Publish for pre-order

If you’ve never published your app to the App Store in any country or region, follow these steps to make your app available for pre-order.

1. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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.

   The release date must be at least two days in the future, but no more than 180 days in the future. You can edit your pre-order release date before the app is released to the App Store in the 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 Manage 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 will be published 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 be made 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. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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.

   The release date must be at least two days in the future, but no more than 180 days in the future. You can edit your pre-order release date before the app is released to the App Store in the 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.

   The pre-order will be published immediately on the App Store in your selected countries or regions, but it may take up to 24 hours 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 in the future, 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 will receive the latest app version that you've released for distribution. (You can choose to manually release an app version, automatically release it once it's approved, or automatically release it after a specific date. Learn more about an App Store version release options.)

If you’ve chosen manual release or it’s your first time releasing the app on the App Store, you’ll need to take the following steps in App Store Connect after App Review approves the version:

1. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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: When you click Release This Version, the new app version will be released 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.

You may edit the release date during the pre-order period. If you’re releasing your app for the first time, the new release date must be within 180 days from when the app was first published for pre-order on the App Store in that country or region. If your app has been released for purchase or download already in at least one country or region, the new pre-order release date must be within 365 days from when the app was first published for pre-order in that country or region.

The date and time when your app is released on the App Store varies by region. If the pre-order release date has already been reached in a country or region where your pre-order is published, you won’t be able to make any changes to the pre-order release date. Learn more about App Store pricing and availability start times by country or region.

1. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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. If you’re editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you have the option to select the countries or regions where you want the release date to be modified. Leave all countries or regions checked if you want the update the release date in all of the countries or regions where you set up your pre-order.

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

6. Select “Edit your app’s release date,” and click Next.

   

7. 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.

While your app is available for pre-order, you have the option to release your app to customers immediately instead of releasing it on your scheduled release date.

1. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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. If you’re editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you have the option to select the countries or regions where you want the app to be released now. Leave all countries or regions checked if you want the app to be released in all of the countries or regions where you set up your pre-order.

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.

If you remove your pre-order offer from the App Store, customers who already pre-ordered your app won’t receive the app and won’t be charged unless you make it available for pre-order again before the release date. Additionally, once the release date passes, you’ll no longer be able to republish your app as a pre-order.

1. From Apps, select your app. The page opens with the Distribution tab selected.

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

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



3. If you’re editing a pre-order for multiple countries or regions, you have the option to select the countries or regions where you want the app to be removed. Leave all countries or regions checked if you want the app to be removed from all of the countries or regions where you set up your pre-order.

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

   

5. 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.