Checking Your Network Status

Networked applications need a live connection to communicate with the Internet or other nearby devices. Applications should know whether that connection exists before reaching out to send or retrieve data. Checking the network status lets the application communicate with users and explain why certain functions might be disabled.

Apple has and will reject applications that do not check the network status before providing download options to the user. Apple reviewers are trained to check whether you properly notify the user, especially in the case of network errors. Always verify your network status and alert the user accordingly.

Apple also may reject applications based on “excessive data usage.” If you plan to stream large quantities of data in your application, such as voice or data, you’ll want to test for the current connection type. Provide lower-quality data streams for users on a cell network connection and higher-quality data for users with a Wi-Fi connection. Apple has had little tolerance for applications that place high demands on cell network data. Keep in mind that unlimited data has given way to metered accounts. You can quickly alienate your users as well as Apple.