Deployment

You can use ArcGIS Runtime SDK for iOS to create applications for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. Follow the steps below to ensure you have licensed the capabilities your app uses, you have deployed any relevant data, and that you understand the associated costs.

Choose your Apple iOS Developer Program

An important factor in building your mobile solution for the iOS platform is your deployment and licensing agreement with Apple. The following three steps will guide you to a successful deployment:

1. Enroll in the iOS Developer Program.

   If you want to distribute apps through the App Store, join the Apple Developer Standard Program as an individual or as a company. If you want to create and distribute proprietary in-house apps to your employees, join the Apple Developer Enterprise Program.

2. Test your iOS app.

   During development, you can leverage your developer program agreement with Apple by testing your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices using the Xcode graphical debugger, collecting real-time performance data using Instruments' time line, and contacting Apple technical support when you need help.

3. Distribute your app.

   Depending on your choice of a standard or enterprise program agreement, you can distribute your app in one of many ways (through the App Store, by email, or by posting it to a website or server).

License and attribute your app

License the ArcGIS Runtime capabilities you included in the app. Licensing comes in four levels: Lite, Basic, Standard, and Advanced. The License topic describes the license levels and how to license your app.

Attribute Esri in your application. For details, see the License topic.

Deploy local data

Deploying data locally allows access to that data without a network connection. Local data refers to files that are not part of your iOS application deployment. Some examples of files typically used as offline data are mobile map packages, runtime geodatabases, offline locators and network datasets, and tile packages.

Local offline data can be downloaded while the device has a network connection—for example when tile packages are generated from the device and downloaded, or when using the desktop pattern to create mobile map packages which are then stored in a portal, and downloaded on the device while a network connection is available. Alternatively, data can be copied to a device's internal storage (also known as "sideloading") using tools such as iTunes. Copying to a device can be useful when files are prepared using ArcGIS Desktop or Pro, and when deploying the same files to many devices.

Projection engine files

If your app is using grid-based transformations, you will need to deploy the required Projection Engine files to the device. Projection Engine files can be copied (sideloaded) directly onto the iOS device using iTunes.

A full set of Projection Engine files are available on the downloads page.

Deploying specialized symbols

You may need to deploy specialized symbols, such as military symbol dictionaries, for use with your ArcGIS Runtime app.

You have two options for including these symbols in your deployment.

1. The ArcGIS for Defense group hosts the following ArcGIS Online items that contain .stylx files with military symbols. Use the support matrix to find and download the supported stylx file for your version of ArcGIS Runtime SDK. Once downloaded, you can include the files in your app deployment. Logic in your app, of course, would be required to locate and use the included files as needed.
2. Add logic to your app that prepares the app for offline use by downloading the files and storing them locally. You can access these resources when your user is online either by programmatically downloading them (using the URLSession class, for example) or accessing them as portal items using the ArcGIS Runtime API, reading their contents, and storing them locally. The following example shows how to access some of the hosted military symbol items using ArcGIS Runtime code.

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// Get the ArcGIS Online portal.
let arcGISOnlinePortal = AGSPortal.arcGISOnline(withLoginRequired: false)

// Get the military symbol portal item using its unique item ID.
itemMil2525c = AGSPortalItem(portal: arcGISOnlinePortal, itemID: "ef95f95470db437f80ea764a9d05203b")

// Load the portal item and fetch its data.
itemMil2525c.load { [weak self] error in
    if let error = error {
        print(error)
        return
    }
    self?.itemMil2525c.fetchData(completion: { theData, error in
        if let error = error {
            print(error)
            return
        }
        // Read the data.
    })
}

ENC (Electronic Navigational Charts) style directory

If your application is displaying an AGSENCLayer then you will need to deploy the hydrography directory which is available for download from the downloads page.

Deploying to Apple's App Store

When you submit your Runtime app to Apple's App Store using App Store Connect, you must include a Privacy - Photo Library Usage Description (NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription) entry in your app's Info.plist file. Apple's automated app review process detects that the ArcGIS Runtime SDK references Apple's Photos framework and will reject your app if the entry is not present.

If your app uses popups to edit attachments then you should also include a Privacy - Camera Usage Description entry in the Info.plist file. If that entry is missing, your app will exit when the user attempts to add an attachment from the camera. Apple's automated review process does not detect this.

Here is an example of these entries in the app's Info.plist file.

Deploying to the Apple AppStore using MFi Accessories

The Apple AppStore has guidelines and restrictions for apps that communicate with MFi accessories (for example an external GPS receiver). Apps that use NMEA data need to satisfy the Apple requirements to be accepted in the store. Apps need to declare support via PPID in their submission and the MFi provider needs to list the bundle ID so Apple can cross-reference it. For more information see Apple's MFi Program site.