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Mac App Store Name Squatting? More Like A Bug In Apple’s System

Yesterday we reported many Mac developers lamented over the impossibility to register their Mac applications in iTunes Connect and submit them to the Mac App Store for Apple’s approval. Apparently, the problem lied in already registered bundle identifiers – the actual names of the apps.

We reported Tod Ditchendorf, developer of the popular Fluid for Mac, was unable to register the app, just like Realmac Software with Little Snapper and RapidWeaver or Isaiah Carew with Kiwi. That lead use to think name squatters were already targeting the Mac App Store.

It turns out, though, that the problem lies in the system Apple chose to handle bundle identifiers across the iPhone and iPad App Stores, and the Mac App Store. Late last night, Apple posted the Mac App Store Submissions FAQs, which reveal an interesting point that some developers already suspected:

Can I use the same bundle identifier for the Mac and iOS version of my app?

No.  Bundle identifiers must be unique across all Mac and iOS apps.

Basically, an app’s name is unique and cannot be used in two different App Stores. That’s because Apple treats the iOS and Mac App Stores as two separate entities, even if the same developer is enrolled in both the iOS and Mac developer program. Further digging in a thread posted on the Mac App Store development forums confirmed that app names must be unique, but Apple considers this a bug:

Currently app names must be unique across the Mac and iOS App Stores.  We consider this a bug and it is a known issue.

If Apple plans to fix this in the near term (before the Mac App Store grand opening) developers will soon be able to release an app under the same name both for the iOS and Mac App Stores. This also explains why Fluid was unable to go through iTunes Connect – another developer registered “Fluid” and “Fluid 2” for iPhone and iPad. It still doesn’t explain, though, why apps such as LittleSnapper or Rapidweaver can’t be registered while there are no apps with such names currently on sale. So my guess is, someone’s still squatting on apps’ bundle identifiers, but the large majority of the issues is due to Apple’s broken system. Hopefully the “known issue” will be fixed soon.

Also take a look at this screenshot taken by Nik Fletcher of Realmac Software. How’s this possible?

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Federico is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MacStories, where he writes about Apple with a focus on apps, developers, iPad, and iOS productivity. He founded MacStories in April 2009 and has been writing about Apple since. Federico is also the co-host of AppStories, a weekly podcast exploring the world of apps, Unwind, a fun exploration of media and more, and NPC: Next Portable Console, a show about portable gaming and the handheld revolution.

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