# FuelBoard App Store Submission Plan

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Target: safe App Store submission.
Companion to SECURITY.md (code security) — this file is the *review-gate*
checklist: what must happen, who owns it, and the timeline.

## Status: SUBMITTABLE after the checklist below

The two 2026-08-11 blockers are RESOLVED by P0 (live chain):
- ~~LAN relay data source~~ → **app fetches from public HTTPS
  (raw.githubusercontent.com mirror) with a bundled real 8,022-station dump
  as the no-network fallback.** No private IP in the consumer path. Reviewers
  on Apple's network see real data.
- ~~Always-location risk~~ → **Always is requested only when the user enables
  Alerts** (ProximityMonitor escalates WhenInUse → Always on alert opt-in).
  Onboarding requests WhenInUse only.

## Hard blockers (must happen before ANY submission)

1. **[USER] Apple Developer Program membership** — the app has never been
   signed (all builds are `CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO` + ad-hoc re-sign for
   SideStore). Requires a paid membership ($99/yr, up to 48 h to approve) and
   a developer account.
2. **[USER] Register App ID `com.apt.fuelboard`** in the developer portal,
   with the **App Group `group.com.apt.fuelboard`** capability enabled (the
   widget + app-group cache depend on it).
3. **[ME] `PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy`** — REQUIRED for all submissions since
   May 2024; the repo has none. Add to the app target (Xcode can generate;
   must declare location-data reasons + any required-reason APIs used).
4. **[ME] Real Distribution signing** — Distribution certificate + App Store
   provisioning profile (or Xcode automatic signing once the account is in
   Xcode); then `xcodebuild archive` (no more `CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO`).
5. **[USER] Privacy policy URL** in App Store Connect — mandatory; the app
   collects location. A one-page GitHub Pages privacy policy is fine.

## Required tasks — owner [ME] (technical, do after account exists)

- [ ] PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy (blocker #3 above)
- [ ] Distribution archive + TestFlight upload
- [ ] Bump version: `CFBundleShortVersionString 1.0.1` / `CFBundleVersion 2`
- [ ] OGL attribution + "prices updated twice daily" footnote in
      Settings → About (2.3.1 hygiene; data is 12 h-cache, UI says "cheapest")
- [ ] Out-of-UK empty state: reviewer may not be in the UK → friendlier copy
      than "No X stations found." (explain UK-only data + browse-all option)
- [ ] Optional hardening: gate the dev-only surface (Settings Debug section,
      `fuelboard.relayFallback`, FuelBeacon, relay IP) behind `#if DEBUG` so
      the Release binary ships clean — currently Release contains the hidden
      dev flag + a private IP string (no credentials, but a "test build"
      smell; not a rejection risk on its own)
- [ ] Final pass: `swift test` green (95 tests), archive smoke test on device
- [ ] Capture screenshots from simulator (6.7″ 1290×2796 required; 6.5″
      1242×2688 recommended) for App Store Connect

## Required tasks — owner [USER] (App Store Connect, cannot be done by me)

- [ ] Apple Developer Program membership + App ID (blockers #1–#2)
- [ ] App Store Connect app record: name, bundle ID `com.apt.fuelboard`,
      category (Utilities), pricing (Free), availability (UK first?)
- [ ] Description, keywords, support URL, marketing URL, privacy policy URL
- [ ] Privacy nutrition labels questionnaire (location: yes, linked to user
      for alerts/nearby; diagnostics: yes — the widget-diag beacon, not
      linked, not used for tracking; no ATT prompt needed)
- [ ] Age rating questionnaire (4+; no objectionable content)
- [ ] Export compliance: HTTPS-only + keychain → standard encryption
      exemption (5A992a), no documentation needed
- [ ] Approve the TestFlight build and do a real-device pass before submit
- [ ] Final "Submit for Review" click + stand by to answer review questions

## Review notes (copy-paste into App Store Connect)

> FuelBoard shows the cheapest petrol, diesel, and premium fuel near the user
> using the UK government Fuel Finder dataset (Open Government Licence).
> Prices are downloaded from the internet up to twice a day; the app filters
> 5/10/15-mile radii on-device and works offline from a bundled snapshot.
> Location is used to (a) rank stations by distance and (b) power the
> optional Alerts feature: when the user enables alerts, the app geofences
> the cheapest station in their radius and sends a notification when they
> approach it. Always-location is requested only when the user enables
> alerts. The app also provides a home-screen widget showing the current
> cheapest station nearby, and a price-history Trends chart for starred
> stations. All data is UK-wide (Fuel Finder covers England, Scotland, and
> Wales); users outside the UK see an empty state explaining this.

## Review risks (know before submitting)

- **Always-location (5.1.1)** — the #1 question. The feature is visible
  (Alerts tab) and opt-in; the review notes above say so explicitly.
- **Reviewer outside the UK** — empty radius; mitigated by the empty-state
  task above + review notes.
- **"Cheapest" claims (2.3.1)** — mitigated by the OGL/footnote task.
- **Live Activities** — reviewers may ask why; answer: price alerts at a
  glance. It is declared in the plist already.
- **Brand logos (Shell, BP, Tesco…)** — Simple Icons (CC0) + Wikimedia,
  nominative use (cf. GasBuddy); low risk, keep sources documented.
- **GitHub raw as data source** — public data, no credentials; bundled dump
  covers any regional GitHub unreachability.

## Timeline (best case)

| Day | Owner | Milestone |
|-----|-------|-----------|
| 0–2 | USER | Developer Program enrollment + App ID + app group capability |
| 2–3 | ME | Signing (automatic), PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy, attribution, empty state, version bump |
| 3–4 | ME | Archive → TestFlight; screenshots captured |
| 4–5 | USER | TestFlight install + real-device pass (onboarding, alerts, widget, offline) |
| 5–6 | USER | App Store Connect metadata + labels + age rating + privacy URL |
| 6–7 | USER/ME | Submit for review |
| 7–14 | Apple | Review (typically 1–3 days, can be a week); answer questions same-day |

Rollback note: nothing about submission changes the repo's rollback posture
(`main` history is intact; release builds are tagged per submission).