iPhone and Mac apps, built to order
Apps built to order and Half Square's own apps. We develop iPhone and Mac apps for clients and build small Mac utilities under our own brand.
Two roads to an app
We build apps for clients and publish our own apps. We handle the App Store, notarisation, updates and support for our own products anyway, and every client project benefits from that.
iPhone and Mac apps built to order
The internal tool your team needs every day. The menu-bar helper that saves one recurring move. The iPhone app for your existing system. We develop natively in Swift and SwiftUI, cut small. Scope, acceptance criteria, price and delivery date are in the quote before we start. Code and accounts belong to you in the end.
Our own apps: Half Square
Small Mac utilities that do one thing well. Every app works the same way: pay once, yours forever. No subscription, no account, no ads, no tracking. The apps work offline and stay that way.
Internal apps outside the public App Store
Many apps built to order are meant only for your own team: a warehouse app on scanner phones, an inspection checklist for field staff, a tool for the accounts team on the Mac. Such apps do not have to appear publicly in the App Store. Apple offers several routes, and the right one depends on how many devices you have and who manages them.
TestFlight for the test phase
With TestFlight, up to 100 internal testers from your App Store Connect team and up to 10,000 external testers (by invitation or public link) can install a pre-release version. Each uploaded build runs for 90 days. That is ideal for trial runs with your team, though not for permanent use.
Custom apps through Apple Business
A custom app is submitted through App Store Connect and reviewed by Apple like any other app, but afterwards only your organisation can see it. You receive it in Apple Business (called Apple Business Manager until April 2026) and distribute it to your team through device management or redemption codes. The developer account has to be registered as an organisation, which requires a D-U-N-S number.
Distribution through device management (MDM)
If your company devices are enrolled in mobile device management (MDM), it installs the app on the right devices automatically and keeps it up to date. When someone leaves, the app is removed along with the device. Mac apps can also be distributed outside the App Store: signed with a Developer ID and notarised by Apple, as a download or through MDM as well.
The Apple Developer Enterprise Program for purely in-house apps is only open to organisations with at least 100 employees, and Apple reviews participation on an ongoing basis. For most mid-sized businesses, custom apps are the simpler route. We work out which one fits in the first call.
Common questions
Can the app connect to our existing system?
Yes. Most apps we build to order read and write data in a system that already exists. We build that connection too, see having an integration built.
Who owns the code and the App Store account?
You do. The app is published under your developer account, and you get the full source code with documentation.
What does an app cost?
Scope, acceptance criteria, price and delivery date are in the quote before we start. The first call is free.
Native app or web app, which do we need?
A web app runs in the browser, needs no installation and no App Store, and works on any device. On the iPhone it can be added to the home screen and, since iOS 16.4, can send notifications. A native app pays off when it has to work offline, relies heavily on the camera, Bluetooth, NFC or background tasks, or should feel like a familiar Mac or iPhone app. We tell you in the first call what is enough for your case. We build web applications too, see custom software.
What happens to the app when Apple updates iOS?
Apple releases new major versions of iOS and macOS every autumn, with developer betas weeks before. During that time we check that the app still works and adapt it. Apple also regularly requires new uploads to be built with a current version of Xcode. We take on this upkeep under a maintenance agreement if you want; the scope is in the quote.
Can you take over an existing app?
Yes. First we review the source code, dependencies and the App Store status and tell you whether continuing or rewriting makes more sense. For that we need access to the source code and the developer account. If the app sits in a former contractor's account, it can be moved into your own account with an app transfer in App Store Connect.
Let's talk for 15 minutes.
Tell us where it hurts. We'll say whether we can fix it, and if not, who we'd ask instead.
The first call is free and you talk directly to the developers. We answer messages within four working hours.
Last updated: October 2026