Hi, I am a 'Newbie" working on my first app. My iPhone 6S had a software update to iOS v13.5 last night. This meant I had to update Xcode to version 11.5 to synchronise with the updated device.
However, each time I build my app to run on my actual phone (as opposed to other simulated devices) the system throws up the attached error saying that the maximum number of “free apps” has been exceeded even though I only have one app under development.
How do I overcome this? Maybe I have to pay Apple the $99 developer fee?
I think you have pretty much answered your own question.
You are limited to the number of Apps you can create within a 7 day window and (if I am correct) the limit is 10 within a walking 7 day period. So if you create 10 Apps in 1 day then you have too wait 8 days before you can create any more. Pretty frustrating but then Xcode is free.
You could use a previous App “body” by removing all the code within it but then most people don’t like to lose what they have written.
The solution is a paid Developer account which allows you to create as many Apps as you like and install as many as you like on your real device.
I reckon $99 is a pretty good deal but that all depends on your financial circumstances.
I have now found from posts on Stack Overflow that the limit for free app creation is now only 3 apps (including any "offloads’). It is strange as I only have 1 app and I have deleted all associated files and backups but still get the same error. There were some solutions listed on Stack Overflow but each of these is too complex for a “Newbie” like me.
However, you are correct - the $99 paid Developer Account is well worth it to have a program such as Xcode and in any case I will need this when I eventually submit my app to Apple.
I don’t know what your plans are for the future in terms of if you are considering a Developer career but you will certainly enjoy the journey no matter if you choose to learn UIKit and Storyboards first or start with SwiftUI.
SwiftUI is certainly the future of App Development on Apple platforms but it is new and market penetration has only been for 12 months whereas UIKit and Storyboards have been around for many years and represent the vast majority of Apps in the marketplace that will need to be maintained. So my point is that companies who have a large UIKit codebase are still going to be looking for Developers who have UIKit experience so I would certainly be learning UIKit and then have a crack at learning SwitfUI.
I really like SwiftUI and have been using it since mid last October and I followed the Paul Hudson “100 Days of SwiftUI” course which I highly recommend.
I suspect that most complains will begin to build Apps with SwiftUI at some point but that wholesale change is some years off yet. Indie Developers and startups are a different story and are more likely to dive in straight up with SwiftUI.
Ha, Ha! Im too old to take up a new career as a Developer!
I retired some time ago from my old job as a Medical Scientist where I used to work with medical lasers. However, I had an idea for an app that could help medics during their consultations with clients. The medic inputs various pieces of client data using “pickers” and “sliders” presented via a series of ViewControllers. The app then creates a report which will help the clinician decide on the laser settings to use etc. The final stage of the app (which I am still working on) is the ability to print the report for the clinic’s records.
I chose UIKit and Storyboards to build the app because I felt it was easier to see a graphical representation of the app as it was being created rather than coding everything programmatically.
However, I know that SwiftUI will be the way forward as my son is an iOS Developer for a Financial Security company and he thinks SwiftUI is great!
I just signed up for the paid Developer Account with Apple and this has of course solved the issue of the limited number of apps. Hopefully, I can now finish my app in the coming weeks.
Hi Eddi,
Unfortunately, the only way I solved my problem was to pay Apple the $99 developer fee. However, as Chris Parker (who responded to my question) pointed out, I would eventually have needed to pay the fee to publish my app in any case. Also the Xcode software is an awesome piece of software even if it does have occasional glitches! So I think you may just have to “bite the bullet”!
All the best,
Rhys
