• Overview
• Getting Started
• SDK Installation
  • Using SwiftPM
  • Using CocoaPods
  • Manual installation
  • Objective-C
• SDK Setup
  • Swift
  • Objective-C
  • About params
• Swift & Xcode versions support
• Advanced concepts

Applivery iOS SDK is a Framework to support Applivery.com Mobile App distribution for iOS Apps.

With Applivery you can massively distribute your iOS Apps (both Ad-hoc or In-House/Enterprise) through a customizable distribution site with no need of your users have to be registered in the platform. Combined with Apple Developer Enterprise Program and Enterprise certificates, Applivery is perfect not only for beta testing distribute to your QA team, but also for In-House Enterprise distribution for beta testing users, prior to a release, or even for corporative Apps to the employees of a company.

• Automatic OTA Updates when uploading new versions to Applivery.

• Force update if App version is lower than the minimum version configured in Applivery.

• Employee authentication. You can login yours employees in order to track analytics of installations, block app usage, to know who sent a feedback or report, etc..

• Send feedback. Your test users can report bugs or suggest improvements by:

  • Taking a screenshot (triggers feedback by default). On iOS 15.0+, users can also annotate the screenshot before sending it.
  • Recording a video for better context.

  A bottom sheet will be displayed allowing the user to choose between sending a screenshot or recording a video. This behavior is enabled by default and managed through the EventDetector class, which listens for system screenshot events.

  If you want to disable this feature entirely, you can use:

  applivery.disableFeedback()

First of all, you should create an account on Applivery.io and then add a new Application.

API TOKEN: that identifies and grants access to your account in order to use the SDK.

You can get your API TOKEN in your App -> Settings -> API Auth section.

(RECOMMENDED)

In the Xcode menu, you just need to open “File -> Add Package Dependencies...” and enter the Github url: https://github.com/applivery/applivery-ios-sdk.git

then we recommend to configure the dependency rule as "Up to next major version" (4.0.0 < 5.0.0).

At this point, you should choose one of the following sdk versions:

• Applivery
• AppliveryDynamic

Select Applivery if your app is for internal use only. For example, an in-house business app for your employees (your not going to upload it to the Appstore). This is a static version of the library.

Publish an app with the Applivery SDK in the Appstore is forbidden and your build may be rejected at review process. You should manually delete Applivery each time you upload to the Appstore, or you can use the AppliveryDynamic framework and excluding it at build time.

Select AppliveryDynamic if you are using Applivery for internal beta testing and eventually you are going to upload a build to the Appstore. With this dynamic framework version, you could dynamically exclude applivery when compiling a build for the Appstore.

First add the framework with "Embed & Sign" flag (under "<Your Target>" -> "General" -> "Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content") and be sure that it is included in "Build Phases" -> "Embed Frameworks"

Then change the linking option from required to optional in "Build Phases" -> "Link Binary With Libraries"

Now, you can exclude AppliveryDynamic.framework in the "Exclude Source Filenames" build option for your appstore configuration in the build settings. Alternatively to this step, if your are using xcconfig files (this is our recommendation) you can ignore the framework adding the following line to your xcconfig:

EXCLUDED_SOURCE_FILE_NAMES = AppliveryDynamic.framework

Finally you may also exclude source code that invokes applivery methods at build time using Swift macros. For example:

#if !APPSTORE && !DEBUG
import Applivery
#endif

struct AppliveryWrapper {

  func setup() {
#if !APPSTORE && !DEBUG
    let applivery = AppliverySDK.shared
    applivery.logLevel = .info
    applivery.start(token: APPLIVERY_TOKEN, appStoreRelease: false)
#endif
	}

}

The lines between the #if macros will not compile (as they wouldn't exists) if you are compiling for a build configuration that has those Swift Compiler - Custom Flags (you can add/edit them in the Build settings)

You can find a tutorial about dynamically excluding Applivery for an AppStore scheme here

Beware if you are using a script for removing simulator slices of dynamic frameworks like this. Xcode only build the framework for the configuration selected, so when archiving a release configuration, no simulator slice is generated inside the framework and the script may fail or remove the applivery framework itself. You should ignore AppliveryDynamic in this kind of scripts

(deprecated)

Install the ruby gem

gem install cocoapods

Add the following line to your's Podfile

project '<Your Project Name>.xcodeproj'

# Uncomment the next line to define a global platform for your project
# platform :ios, '11.0'
# use_frameworks!  # Starting from v3.2 you can use applivery as a static framework, leave this line commented if you wish
target '<Your Target Name>' do
  pod 'Applivery', '~> 4.5'
end

and then run pod install. More info about CocoaPods here

At your application start up (for example in the AppDelegate) add the following code:

First import the module:

import Applivery

and then the magic:

let applivery = AppliverySDK.shared
applivery.start(token: "YOUR_TOKEN", appStoreRelease: false)

The import:

@import Applivery;

The magic:

AppliverySDK *applivery = [AppliverySDK shared];
[applivery startWithToken:@"YOUR_TOKEN" appStoreRelease:NO];

IMPORTANT I: As you can suspect, you should replace the string YOUR_TOKEN with your token. Easy! Don't you think so?

IMPORTANT II: If you are experimenting problems submitting your app to the AppStore, please check this known issue about Embedded Frameworks and AppStore submissions

• token: Your app token
• appStoreRelease: (DEPRECATED - You should not upload a build with Applivery to the Appstore)

The compatibility version is as follow:

The AppliveryService protocol defines the core interface for interacting with the Applivery iOS SDK. It is implemented by AppliverySDK.shared and provides all the main configuration, update, feedback, and user management features. This protocol is available since version 4.5.0.

AppliveryService exposes properties and methods to:

• Control log verbosity (logLevel)
• Customize SDK appearance (palette)
• Localize SDK strings (textLiterals)
• Start the SDK and configure it (start)
• Check for updates and trigger update flows
• Bind/unbind users for analytics and feedback
• Present feedback UI
• Handle SAML authentication redirects
• Enable/disable screenshot feedback
• Control update checks in background

Set a custom log handler to capture or redirect Applivery logs. See Custom Log Handler.

Starts the Applivery SDK. Call this early in your app's lifecycle.

Parameters:

• token: Your App Token (required)
• tenant: Tenant identifier (optional)
• configuration: AppliveryConfiguration object (see AppliveryConfiguration)
• skipUpdateCheck: If true, skips the initial update check

Returns whether the app is up to date with the latest version available. This only takes into account the build number.

Downloads and installs the newest build available. Call after start().

Programmatically log in a user for analytics and feedback tracking.

Logs out a previously bound user.

Retrieves the currently bound user information as a dictionary, or nil if no user is bound.

Presents the Applivery feedback UI (form for bug reports, suggestions, etc). You can call this programmatically (e.g., on shake gesture).

Handles a redirect URL as part of the SAML authentication flow. See Handling SAML Redirect URLs.

Checks for updates and launches the update flow if available. forceUpdate ignores postponed time if true. This only takes into account the build number.

Disables listening for screenshot events to trigger feedback.

Enables listening for screenshot events to trigger feedback.

Enables or disables automatic update checks when the app returns from background.

import Applivery

let applivery: AppliveryService = AppliverySDK.shared
applivery.logLevel = .info
applivery.palette = Palette(primaryColor: .orange)
applivery.textLiterals = TextLiterals(appName: "MyApp")

applivery.setLogHandler { message, level, filename, line, funcname in
    print("[Applivery]", message)
}

applivery.start(token: "YOUR_TOKEN", tenant: nil, configuration: AppliveryConfiguration(), skipUpdateCheck: false)

if !applivery.isUpToDate() {
    applivery.update { result in
        // handle update result
    }
}

applivery.bindUser(email: "user@email.com", firstName: "John", lastName: "Doe", tags: ["beta"], onComplete: nil)
applivery.getUser { userInfo in
    print(userInfo)
}
applivery.feedbackEvent()

For more details, see the AppliveryService protocol documentation.

In some cases you'll find usefull to see what is happening inside Applivery SDK. If so, you can enable logs for debugging purposes.

applivery.logLevel = .info

applivery.logLevel = LogLevelInfo;

Possible values are:

• None: Default value. No logs will be shown. Recommended for production environments.
• Error: Only warnings and errors. Recommended for develop environments.
• Info: Errors and relevant information. Recommended for test integrating Applivery.
• Debug: Request and Responses to Applivery's server will be displayed. Not recommended to use, only for debugging Applivery.

By default, Applivery will show a feedback formulary to your users when a screenshot is detected. If you want to avoid this, you can disable it calling the following method:

applivery.disableFeedback()

[applivery disableFeedback];

Programatically login a user in Applivery. If your app has a custom login and you need to track the user in the platform. Used for know who has downloaded a build or who sent a feedback report.

applivery.bindUser(
    email: "user@email.com",  // Required
    firstName: "John",        // Optional
    lastName: "Doe",          // Optional
    tags: [ios, testers]      // Optional
)

Logout a previously binded user

applivery.unbindUser()

You can customize the update process to be fully controlled by your app. In order to achive that, first you must disable automatic updates in the settings of your app in Applivery's dashboard. Then you can use the following SDK methods:

func isUpToDate() -> Bool

With this function you can check if application is updated to the latest version available.

self.applivery.update { result in
            switch result.type {
            case .success:
                print("Success")
            case .error:
		print("Error: \(result.error)")
		/// or you can handle the error
                switch result.error {
                case .authRequired:
                    /// More cases bellow
                default:
                    print("Error: \(result.error)")
                }
            }
        }

[[AppliverySDK shared] updateOnResult:^(UpdateResult * _Nonnull result) {
            switch (result.type) {
                case UpdateResultTypeSuccess:
                    NSLog(@"Success");
                case UpdateResultTypeError:
                    NSLog(@"Error: %ld", (long)result.error);
            }
        }];

Use this method to download and install the newest build available.

You can create a new instance of Palette class and assign it to AppliverySDK.shared.palette

AppliverySDK.shared.palette = Palette(
    primaryColor: .orange,
    secondaryColor: .white,
    primaryFontColor: .white,
    secondaryFontColor: .black,
    screenshotBrushColor: .green
)

The SDK has Applivery's colors by default so, if you only need to change the primary color, yo can do this:

AppliverySDK.shared.palette = Palette(
    primaryColor: .orange,
)

Or even directly change the property

AppliverySDK.shared.palette.primaryColor = .orange

• primaryColor: Main color of your brand
• secondaryColor: Background color
• primaryFontColor: Primary font color. It should be in contrast with the primary color
• secondaryFontColor: Secondary font color. It should be in contrast with the secondary color
• screenshotBrushColor: In the feedback's view, users can edit the screenshot to draw lines on top of it. By default, these lines are red, but you are allowed to change the color to fit better with your application's color palette.

You can customize the SDK string literals to fit your app.

AppliverySDK.shared.textLiterals = TextLiterals(
    appName: "Applivery",
    alertButtonCancel: "Cancel",
    alertButtonRetry: "Retry",
    alertButtonOK: "OK",
    errorUnexpected: "Unexpected error",
    errorInvalidCredentials: "Invalid credentials",
    errorDownloadURL: "Couldn't start download. Invalid url",
    otaUpdateMessage: "There is a new version available for download. Do you want to update to the latest version?",
    alertButtonLater: "Later",
    alertButtonUpdate: "Update",
    forceUpdateMessage: "Sorry this App is outdated. Please, update the App to continue using it",
    buttonForceUpdate: "Update now",
    feedbackButtonClose: "Close",
    feedbackButtonAdd: "Add Feedback",
    feedbackButtonSend: "Send Feedback",
    feedbackSelectType: "Select type",
    feedbackTypeBug: "Bug",
    feedbackTypeFeedback: "Feedback",
    feedbackMessagePlaceholder: "Add a message",
    feedbackAttach: "Attach Screenshot",
    loginInputUser: "user",
    loginInputPassword: "password",
    loginButton: "Login",
    loginMessage: "Login is required!",
    loginInvalidCredentials: "Wrong username or password, please, try again",
    loginSessionExpired: "Your session has expired. Please, log in again"
)

The SDK has literals by default so, if you only need to change the update messages, yo can do this:

AppliverySDK.shared.textLiterals = TextLiterals(
    appName: "MyApp",
    otaUpdateMessage: "There is a new version available for download. Do you want to update to the latest version?",
    forceUpdateMessage: "Sorry this App is outdated. Please, update the App to continue using it"
)

Or even directly change the property

AppliverySDK.shared.textLiterals.appName: "MyApp"
AppliverySDK.shared.textLiterals.otaUpdateMessage: "There is a new version available for download. Do you want to update to the latest version?"
AppliverySDK.shared.textLiterals.forceUpdateMessage: "Sorry this App is outdated. Please, update the App to continue using it"

Important: The default literals are only in english. Consider to set localized strings to fully support all languages your app does.

In this case, the solution is as simple as add this script in "New Run Script Phase". You'll find inside Build Phases tab.

If you need to point the Applivery SDK to a custom server host—for example, for testing purposes or to use a private instance—you can now configure it directly through the SDK's start method. Follow the steps below to set up a custom host:

Ensure you have the Applivery SDK imported in your project:

import Applivery

In your application code, where you initialize the Applivery SDK (typically in your AppDelegate or SceneDelegate), modify the start method to include the custom host parameters if needed.

import Applivery

let applivery = AppliverySDK.shared
applivery.start(token: appToken, tenant: "YOUR_TENANT")

• token: Your Applivery APP token (required).
• tenant: Your Applivery tenant ID (optional).
  If you do not specify a value for the tenant parameter, the SDK will use the default Applivery host.

Below is an updated README section including instructions on how to configure a custom host and handle redirect URLs within your iOS app using the Applivery SDK.

When integrating SAML authentication, your app may receive a redirect URL once the user completes the authentication with the SAML Identity Provider. The Applivery SDK provides a method to handle this redirect and proceed with the authentication flow.

1. Open your app's Info section > URL Types.
2. Add a new URL Type entry.
3. Set the URL Schemes field to the scheme your SAML provider uses to redirect back to your app with applivery-(your bundle id replacing the dots by dashes) in URL Schemes field. e.g if the bundle of your app is com.example.myAwesomeApp the url type would be: applivery-com-example-myAwesomeApp

Implement the following method in your AppDelegate:

func application(_ app: UIApplication,
                 open url: URL,
                 options: [UIApplication.OpenURLOptionsKey : Any] = [:]) -> Bool {
    // Pass the URL to the Applivery SDK handler
    AppliverySDK.shared.handleRedirectURL(url: url)
    return true
}

If your project uses SceneDelegate, you should implement the URL handling here:

func scene(_ scene: UIScene, openURLContexts URLContexts: Set<UIOpenURLContext>) {
    guard let url = URLContexts.first?.url else { return }
    // Pass the URL to the Applivery SDK handler
    AppliverySDK.shared.handleRedirectURL(url: url)
}

In addition to controlling the verbosity via logLevel, you can capture Applivery SDK logs by providing a custom log handler. This allows you to integrate the logs into your own logging system or send them to a remote server for analysis.

import Applivery

// ...

// Somewhere early in the app's lifecycle, e.g., AppDelegate or SceneDelegate
let applivery = AppliverySDK.shared

// Set a custom log handler
applivery.setLogHandler { message, level, filename, line, funcname in
    // You can filter logs by level or reformat them
    if level <= LogLevel.info.rawValue {
        print("[Applivery INFO] - \(message)")
    } else {
        print("[Applivery ERROR] - \(message)")
    }
}

// Optionally set the logLevel to print more or less data
applivery.logLevel = .info

@import Applivery;

// ...

AppliverySDK *applivery = [AppliverySDK shared];

// Set a custom log handler
[applivery setLogHandler:^(NSString * _Nonnull message,
                           NSInteger level,
                           NSString * _Nonnull filename,
                           NSInteger line,
                           NSString * _Nonnull funcname) {
    // For example, only display log messages that are .info or below
    if (level <= LogLevelInfo) {
        NSLog(@"[Applivery INFO] - %@", message);
    } else {
        NSLog(@"[Applivery ERROR] - %@", message);
    }
}];

// Optionally set the logLevel to print more or less data
applivery.logLevel = LogLevelInfo;

• message: The actual log message from the SDK.
• level: The log level as an integer. Compare against LogLevel enum values to filter or handle logs differently.
• filename: The name of the file where the log message originated (for debugging).
• line: The line number in the file where the log message originated (for debugging).
• funcname: The function name from which the log message was sent (for debugging).

You can implement any desired behavior within this handler, such as sending logs to a remote logging service, filtering them by level, or integrating them with an existing logging framework.

The AppliveryConfiguration object allows you to customize the behavior of the SDK at runtime, such as authentication enforcement or delaying update prompts.

import Applivery

let config = AppliveryConfiguration(
    postponedTimeFrames: [60, 300, 600], // Delays in seconds before retrying update prompts
    enforceAuthentication: true          // Require user authentication before SDK usage
)

If you're using Objective-C, you must use the dedicated NSNumber-based initializer:

#import <Applivery/Applivery-Swift.h>

NSArray<NSNumber *> *timeFrames = @[@60, @300, @600];
AppliveryConfiguration *config = [[AppliveryConfiguration alloc] initWithPostponedTimeFramesNSNumber:timeFrames
                                                                              enforceAuthentication:YES];

Note: When using Objective-C, the initializer is named initWithPostponedTimeFramesNSNumber:enforceAuthentication: to avoid conflicts with the Swift-native initializer.

If no configuration is provided, the SDK will use the default one:

let defaultConfig = AppliveryConfiguration()

You can also use the static empty property:

let config = AppliveryConfiguration.empty