Max Standalone in the App Store (2022-23)
It is once again possible to get Max standalones approved for sale in the Apple App store. The process is now much, much simpler due to an app called App Wrapper 4
Steps:
1) Sign up for developer account
2) Generate certificates, App ID, and profile (see Part 1 here)
3) Download and install App Wrapper 4
4) Wrap app with App Wrapper 4, selecting the correct capabilities and certificates. Uncheck "App Store Submission" under "Packing". Check "Notarization". Check "App-sandbox" and uncheck "Hardened"
5) Download Transporter app
6) Send package to Apple for approval
App Wrapper 4 takes care of all the notarization, codesigning, and everything that used to need to be done manually. It is no longer necessary to change bundle ID's and codesign externals individually. Once you have created your standalone, the entire process getting it ready for submission to Apple takes about 10 minutes.
Wow, thx James.
Is still necessary to build app separate from externals etc.?
B
I don't think it is but I have been doing it anyway. I believe it makes the app slightly smaller.
Hi James, happy I stumbled upon this thread. Unfortunately, even though this is way easier than the traditional way, I still get a bunch of errors and if I notarize the app will stop opening the window when launched. Do you have any guide on how to use App Wrapper fro Max Standalones?
Hey there, thanks for the feedback, Are you using hardened runtime? You don't need to have that selected for app store and that might be causing problems.
Thanks James!!
I can confirm that this process still works well in mid 2024 - I just had an app accepted. Thanks for sharing this!
Joseph
Hey guys! I've tried App Store submission via App Wrapper 4 and selecting sandbox in options just ruins all .png resources:
error loading file RIPv1_550x160_NS.png
fpic: can't load file RIPv1_550x160_NS.png
For mostly all .png resources.
Maybe I've overlooked some option to include this files in collective, but according to Max 9 build log they are included:
Adding file RIPv1_550x160_NS.png
Any thoughts to share your standalone object properties?
I embedded this images into patcher and they show up, however Max patcher complains with error that image file can't be loaded.
Hi Ruslan, This is a long shot, but you can try terminal, running:
xattr -cr -lr <image file>
Alternatively, you can try building with Max 8 and see if that changes anything (if you have it).
Other options would be converting the image to another format to troubleshoot.
best,
James
Hello
Thanks for all the detailed informations... hugely helpful.
I just packaged a Max app with App Wrapper 4 and submit it to Apple and it was accepted :-(
However I just realized that this app (Loris https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL365EygUoWAkZ0GyxCtO4kMxkQ40GiH2c ) contains an mxo abstraction I developed: this mxo is working well in the package, except that it has a write file feature that is always failing (at file open time) once run from the bundle generated by App Wrapper ... and I can't find why :-(
Any advice, helps, recommendation would be highly appreciated.
Christophe
I'm finally answering to myself ....
The issue is not really the mxo, but it add some complements at the end of the filename selected by the user (to provide more info on the file content), and this is not accepted by Apple once the app is package (you have to use the name deleted by the user)
Hey guys! Apple allowed my software to App Store. Thank you for being helpful and the tip about App Wrapper 4 was awesome!