How can I reserve an iPhone app name in apple's developer portal?

Question

I want to reserve an app name that I intend to build out over the next 90 days, how do I do this in apple\'s web developer portal?

Answer 1

You don't do it in the Developer Portal, you do it in iTunes Connect.

1. Log in using your developer credentials

2. Click Manage Applications

3. Click Add New Application

4. Complete the basic information, including the app name

Answer 2

Update 2015:

The limit of 180 days is now gone, Apple dropped the cap this year - You can read the full licence here, gone.

Also, you may have noticed that the app name expiring topic is gone from the contact us question tree in iTunes Connect.

That being said, as you can see in the declaration:

You will not, directly or indirectly, commit ... (e.g., submitting fraudulent reviews of Your own Application or any third party application, choosing a name for Your Application that is substantially similar to the name of a third party application in order to create consumer confusion, or squatting on application names to prevent legitimate third party use.

This lets us suppose that if you haven't updated your binary for a looong time and someone wants to use the same name, chances are that if they ask for it, they will get it, but yeah, technically speaking, you don't need to worry about this anymore.

Update 2014:

As stated in the iOS Developer Library, the limit is now 180 days:

Note: After you create your app and assign it a name, you have 180 days to deliver a binary or else your app will be deleted from iTunes Connect so that the app name is free for use by the developer community. Per section 3.2 of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement, squatting on an app name to prevent legitimate third-party use is prohibited. For information about email alerts you will receive to remind you of this policy, see “App Name Expiry.”

Answer 3

You can add the application as suggested above. And about app name reservation here is my answer.

After creating your app and it is in the state Prepare For Upload or Waiting For Upload, you have 180 days (6 months) from your creation date in iTunes Connect to deliver a binary to Apple. If you do not deliver a binary before the 180-day deadline, your app is deleted from iTunes Connect. As a result of this deletion, your app name can be used by another developer and you cannot reuse the app name, SKU or bundle ID.

I got this information from apple documentation and the link is

http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnect_Guide/8_AddingNewApps/AddingNewApps.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011225-CH13-SW1

Search for "App Name Expiry" and it leads you to the required page.

I hope this helps all of us.

Answer 4

TUTORIAL: RESERVE YOUR APP NAME FOREVER

1. Log in to https://itunesconnect.apple.com
2. Click Manage Your Apps
3. Click Add New Application
4. Complete the basic information, including the app name
5. Upload temporary icons and screenshots (for iPhone 4 & iPhone 5)
6. Change the app status to “Waiting for Upload”
7. Create a very simple app and use the new bundle ID
8. Submit the App to the App Store for Review (as you normally would)
9. After the status has changed to “Waiting for Review” go into iTunes Connect
10. Click Manage Your Apps > View Details > Binary Details
11. Click Reject this Binary

This will set the status of your application to “Developer Rejected”. Since you have successfully submitted a binary and had a “Waiting for Review” status it can sit in that status forever, therefore your app name is parked forever! Apple considers it a “real” app since it was officially submitted. So now sit on your great app name until you’re ready to finish development.

(Source 1, Source 2)

Answer 5

Go to iTunes Connect, then Manage Your Apps, then Add New App.

Create an App with placeholder data (you'll need screenshots, real or temporary).

If you don't upload an associated production [App Store] distribution App within 90 days, you'll lose the right to use that name forever.

Cyber-squatting on an App name you don't make use of is bad form.

If you decide you don't want to use the name, please delete it and free it up to someone who will.

Answer 6

In iTunes Connect, go to Manage Your Apps and then Add New App. You can choose a name and enter other relevant information, but not upload binaries at this point. You'll also be able to set a release date in the future.