5:06 PM MDT July 4, 2012 >> The Lite version has moved to “In Review”
If you want the whole spiel, with 400+ comments (and my answers to a lot of questions), you can read the original status update.
This is for those people that read the blog via RSS and don’t want to manually go back and check the blog.
Both YNAB for iPhone and YNAB for iPhone Lite are still “Waiting for Review.” They were submitted originally on June 15.
We received a rejection for YNAB for iPhone late on June 25th telling us that we couldn’t include a 30-day moneyback guarantee in our app description. We immediately pulled it and resubmitted with new metadata. According to Apple, the submission did not put us to the back of the line because no new binary was required.
That same day, late in the evening, we received a rejection for YNAB for iPhone Lite, telling us we needed to include a video demoing the Cloud Sync feature. We made a quick video, uploaded it to YouTube, and shared the video link in our reviewer instructions. We also made a second video demoing YNAB for iPhone and included that in its reviewer instructions (just in case the reviewer asked for that later, we didn’t want to delay the process by having to make another round trip).
It’s now July 1 and both apps are still sitting at Waiting for Review. We are guessing Apple is simply backlogged and that it’s not something fundamentally wrong with the apps. This guess stems from the fact that the apps aren’t sitting for a long time in the review process, but rather waiting in line for the scrutiny.
We have no best guess for when they’ll be approved. Our best guess (based on Apple’s reporting) was that we had a 98% chance of approval in five business days. We now can no longer venture any guess at all. In our experience, this is unprecedented.
We apologize for the delay of the iPhone’s availability.
Jesse, is the dropbox integration a custom designed process? Also, for the dropbox integration I am seeing changes to Dropbox without YNAB running.
Scratch that. The wife was in it while I was at work.
At least next time you know not to announce a new release until Apple have approved the app!
Yes, please! I would have already paid you $40 if you that was possible. I’m delaying simply because the app is so central to our workflow, and I can’t give up that functionality just to have the new features and look/feel.
It may be much more complicated than it sounds, I recognize that; but if it’s something you’ve considered, go ahead and put in 2 “yes” votes!
I appreciate the frequent updates.
Thanks for the updates, it sounds like it’s mostly out of your control. The iPhone app is essential for me, but I can live without it for a week or two. We are under a temporary “receipt” policy at our house for a little while.
Thanks for keeping us up to date.
One odd thing: I can’t seem to find the old (current) version of YNAB for iPhone on the App Store. Could it be that I’m going through the German App Store?
Hi Andreas, we pulled the current version from the app store because the old one doesn’t gracefully sync with YNAB 4. We didn’t want to cause more confusion.
Jesse, thanks for your answer. I don’t really mind waiting a few days.
Yes, thank you for continuing to letting us know why the iPhone ap is delayed. Can hardly wait!!!
If we have paid for iPhone YNAB will the update just show up as an update? Then I will just keep checking for updates and not this blog. Thanks. Love the new changes so far.
Yeah, it’ll just show up as a free update.
Hi Jesse,
You learned not to depend on app review process in the worst moment. I know that’s late to advice, but you should have the app approved and then make the announcements.
Besides that, I think that everything using “cloud sync” features other than iCloud, goes under “extra” scrutinit; mostly because many of these services require account creation or paid services, all outside Apple’s control.
I’m YNAB fan and holding YNAB upgrade (desktop) until iPhone app is released.
I’d hope it’s not too far off approval. I’ve had updates for various other apps today so they must be working their way through them. For now I’m just entering what I spend as soon as I get home.
Hi Jesse
What are you going to do if it rejected again or it drags on past the 34 day trial a lot of users are no doubt on?
Have you got thoughts on how your going to compensate people because your 30 day cash back offer rule. This should only be in place with use of the appas well as YNAB 4.
YNAB 4 is great but without a functional app its is a very expensive upgrade that most users would not have paid for.
I have no doubt things will be fine but Apple are very strict and this could drag on. All the time it drags on its damages your business very quickly. The pat you on the back squad will soon desert you.
Other customers like me who think you made a major fundamental mistake will look elsewhere; how good your product is.
Your feedback is great but I have not seen comments or advise about customers getting their cash back if this drags on.
Dale
If anyone wants a refund, we’d provide it, most definitely. If we drag past the 34-day trial we’d issue extension keys to everyone so they could keep running it until the app is approved.
Jesse, that was a very gracious response.
Dale, you’re an idiot.
Luckily for me, Jesse, I don’t have to be as gracious as you. :) If someone will switch to different software just because of APPLE’S slow response, and hold you responsible for APPLE’S slow response, then they’re not worth having as customers anyway.
Signed,
A long-term YNAB devotee who is waiting (somewhat) patiently for the iPhone snafu to be worked through but wouldn’t switch back to Quicken if paid to.
@Dale
Really?… you would change over from YNAB to a rival piece of software, just because Apple are late reviewing an app – no matter how good the product is…
Really?…
@Dale
Haha… I’d have to agree with Lee on this one. I don’t know if the ‘pat on the back squad will soon desert you [YNAB]‘. I sure won’t be!
Ok, let’s be realistic here. Maybe you’re right, Dale. If it takes Apple a year or something, then yes, some might desert YNAB — maybe even me. Doubt we’d be crossing that bridge because I’m pretty sure we won’t ‘get there’ :p
I think I’d desert apple before YNAB. If you drop hundreds of dollars on a piece of hardware like the iPhone, you should be allowed to install whatever you damned please on it! So sick of this tightly controlled ecosystem BS!
And for those who claim it’s ‘for maintaining a consistent experience’ I call shenanigans! Let people who want to be free of the tyranny do what they want with their hardware! It’s like the exact opposite of Apple’s 1984 Mac commercial! They’ve become the oppressor they were portraying as the enemy back then!
Lol. I am taking a nice relaxing camping trip and maybe by next week Apple will approve the app. No budgeting needed till then. To all God Bless and have a great Forth of July!
Thanks!
Ha! We are camping, too and we’re just plugging along as we’d planned to before the announcement of YNAB4 (entering it all on one phone to sync when we get home. It’s not like 3 is broken.
Just finished camping over the weekend. Had hoped to come back to the release but no dice. Thanks for the frequent status updates, it makes all the difference
Funny, we just returned from camping over the weekend. I was glad to not have any transactions until the iPhone app would definitely be out. Oh well. :)
Perhaps if we all went camping for a few weeks?! ;-)
You can try to ask them to make a review more quickly by sending email with explanations to appreview@apple.com
We made it once and it was helpful. Review took only 2 days.
We’ve made two requests since our submission and have been denied both times :(
I found this “explanation” of the Apple App approval process. I know it’s obviously satirical, but still, it makes you wonder:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/165880/step_by_step_apples_app_store_approval_process.html
Good luck with it and thank you GREATLY for the updates!
Awesome! I’ve heard similar things from people trying to get things listed in iTunes. Never trust the estimated waiting times!
Think it will help or hurt if we also write in and ask for it to be reviewed more quickly?
Honestly, I don’t think it would help any. I just think they’re swamped.
Boo Apple. Oh well. Works awesome on Android!
The app is a definite plus when it’s ready. We’ve been using my wife’s Android app and it has been great to see her updates get pushed to my laptop and vice versa. You guys are great.
Thanks for heads up! Good luck with Apple
It looks like the old version of YNAB is not in the app store anymore – not sure if this is a promising sign or not
We pulled it so it wouldn’t cause more confusion, since it doesn’t work with YNAB 4 (gracefully).
I can’t really complain (I squeaked in with the free YNAB 4 upgrade; if y’all had delayed it for the iPhone approval it might have cost me, ha!). Fingers crossed it happens soon. In the meantime I don’t really think hanging on to the receipts and updating them is that much more cumbersome than syncing with YNAB 3 was… it’ll make me appreciate cloud sync all the more.
Kudos to you! Haha
I’m just maintaining both YNAB 3 and 4 (entering transactions both places) and keeping them in balance until the iPhone app for 4 is released. That way I can still enter transactions in the old app and sync with 3, then I just manually enter them in 4. Not that difficult really.
Larry, you may find you can sync to YNAB4 with the YNAB3 app, there’s a thread running on it in the iPhone forum.
Hi Nancy, where is this discussion? I couldn’t find it.
Hi there, my apologies – it’s in the YNAB 4 forum, not the iPhone one.
http://www.youneedabudget.com/forum/ynab-f96/any-way-can-synch-iphone-with-ynab4-t16885.html
Just wanted to follow-up some of the hundreds of comments bashing Apple–with some praise for them.
I’m GLAD they don’t just let anything and anyone through to the App Store. I appreciate that they take the time to take at look at the guts of the apps that are submitted. Heck, it’s one of the reasons why many of us have the iPhone to begin with. The same driving purposes behind having to “clear” an app for sale in the App Store are the same driving purposes that made your precious iPhone a reality in the first place.
All the experiences I’ve had with other smartphone offerings, in the past and leading up to recently, only and always serve to confirm my decision to stick with Apple products for now. No the iPhone is not perfect, nor is Apple. Anyone thinking they are is a fool. However, they are successful for a reason, er, actually many reasons.
Jesse (and the rest of the team), if you read this, I just want you to know that you’ve got a faithful user of YNAB here, one who is glad you’ve made an iPhone app, one who is glad you’ve updated it to work with Y4, one who is thankful for such a platform as iOS that provides opportunities for many elegant and useful apps, and one who will gladly wait until the updated Y4 app is available, whenever that may be–even months.
Don’t worry YNAB team, I’m not going anywhere. Appreciate you guys a ton. Kudos to you for your efforts that brought YNAB to where it is today, and kudos to you for where you’ll take this excellent piece of software.
Blessings.
Good point, but the reality is that my iPad has just as many poor quality apps available as my Android. It still comes down to reading the reviews and making an informed purchase.
What Apple is doing is protecting their financial interests. Most rejections have to do with including links to outside paid services, etc. They have the right to do that, but it’s still annoying and doesn’t add value to the end user.
BTW, I’m an Apple iOS developer and use mostly Apple computers these days, so it’s not like I’m anti-Apple. Just realize that the review process is not all about the quality of the apps.
Crapple again… Thanks for updating us so detailed. This shows exactly where the fault is. It’s not just an app, it’s a very basic thing in my life to have control over my finances. If we can do ANYTHING to help you, please let us know.
Hey Jesse, is it possible at this point to provide an update to YNAB 4 that will let it import transactions from the old iPhone app?
Hi Ashwin, I hope you don’t mind if I jump in. I have been importing from my iPhone to YNAB 4 (trial version) successfully. The only issue is the information does not go back to the iPhone to update the iPhone. If you have YNAB 3, you can sync with 3 (after you did the sync with 4) to clear the iPhone of those transactions so you can start fresh.
Thanks Ruth,
The wifi sync didn’t work for me, but I did figure out how to manually enter the iPhone transactions into YNAB4 and then delete from the iPhone. I’ll just go with that route until the updated app is released.
Much obliged!
Thanks for the updates. I spent two days updating all my accounts and budgets in YNAB4, so there’s no going back. I’ll just have to wait until Apple gets to approving the app update.
Yeah, I have a bunch of errors in my ynab3 file. They all stem from me taking off budget accounts on budget. I have bunches of transactions with categories that should not be there for an on budget account. Importing into ynab4 by default turns on error checking. Even though these errors are from a long time ago (2010) I cannot get rid of them. No way to disable error checking from things long in the past. Feature request!!! Error checking isn’t always a good thing.
So, when I transition, it will be with a from scratch file :( So, I am still working with ynab3 until the mobile app is finally approved. Then I switch for good to ynab4. Lots of nice stuff with ynab4. Some gripes but overall, it is really good.
Hi Kelly,
I’m sorry Error Checking tripped you up. It’s actually a really good thing – because it makes sure you are entering things correctly so that your budget has the right information.
If you aren’t sure why things are being flagged as warnings or errors, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll work through your file with you. :)
Thanks Erin,
I knew why there were errors. I just didn’t know how to clear them. I found the answer in the forums. Transactions that needed a category (even negative ones) need to be assigned to income. Then I corrected my over/under budgeted value by creating a junk category and adding the offset in that. Then I hid that. No more errors in YNAB 4 and I still have all my historical transaction data :)
So for now, I am syncing the old mobile app with ynab 4 over wifi, then clearing them with ynab 3. Kind of clunky but it is working.
I have YNAB mobile withdrawl! I can’ t wait for the new version, as a plus since I can’t enter transactions through the mobile interface, I haven’t been spending which might not be a bad thing :)
As an iOS developer, just an FYI, this is not unprecedented. I released an app a few weeks ago and it was 11 business days until it was “In Review”. It was approved first go, but whenever there’s a rush, Apple can take a few weeks to look at things.
In our timelines for our clients we leave 4 weeks for Apple approval. If they want to compress this, we’re happy to do that, but they do so knowing that they might not hit their timings and that we can’t help speed this up in any way.
We submit it for review with a go live date as per the timeline, and if we get lucky and it happens earlier (it usually does) then we move the date forward with the client as a bonus.
I can understand exactly why you’re in the situation you’re in, and I am glad Android users get to use it now. I’m happy to wait until it gets approved. In the future, I’d have kept YNAB 4′s ability to import from the old app or pushed the launch date back, but of course hindsight is 20/20. :-)
Love what you do.
I think most of your customers (if not all of them) realise that it’s not your fault and know you are doing your best!
In the meantime, a technique I’ve been using is to keep a little piece of paper in my wallet to note down transactions while I’m away from my computer. Writing it up in the evening actually helps to build the good practice of reviewing my spending daily.
Ya, but who uses a pen and paper?! :) I think it’s amusing how dependent we all find ourselves on our iPhone for even the simplest of tasks. I’m probably the worst offender. I never use pen or paper.
how about iphone notepad and your fingers?? ;)
I don’t know how much you all are able to contact Apple for a status report, but at this point, I think that they owe you an explanation.
Thanks for keeping us updated I appreciate it :)
I’m using YNAB4, and the old iPhone app. My work around is, I still enter the receipts into the iPhone app, but once a day or so, I go through the iPhone transactions and enter them manually into YNAB4 and then delete them from the iPhone app. Thats kept things simple for me.
Hey there!
I just wanted to say thank you for the updates! Even if I can’t sync with my phone yet, I am still loving YNAB4. To be honest, not being able to just plug transactions into my phone has taught me to come home and immediately enter everything that happened while I was out. It has also made me consciously check my budget every time before I leave because I can’t just check it on the fly. It’s gotten my brain working much better on “check budget first, then spend.” So I guess thanks for that!
I feel nekked without my iPhone app…
retiring my iphone soon. my next phone is windows or droid. loving ynab4 so far! thx :)
Although I was very excited to use all the new features in YNAB4, I still have YNAB3 & it still works flawlessly with my iPhone. I appreciate the fact that Jesse is providing updates and is even replying to some of our not so nice comments. It’s unfortunate Apple is moving at a snails pace to get things approved & with the holiday we can add another few days probably to that :-(….but, I will just keep checking & in the meantime, use YNAB3.
Thanks Jesse & Team!
Is there anything we can do to push this along at Apple? Collectively sign a YNAB petition? :)
Amy, I think this was mentioned on the previous blog post and there was concern it could do more harm than good.
I’m assuming unless Apple have a sudden burst of energy this afternoon it will be after the holiday before we have any more news.
I considered that as well, but agree that it probably won’t help at this point to aggravate them further. However, if Apple comes back and rejects the app again then I’m ready to go thermonuclear:-)
That was good for a laugh. Thanks Bob :)
LOL
While I agree its hard to wait, there is a method to the madness for Apple, and one key element of this is Apples efforts to protect its customers from an open app market. Im not suggesting YNAB is a poor app, far from it. But Apple is faced with thousands of reviews, and on more than one occasion has found apps that collect private information, are plain crap, or use poor security processes. If Apple can keep the app market more robust and me more secure all the power to them, I’ll wait a few more days.
Jesse,
I completely understand that this is out of your control at this point, yet there might be a small way to gain a little focus. I have used this method sparingly before with outstanding results. Contact their media relations department:
http://www.apple.com/pr/
Remember that you are a small company in the US trying to help people all over the world focus on their budget during these tought times ;) It’s a very compelling case for them to move forward with. Let them know that you are more than happy to work with them to get this right, you just want some type of response to provide to your users.
I hope that this might help in some way. If not, at least I put it out there :)
Pingback: YNAB 4: Mobile App Status for iPhone & Android | YNAB
I have submitted feedback to Apple asking them to hurry along the process. I have little hope that it will actually help, but what the heck, it can’t hurt…
Thanks for your frequent status updates!
This is why I will not own an Apple product. Android++
As a recently converted ‘trial’ customer who’d love an iCloud sync, I’m more than impressed by the way you’re handling your customer relations – transparency with a touch of humility have won me over for good. Kudos.
I have a Kindle Fire YNAB app – when will it be updated to do cloud sync?
We don’t have a firm date for that. Probably during the next two weeks.
Just thought I’d pass along this interesting article for those who haven’t read it: http://www.cultofmac.com/177111/what-life-is-like-for-an-app-store-review-team-member-at-apple/
I’m still happy to wait for the iPhone app. It’s not a show stopper for me.
Any idea on when the update will release on the Amazon app store? My wife purchased YNAB through there but it still isn’t seeing the update apparently.
We’re hoping to get it on the Amazon store very shortly. Perhaps even by the end of the day.
All already own the app (ver 3) can you email the update???? I really need it.
You can upgrade here Kelly!
YNAB helped me so much with my financial affairs in the last years. Now its time to help YNAB.
I will wait for you YNAB – no matter how long it takes.
I miss using the app. Makes me realise how dependent I am on reconciling my budget weekly, because I never considered not doing it while the app was out of (sync) action.
Jesse – we feel your pain that this has happened when you didn’t expect it to. And there are very few people who would bolt because of it. It’s just that those who would might be more vocal about it. The rest of us wait patiently (mostly) for it to get sorted out and in the meantime we are enjoying the new desktop software. Peace everyone x
Jessie
I’m a devoted ynab follower I’m still going to be a devoted ynab follower even with this set back on apple apart on taking there time on approving the app the only thing I’m going to do is change phone I’m going to andriod
Hi jesse,
Will I have possibility do by YNAB Mobile at Russian App store?
Thanks a lot!
We push it out to every country possible, I believe.
It’s amazing how much we’ve come to rely on this great new tech in such a short period of time.
Back in the old days people kept their paper receipts in order to record their transactions, and walked a mile to school barefoot uphill both ways!
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love YNAB and the phone sync techs, etc.
But I mean come-on people.
We can survive a couple more days of entering in manually on a program that still does so much for us.
Thanks YNAB team for being patient with the process and with us!
Jesse,
Are you finding out that anyone is having problems with iOS 6 and YNAB 3 for the iPhone? I have the developers preview of iOS 6 right now and was having some syncing problems with YNAB 3.
I’m not aware of any, but will ping our iOS developer to see if he is.
Yes, we have seen one bug report of that in the forums (http://www.youneedabudget.com/forum/bug-reports-f79/ios-beta-t16623.html).
It seems that a HTTP reply is sent differently now, which irritates the sync process. I’m investigating.
Apple has made good on its ease-of-use claims for many years by controlling all aspects of its platform, both hardware and OS. Unfortunately, with IOS devices it has chosen to extend that control to application software as well. For those of you you demand appliance-like computers (yes, your iPhone is a computer) that “just work”, giving Apple complete control over your computing experience is the price you must pay for that demand. The Android platform is undeniably somewhat messier – but it’s also much freer, which is why I’m happily using YNAB 4 with my mobile app and cloud syncing today (it’s awesome, by the way).
My biggest complaint about Apple though, is the indirect pain you herds of iPhone users cause me. Because of the focus on iPhone (thanks to all of you), I’m still waiting for YNAB for Android to support transaction splitting. I’m kidding around a bit, of course, but I’ve said nothing untrue…
Maybe we all should search the App Store several times a day for YNAB until Apple gets the message and approves the app.
Ha! I’ve already been doing that constantly since I updated the very first day that Ynab4 was available.
I hope ‘Ynab’ hits thier Top10 Searches w zero results everyday until someone there prioritizes the approval.
Which was submitted first, the full or lite iPhone app?
I believe they were submitted on the same day.
life happens. you guys are doing a good job… excited for the update, when it comes!
Maybe the delay is a blessing in disguise due to the problems that have been popping up in the Appstore (and maybe the problems the Appstore has been dealing with is partly to blame for the delay as well) – wouldn’t want to update my YNAB app only to have it crash on my every time I try and launch it!
Keep up the good work and keep the updates coming Jesse!
I’d rather know what’s going on even if it’s still delayed – better than being left to wonder!
I have a problem. Periodically, I delete and reinstall the iPhone App for YNAB 3.X. I do this because it seems to alleviate flakiness in the sync process.
Well, I deleted on 7/1 assuming I could download from app store and it is gone.
Any way I can get this now??
Thanks,
Matthew
Hi Matthew,
Unfortunately it won’t be on the app store until its approved :(
You should still be able to install if you connect your phone to iTunes. I would imagine the app download is backed up through there.
Thanks. I have an older version backed up.
Matthew,
If you are on Windows 7, the one you deleted will be in your recycle bin. Assuming you have not emptied the recycle bin, you can restore it, resync and it should reinstall it. On a Mac, I would assume it would be in the trash can
.
I just downloaded YNAB Lite from the app store, sync it with my budget. I can only see my budget, however. I was wondering if the full version will be like the previous one, wherein you can see all of your accounts AND your budget? Thank You!
Yes, the full version has the familiar home screen and accounts view.