Apple has announced that third-party iOS Developers can now begin submitting their Apple WatchKit apps to the App Store for review, along with other data such as the app icon, screenshots, and description. Apple has also released guidelines for Apple Watch app submissions, including notes that up to five screenshots may be included, that WatchKit app icons should be “visually similar” to the corresponding iOS app icons, and that the iPhone app and WatchKit app should “share one name and one description” and the iPhone app should contain notes on Apple Watch functionality.
Notably, WatchKit apps cannot include the phrase “Apple Watch” in their names. App Previews can also only include footage of the iPhone app, and developers are explicitly instructed not to show the WatchKit app in their app previews.
Apple also notes that “a small group of people who currently have an Apple Watch will be able to use […] WatchKit app[s] before April 24” although it notes that developers can choose to restrict availability until launch day in the same manner as for any other app.
While several developers released iPhone app updates late last week, it’s unclear whether those developers have received priority access for App Store submissions, or if their actual corresponding WatchKit apps were still waiting for final submissions to open.
