How much money I’m making from my first iOS app and the mistakes I’ve made so far.

My first iOS app went live on the Apple Store in September 2020 just 4 and a half months after opening Xcode for the first time :/

Of course I had learnt a lot (Obviously not an expert, but I had made an app , damn!)

The app was built with UIKit … (I kind of wish I’d started with SwiftUI, but that’s another story).

I’d heard lots of scary stories about the Apple App review, but I have had few issues myself (lucky maybe?) I was approved first time but have had rejections since, but nothing too complicated to fix.

Without really knowing it at the time I had entered an extremely saturated part of the app market for QR Code generator apps (Tip: don’t build a QR Code generator app), I even went more niche and created mine for WiFi QRCodes … (is it niche when it isn’t successful ?)

Of course I thought my app was different, and I didn’t do any of things that I would do now in terms of viability and profitability of the app. In some ways my app does do a few things that others don’t, but not enough, and I don’t believe anything could save a QR Code app (although I still have a few ideas for trying)

OK, so to the numbers …

Translated into 6 languages. (Translating apps is a great way to get more eyes on it, I now know that the German market really like QR Codes/ WiFi)

Current version 5.4

6130 units downloads (as of February 2022), an average of 11 downloads a day. The app currently has around 30 downloads a day at the moment.

59 In app purchases @ 0.99 Euros (yes, you read correctly) …. less than 0.1 % adoption rate… this is a one time IAP for removing ads.

So talking of ads, I worked out how to use Google Admob and a month after added quite a discreet banner at the bottom of my app. I promptly got banned for clicking on my own ads 🙂 That was for about a month then I was allowed back on once I promised not to click on my own banners.

(During that time I tried out MoPub an Admob alternative, it wasn’t great)

So as the image below shows I haven’t made an awful amount from ads either.

Continue reading this article from James Tapping @ iOS Dev Newbie