What’s In A Name?

“Forrest….why did this happen? Why did our app get rejected?”
“Because we used ‘for Ipad’ in the bundle name Bubba.”

The name you choose for your app is critical. But as I’ve found out, your app has more than one name.  Make a mistake, and your release date of your app can be affected severely…which I found out the hard way.

First thing to mention…your app actually has a few different names in it…and each have a few different rules.
There is the name that will be on the app store, your marketing materials, and the actual name that will show up on the device under the icon (which is the application bundle name…this one is VERY important.)

SOME TIPS ON CHOOSING NAMES FOR YOUR APP

Step 1.  Check to make sure the name isn’t already taken or there isn’t one with the almost identical name currently out there.

I know, what a stupid suggestion…but many people don’t do this simple step.  But this is one of those things (like closing school due to the weather forecast and then getting no snow) that you will never truly know whether it mattered or not that you took the time to do this.  However, when your app is rejected after up to a month of being under review, or if it manages to get through but someone with an app with a similar name reports you and your app is pulled, you will wish you had followed my advice.

Willy: Boy, you read my thoughts! You’ve got the shinning!
Bart: You mean shining.
Willy: Shh! You want to get sued?

NEWB MISTAKE ALERT!!!!!

If you have different versions on the app, make sure your naming won’t confuse your users.  I had three versions of the app: Photography Assignment Generator-For those with SLRs iPhotography Assignment Generator-For those shooting with iPhones or iPod Touches Photography Assignment Generator Free-Free version of the SLR one See the issue?  That “i” doesn’t really make that version stand out or say that it is for people shooting with their devices…so people were confused as to which version to download.  When I update the app, I was planning  on renaming it something with iPhone in it so there will be no confusion….or will I?  See newb mistake#2 below…

APPLICATION BUNDLE NAME

Again, this is the name that will be under the icon on your device.

There are a limited number of characters that can be displayed under your app icon.  I think it’s thirteen. So if you have a long name for your app, it’s going to be abbreviated. You need to think about how the full name would be abbreviated on the screen, so to avoid any potentially awkward naming (what exactly is a Photo Ass…erator?). I just called the full version Assignment to avoid this…the FREE version was Assignment Free, the iPad version was Assignment for iPad…

NEWB MISTAKE ALERT 2!!!!!

2 NEWB MISTAKE ALERTS in one post? Yeah. FYI-Don’t use iPhone, iPad, iNOTHING in your bundle name.  Instant rejection! No soup for you!

What did I do wrong? Well…for the bundle name I chose “Assignment For iPad” to differentiate it from the other version.  Big mistake.  Got the rejection letter, along with a nice explanation why.  Oops. (So it’s obvious that I am not going to rename my iPhotography app to “iPhoneography” without confirming with Apple as that would result in instant rejection. And at this point I just can’t take any more rejection…)

here’s the relevant section on this:

8.1

We found that your app does not comply with the Guidelines for Using Apple’s Trademarks and Copyrights, as required by the App Store Review Guidelines.

Specifically, your app includes inappropriate uses of “iPad” in the name and the use of “iPad” in the home screen elements (the short name and/or the application icons).

For your convenience, we’ve provided the relevant section/s of the Guidelines for Using Apple’s Trademarks and Copyrights.

Product Names Guidelines

You may use Apple, iPhone, or any other Apple word mark (but not the Apple Logo or other Apple-owned graphic symbol/logo) in a referential phrase on packaging or promotional/advertising materials to describe that the third party product is compatible with the referenced Apple product or technology, provided they comply with the following requirements.

a. The Apple word mark is not part of the product name.
b. The Apple word mark is used in a referential phrase such as “runs on,” “for use with,” “for,” or “compatible with.”
c. The Apple word mark appears less prominent than the product name.
d. The product is in fact compatible with, or otherwise works with, the referenced Apple product.
e. The reference to Apple does not create a sense of endorsement, sponsorship, or false association with Apple or Apple products or services.
f. The use does not show Apple or its products in a false or derogatory light.

In other words, whether appearing on the application itself and/or in marketing materials, the word iPhone may be used as a descriptor, but not as part of the product name.

For example, the following are acceptable:
GreatApp – with tagline “for iPhone”
GreatApp – with tagline “iPhone edition”
GreatApp – with tagline “iPhone version”
GreatApp – with tagline “iPhone 4 for Verizon Wireless”

The following are not acceptable:
iPhone GreatApp
iPhoneGreatApp
GreatiPhoneApp

No big deal right?  Just take out the “for iPad’ and resubmit, right?
Yes. I took maybe 10 minutes to change it, re-archive it, and upload.  But guess who goes to the back of review process line?  That’s right.  If you get rejected, you go to the back of the line and have to wait all over again.  Took another week to get from Waiting for Review to In Review.

And guess what….

NEWB MISTAKE ALERT 3!!!!!

I suck at this.  Make sure EVERY REFERENCE to iPad, iPhone, iWhatever has proper use of capitalization in both your app, store, and marketing materials you submit.  I got rejected again for improper CAPITALIZATION of iPad. I went through my entire app, and could not find any reference to iPad.  Still waiting for apple to get back to me, but the only place i saw it referenced(and wrong) was the name I put in on the app store.  The Photography Assignment Generator for Ipad (should be iPad).  So guess who has to start all over again?

Now i feel like this:

Also, don’t use a trademarked or copyrighted term (like Instagram for example) in the name of your bundle either. That is also instant rejection.  You can use it in your app name/marketing, but I would suggest being careful…Apple may let it through, but the company who’s trademark you are using might not like it and have your app pulled.
Just ask this guy who created a series of Photoshop actions that reproduced the filters of a certain well know photo sharing app mentioned somewhere in this post…

DO YOU LIKE REDOING THINGS?

Another reason why making sure your name is kosher is important?
You are going to be spending tons of time and/or money coming up with promotional materials-videos, websites, social media identities, etc…
Do you really want to have to do it all again or pay a designer for updates? Hell no.

Am I right or am I right or am I right?

ONE YEAR LATER UPDATE:
So I did end up doing a mini-rebrand of the apps to the Learn Photo365 Photography Assignment Generator Apps.  For one reason, I wanted Photo365 in the title for keyword searches. It wasn’t too much work to change the listings, etc…but I will have to redo my app promo video (which I have to do anyway since I’ve updated the app with lots of cool features.) So again, really plan your name before you go through all this trouble and end up having to redo it all.

So, take some time coming up with the right name for your apps to avoid my stupid mistakes!

Noel Chenier

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And if you don’t mind, help out a fellow developer!  Download the free versions of my Photography Assignment Generator Apps and let me know what you think!

———————-
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