June 2020 Summaries

At WWDC 2020, Apple introduced several enhancements to simplify the process of configuring and testing in-app purchases for iOS apps through new tools and features in Xcode. These updates include the StoreKitTest.framework, which integrates with XCTest for unit and UI tests, enabling developers to simulate various purchase scenarios like refunds, cancellations, and interruptions in a new Local StoreKit environment. The introduction of the StoreKit Configuration File allows developers to configure SKProducts directly from Xcode for testing, simulating features previously only testable in production. Additionally, the iOS Simulator now supports testing purchases without a physical device, and new subscription management options in the developer sandbox enable thorough on-device testing. These advancements aim to enhance app quality and developer efficiency by providing a more robust testing framework for in-app purchases.

Tyler Hall, an experienced developer with extensive expertise in Apple's StoreKit since its inception, discusses his experience implementing subscriptions with and without RevenueCat, highlighting the challenges and efficiencies of both approaches. He describes how building an app's StoreKit logic took roughly two full-time weeks due to his background and the goal of making the system flexible for future updates, while server-side validation was managed by a single NodeJS engineer. Hall emphasizes the complexities of Apple's infrastructure and documentation, recounting how his prior code reuse saved time, but starting from scratch would be daunting due to undocumented quirks. He explains that simple integrations like Slack notifications are quick, but deeper integrations or data analysis tools could be time-consuming without existing solutions. Hall advocates for using RevenueCat, noting its cost-effectiveness, time savings, and domain expertise compared to building from scratch—illustrated by his own quick integration of RevenueCat into a personal project, which allowed him to complete a financial transaction setup in under 90 minutes.