Launching your white-label mobile app

Most schools start on the shared Rosterra mobile app and move up to a white-label version once they have 50+ active members. Here is what is involved.

What you get

• Your school's name on the app icon.
• Your school's color and logo throughout the app.
• Your own listing in the App Store (Apple) and Google Play (Android).
• Same features as the shared Rosterra app, branded for you.

Timeline

Plan for 4 to 6 weeks from kickoff to launch. The bottleneck is Apple's review process, which is the most unpredictable part.

• Week 1: Kickoff call, gather assets.
• Week 2: Rosterra builds the branded app.
• Week 3: You review the build internally. Sign off.
• Week 4: Submit to App Store and Google Play.
• Week 5-6: Apple and Google review. Approve.
• Launch.

What you need to provide

• A 1024x1024 app icon. Square, no transparency, no text. Just your logo on a solid color background.
• Your brand color. A hex code.
• Splash screen graphic. Optional. We can use your logo on a solid background if you do not have one.
• Screenshots for the App Store and Play Store. Rosterra can generate these using your branded app, but if you have specific marketing screenshots you want, send them.
• App description. A short paragraph for the store listing.
• Keywords. What people might search for when looking for your school. ("Karate Pleasanton", "Pleasanton Martial Arts", "Bay Area Ninja Gym")
• Support URL and privacy policy URL. Required by Apple and Google.

Cost

White-label apps are part of the higher-tier subscription. Your subscription bumps when you switch to white-label. There is no separate one-time cost.

How families switch

Day 1 of launch, send a broadcast email to every family with the App Store and Google Play links. Most families download the new app within a week. They sign in with the same email and password as before; their account follows them.

The shared Rosterra app continues to work for them. They can use both side-by-side. Most families uninstall the shared app once they have your branded one.

Updates

When Rosterra ships a new feature, your white-label app gets the update automatically through the next release cycle. New builds go to the stores roughly every 2 to 4 weeks. You do not have to do anything.

What happens if Apple rejects the app

Apple has a long list of guidelines. Common reasons for rejection:

• Login is required to see anything (Apple wants a demo mode or sample content). Rosterra handles this by allowing the home page to render with sample classes for an unauthenticated user.
• Privacy policy URL is missing or broken. Rosterra confirms before submitting.

Rejections add 3 to 7 days to the timeline. Most apps pass on the first or second try.

Switching back

If for some reason you want to leave white-label and return to the shared app, you can. The white-label app stays in the store as a dormant app until you take it down. Families have to switch back to the shared Rosterra app. We do not recommend this; once families are used to the branded app, switching back is confusing.