then found out about this limitation.)

brainjam
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