No Joy, Yet

As you can probably tell from our lack of celebration, iBank Mobile is still in review by Apple. Last Wednesday, July 1, we finally got some indication that it was being looked at. Apple asked us some questions about how we used MobileMe within the product. We responded very quickly (in less than an hour), thinking that it would be released soon…

But Wednesday passed into Thursday (the one-month anniversary of our submission) and no word. Then Friday was a holiday for Apple, which brings us to today. I am not hopeful that it will get approved too soon; apparently a lot of folks at Apple are on vacation this week, including our direct contact.

I will keep you updated via the blog if we hear anything new. For instant notification on this (or any urgent news from IGG), note that we can now be followed via Twitter: www.twitter.com/iggsoftware

Thanks,
James

56 Responses to “No Joy, Yet”

  1. Ryan Says:

    Looking like this will make a nice Christmas present to myself!

  2. Ben Says:

    Thanks for the update guys. Sorry Apple has made this a pain in the rear for you guys. But I can wait for a quality product like this.

  3. Rudy Says:

    I emailed Apple via their App store support page, and I received a reply telling me to contact Developer Relations: devprograms@apple.com about this matter. Just lettting you all know if you’d like to send a friendly email to Apple. :)

  4. Dave Says:

    Here here. I’ll continue to check for it along with the weather every morning.

  5. Ryan Says:

    Well I can honestly say I’ve never anticipated spending $5 as much as I am right now.

  6. Rudy Says:

    I just emailed devprograms@apple.com regarding the ridiculous time it has taken to get this approved. I got the email from a reply at Apple’s App Store support.

  7. Jacob Says:

    I have emailed them as well. I hope it does some good

  8. Lara Says:

    I just emailed them too. i hope it helps.

  9. David Silva Says:

    Just sent an email as well.

  10. Mark Says:

    I just emailed them as well. I hope it helps. I agree with Ryan’s post earlier.

  11. Rodrigo Says:

    Just emailed them too. We should ask our friends on Twitter to email them. Lets do it? Ask them too rt the message and to send an email.

  12. Rodrigo Says:

    Please tag it with #ibankmobile . Lets do some pressure:-) (and viral mouth to mouth ad too!)

  13. Ryan Says:

    Emailed

  14. jetleets Says:

    Emailed and waiting… gosh… I cannot stop myself from checking the App Store for this app a few times a day… Apple please hurry…

  15. Ryan Says:

    Email sent.

  16. Ryan Says:

    I as well sent an email…

    I was also sitting here thinking it would be great to see a “business” version of ibank which would offer payroll, etc… I would love to drop quickbooks from my small business and if IGG would offer something similar, I am gone from INTU.

  17. Ben Says:

    Very friendly email sent to Apple letting them know how much we want this app released.

  18. Nico Says:

    I just sent a friendly email to Apple too

  19. jetleets Says:

    Sometimes one wonders what the Apple’s app approval teams are doing. Apps with nudity materials gets through and a proper finance app takes forever to get approved. I am still waiting for Apple to get their act together… waiting… waiting… waiting…

  20. Scott Says:

    From Cult of Mac -

    “A developer friend tells me that a pre-release version of his app was checked off and approved in a week in the period immediately before the 3GS announcement. The final release, submitted the day of the WWDC keynote on June 8, took nearly four weeks to get through the system, and I’m told that Apple has even notified its developer community that all apps are taking between three and four weeks to vet. That means it takes four times as long to get new products to consumers, four times as long to fix bugs, and four times as long to go from finished work to money-making.”

    I have to wonder how much of that delay is due to every app writer out there is now trying to add PUSH Notification to their app, and that requires another approval. The pipeline has to be stuffed with “I just added PUSH to my app” requests for re-approval.

  21. Ryan Says:

    I got an email back:

    Thank you for contacting the Apple Developer Connection regarding the iPhone Developer Program.

    Please know that app review times will vary from one app to another depending on factors such as the complexity of the app and technologies used. We are unable to provide any estimates regarding app review periods.

    I hope that this information is useful to you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

  22. Nico Says:

    got an email back as well:

    “Thank you for contacting the Apple Developer Connection regarding the App Store.

    We appreciate that you have taken the time to send us your feedback. Please be assured that all of your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate Apple team.

    If you have further questions or comments, please let us know. ”

    Not shure that my email was worth it…

  23. David Silva Says:

    I got a different response:

    “Thank you for contacting the Apple Developer Connection.

    Please know that there is no specified review period for apps. Also, it is Apple’s policy not to comment on unannounced products or products under development, whether or not they actually exist. Nor is it our policy to discuss release dates.

    I hope this information is useful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you have any questions.”

  24. Rudy Says:

    I got the same exact reply as David. Lame.

  25. Mark Says:

    I received the same response as David.

  26. Rodrigo Says:

    same response

  27. Lara Says:

    I got the same response. At least apple is using cut and paste!

  28. jetleets Says:

    still waiting……

  29. Bryan Copeland Says:

    This is a much anticipated feature for me … I have been checking the blog and subsequently performing a search on the app store every day!… I can’t wait for this to finally get approved…

  30. jetleets Says:

    and waiting….

  31. mik Says:

    still waiting to… any news ?

  32. adamu Says:

    I think that it must be frustrating to developer as well: have a ready app, bunch of clients willing to spend money on it and being blocked by Apple…

  33. Nico Says:

    As it is said in the post, I don’t think it will be approuved this week. We may have mort luck and joy next week…

  34. Lara Says:

    Another disappointing day…. Guess they celebrate the 4 th longer in Cali

  35. jetleets Says:

    and still waiting…

  36. Kathy Says:

    Sent the mail to Apple Developer and received the obligatory form letter response. HMPH. Of all the apps i own, i only rely on one-screen full. got a spot waiting for this one fer sure.

  37. Lawrence Says:

    e-mail sent. Sorry I’m late on that, but better late than never!

    Lawrence

  38. Michael Fuchs Says:

    devprograms@apple.com responded to my email by saying I should write to appreview@apple.com instead…

  39. Ryan Says:

    sent to appreview@apple.com

  40. David Silva Says:

    Sent email to appreview@apple.com and got the following immediate response:

    “Thank you for contacting iPhone Developer Program.

    Message Subject: iBank Mobile by IGG Software
    Follow-Up: 78356652

    We’ve received your application inquiry. Each app submitted to Apple has different capabilities, features, and complexity, which means that individual review times vary. Once the application review process has been completed, you will receive an email notification.

    Note: If you self-reject a binary and upload a new one, the application review process is reset and starts from the beginning. Therefore, we strongly recommend that any quality assurance testing is performed prior to submitting the app.

    While we cannot respond to every app submission inquiry, if we encounter any issues or need additional information you will be contacted.”

  41. Ryan Says:

    Got same as Silva.

  42. Cube13 Says:

    Looks like all the e-mails people are sending are working great! :-)

    Apple really seems to care.

    hehe

  43. Phil Says:

    Emails sent to both devprograms and appreview.

  44. Michael Fuchs Says:

    Guess what, after devprograms@apple.com telling me to email appreview@apple.com, appreview@apple.com tells me to email devprograms@apple.com instead…

    They really are about to frakk up the whole platform with their insane approval process (which is pretty much useless anyway, considering the amount of crap that gets through)…

  45. Robin C Says:

    Seems to me one needs to show ‘the Man” that the consumer ain’t backing down. I’ve been send the same mail at breakfast then lunch then supper and not forgetting at toilet breaks. $10.00 says we should see it before month end (touch wood!)

  46. jetleets Says:

    and still waiting….

  47. Ryan Says:

    I was looking at some apps from other developers…just sort of browsing the developers websites. One said they waited 11 months to get an app approved. If this is true, that is unacceptable and hopefully not a sign or what is to come for iBank mobile.

  48. Ben R Says:

    Well I’ve almost given up… Does anyone know if the old iBank for iPhone works with v3.5? I could use that I guess until the app is released.

  49. Tony Says:

    I have also just emailed Apple to join in the efforts of keeping(bringing!) iBank to the top of the queue.

  50. John Says:

    Hi guys, could be possible that you post some print screens (or something like that) showing a preview of the mobile application?.

  51. Lara Says:

    Oh where oh where is my ibank mobile app..oh where oh where can it be?? Apple has procrastinated and now we are all stuck.. Oh where oh where can it be??

  52. Fountainhead Says:

    An ode to iBank mobile:
    Wherefore art though my precious app?
    All your competitors are such crap.
    I’ve waited so long, should I doubt your existence?
    And look elsewhere to map my subsistence?

    One gazillion days and counting………..

  53. David Silva Says:

    and yet…..the “Alien Farts” app was approved and released today? How long was that in review?

  54. Fountainhead Says:

    @David Silva
    Thanks for the heads up, that Alien Farts app rocks and is just the thing to keep me amused while I wait for iBank.

    Have you tried “Bubzlalawa”? Hil-arious. This guy is a genius – where does he get his ideas from?!!! Simply amazing, five stars! Bob Severns…. he is a god. Come to think of it, he gets severn stars (get it?). WOW, I can’t wait to take this home to show the wife! I am going to be soooo popular when I show my pals the rip-roaring sounds my iphone can make. This is what the iphone was made for. Surely this will be hailed as one of the best apps of 2009, possibly the decade. Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, hee. It’s simply the best. (*gasp*)

    (sorry, just a little delirious from ibank mobile starvation)

  55. Robin C Says:

    Okay i have to share this. 2 months ago i downloaded iBearMoney full version for iphone in a hope to bridge the gap until IB moby is out. By version 2.7 all the bugs ironed out. The app works like a dream (fast, stable, practical approach to data input which is really all i am looking for when on the move) BUT (in Tahoma font size 36) you cannot export to qif (or any format for that matter) So by Monday i have had enough of the double entry from ibear updating to ibank manually. I then download iXpenseIt full version because you can export to .csv and import to ibank. With a bit of coaxing by using random entries i get it to work. Only to find out this a.m. IT ONLY TRACKS EXPENSES NOT INCOME rofl. So now i have resolved to go back to the early 2000’s and roll with a wallet full of slips, cut back on my watching Will & Grace & capture me slips each night.
    Oh When Oh When Oh When will these souls at Appstore give the people what they want!!!!

  56. Kenn Freeman Says:

    Received the following message back from APple regarding the status of iBank MObile. Has anyone at IGG logged in to see what’s going on officially with the review of this App?

    ============================================
    From: devprograms@apple.com
    Date: Jul 15, 2009 11:42 AM
    To: ftechs@mac.com
    Subject: Re: Status on Release of “iBank Mobile” App For iPhone

    Please include the line below in follow-up emails for this request.

    Follow-up: 78258676

    Re: App Review

    Hello Kenn,

    Thank you for contacting the Apple Developer Connection regarding the iPhone Developer Program and the app review process.

    Please know that developers may check the status of their app by viewing iTunes Connect:

    The status “In Review” means that your product is currently being reviewed and considered by Apple and that there is no further status update at this time.

    Developers will be advised of any status update via the iTunes Connect – Manage Your Content area. We would ask that you please stay tuned to iTunes Connect for updates. Once an app review has been completed, the information will be updated in iTunes Connect and you will receive an email notification.

    If you require assistance for an app which is in review, you may contact the Apple team directly .

    We hope that this information is helpful to you. Thank you for your participation in our programs.

    Best regards,

    Brian Henson
    Apple Developer Connection
    Worldwide Developer Relations
    ============================================

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