Relution Signet Customer Hub

Manage native apps

With Relution, native apps for tvOS can also be distributed and put under release management. There is no separate tvOS platform for this: tvOS apps are uploaded as an .ipa file and listed in Relution under the iOS platform. Apple TV devices receive them through this iOS app. The app must have been built for tvOS.

An app can have several versions in different release statuses, for example version 1.0 in the Release status and version 1.1, which is prepared and reviewed in the Development or Review status. Apple TV devices always receive the version in the Release status. Therefore, version 1.0 is uploaded to Relution first and set to the Release status.

Create a new app

Native apps are created in the menu under Apps → App Store. The Add button opens the Add a new app dialog. Under Source, the Native app option is selected.

After clicking Next, the app file (.ipa) is uploaded via Choose file. Add details then opens the app form.

In the app form, the Release status is specified and the app is created with Save. Except for the Archive status, each release status can only contain one version of the app.

The Permissions section defines who may work on the app in the Relution portal:

  • Owner: may apply any operation to the app in every status.
  • Reviewer: may edit the app and move versions to the Release or Development status.
  • Developer: may upload and edit versions in the Development status and move them to the Review status or to the Archive.
  • User: may download, rate and comment on versions in the Release status.

Regardless of these permissions, administrators can distribute the app to devices via the Relution portal.

Distribute native apps to Apple TV

There is no Relution Agent for tvOS and therefore no self-service store on the device. Users cannot install native apps on the Apple TV themselves. Distribution takes place exclusively via the Relution portal:

  • with the Deploy Relution store app device action (Actions →),
  • under Required apps in the App compliance configuration, provided the checkbox in the Auto install column is selected (App compliance →),
  • in the app view under Devices with this app with the Update app button, for devices on which the app is already installed.

The version in the Release status is always the one distributed. A version in the Development or Review status cannot be distributed to an Apple TV via the Relution portal. For tvOS, auto deployments only include public apps, not native apps.

Update app

If a new version of the app is to be prepared, it can be set to the Development or Review status in advance. Before that, the new version must be selected and uploaded via the Add new version button.

A date can be entered for the new version in the Go Live date field. The version only switches to the Release status automatically on that day if an App Release Workflow → is active and the version in the Review status has passed all release steps. Without an active release workflow, the date only serves as a target date, and the version is set to the Release status manually (see below).

Both versions can be viewed in the app properties.

Manual go-live of the new version

In the Relution portal, the respective versions can be viewed and configured. If the new version is in the Review status, clicking the Release button moves it to this status. If it is still in Development, the change is made via Move to → Release. If a version is already in the Release status, it is automatically moved to the Archive.