How to Export and Submit Your Meta App

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Key Takeaways

  • To export a Meta app, developers need to open the Unity scene in the Unity Editor, prepare it for export, and then go to File > Build Settings. It is crucial to verify that the correct scene is listed under “Scenes for Build” and that the target platform is set to “Windows” with the architecture set to “x86”.
  • Specific settings for the app, such as company name and product name, can be adjusted under “Player Settings”. Developers can also customize the splash image and ensure the “Api Compatibility Level” is set to “.NET 2.0” under “Other Settings”.
  • Debugging issues within the built app can be done by ticking the “Development Build” checkbox on the “Build Settings” screen, which allows logs to appear on the bottom left of the screen.
  • To submit an app to Meta, developers need to fill out Meta’s App Submission Form with details such as the app’s name, version number, developer name, contact email, and camera modes. The app must be built using the latest Meta SDK and should be uploaded in a zip file to a publicly accessible location. Developers should also be prepared with a readme.txt file containing information about the app’s purpose, description, instructions for use, features, troubleshooting info, and release notes.

A few weeks ago, we looked into getting started with augmented reality and Meta and put together a pretty augmented reality butterfly. The Meta 2 was then released for pre-order and we explored what the Meta 2 means for augmented reality developers. There is plenty more to be explored around Meta development that hasn’t really been covered much — so let’s explore a rather important part of the process — exporting your app!

I recently finalized my very own Meta 1 application and thought it would be useful to cover what is involved in the process, along with tips I undercovered along the way. We’ll look at the stages after your initial app has been developed — how to get your app into a final executable file that you can give to other Meta Pioneer friends and how to submit it to Meta’s Dev Center for even more Pioneers to see.

Exporting Your App In Unity

Those who have exported an app within Unity before will find this process pretty straightforward. There are only a few minor things to keep in mind that deviate from the typical Unity project export. For those who are completely new to Unity — we’ll be covering this process in detail, so you should be able to follow along.

To begin, open your Unity scene in the Unity Editor. If you are following along from the Butterfly tutorial, the scene was in Scenes > ButterflyScene. Make sure it is completely ready to be exported and that you’ve got everything visible in the scene that you’re looking to include in the final product. I’ve found it a good habit to always play the scene one last time within Unity before going to export.

Once we are definitely happy to export our AR app, we go to File > Build Settings…:

Opening up File and Build Settings

The first thing I’m going to stress here is to check the listed scenes under “Scenes for Build”. Make sure your current scene is there. If you have no scenes in that list, click “Add Open Scenes” to add your scene to this list:

Adding current scene

If you have multiple scenes — make sure the scene that is there is the one you expect to be there. This sounds obvious, but it caught me out when I was building my own AR app, MetaKitty, and had two versions of a scene in my project. I was incredibly confused for quite a while when none of my changes to the scene would export. Don’t make my silly mistake!

Also within the “Build Settings” window:

  • Choose “PC, Mac & Linux Standalone”.
  • Make sure the target platform is set to “Windows”.
  • Set the architecture to be “x86”.
Choosing your platform and x86 architecture

Now, we need to set a few specific settings for our app. To start with, we click “Player Settings…” underneath the “Platform” options. In the “Inspector” panel on the right hand side of our screen, we’ll see a bunch of settings for the exported app. We start by adding our own company name and product name. I’ve got “SitePoint” and “Pretty Butterfly” for the app from our last article.

Going to Player Settings

If you’ve got your own icon for your app, you can also update it by clicking the “Default Icon” image underneath your “Product Name”. Otherwise, it will have the Meta logo by default.

Underneath that first section, there are several expandable sections of settings. We can click on “Splash Image” to adjust how the app looks when it first loads up. You can change the config dialog banner to your own image. This is the banner that appears in the initial window giving the user options for their screen resolution, graphics quality and monitor. If you’d like to customize it, it should be sized at 432 x 163 pixels. Unity does not scale up the image to fit, it only centers and crops it if needed.

If you have Unity Pro, you will also be able to turn off the “Show Unity Splash Screen” option to take away the Unity logo bit that always appears at the start:

Setting banner and Unity Splash Screen settings

Finally, expand the “Other Settings” section and ensure that under “Optimization”, the “Api Compatibility Level” is set to “.NET 2.0”. For me, there hasn’t been a time when this wasn’t already the case, but it’s worth checking!

Setting API Compatibility Level to .NET 2.0

Then, if we go back to the “Build Settings” window, we can choose either “Build” or “Build Settings” to build our app. If you’d like it to run straight away once it is built, choose “Build and Run”. I generally choose that option:

Clicking Build and Run

My personal preference at the moment is to add my builds into their own “Builds” folder in the project:

Creating a Builds folder

Then, we enter the filename for the AR app and click “Save”:

Entering in a filename and clicking OK

Our app should now go through the build process and run. If this happens successfully, we should see the configuration screen like so:

The Configuration Screen

When we click “Play!”, ensuring that “Windowed” is not ticked, the app should now run in fullscreen and should appear in your Meta headset without that awkward Unity window around it!

Our Pretty Butterfly app in action

Seeing Logs Within Our Build

If you are finding issues when running your built app and want to debug them with Debug.Log() statements, you can tick the “Development Build” checkbox on the “Build Settings” screen. That’ll run the app with “Development Build” text on the bottom right and with logs appearing on the bottom left:

A development build in action

Submitting Your App To Meta

Once you have a fully featured app that you think is worthy of a larger audience, you can submit it to Meta to appear in their Dev Center. Once it is submitted, it appears like so:

My MetaKitty app in the Dev Center

The above app is one I recently submitted to the Dev Center, it is a lovely prototype app of a cat which you can feed, move around and place on a bed to sleep. If you’re a Meta Pioneer, check it out!

Before going too far into the process, ensure that your app has been built using the latest Meta SDK — if it has been a while since you built this app, check that an update hasn’t come around since then and update your app prior to submission!

To submit an app of your own, you’ll need to fill out Meta’s App Submission Form. I would highly recommend writing out your answers in a text editor, Evernote, Google Keep… etc, to copy paste in afterwards. This can save you time when you need to resubmit future versions of the app and often a lot of these answers can come in handy if you do further promotion of the app in other places.

For app submission, you will want to be ready with the following details:

  • Your final app name.
  • Your app’s current version number.
  • Your developer/company/team name.
  • A contact e-mail address.
  • Knowledge of what camera modes your app works in (“Widescale” mode is the one accessible via F3).
  • A link to your app in a zip file. Upload it somewhere publically accessible such as Dropbox, Google Drive or your own public web server. Within that zip file, you’ll need:
    • App.exe
    • Your AppName_Data folder
  • If you have a video of the app in action, be ready with a link to it.
  • If you have a code repo with the app code and wish to share it — have that ready too.
  • The following details will be used to create a readme.txt file for your download, so have them handy too:
    • The app’s purpose — who will use the app and what will they use it for?
    • A 20 word app description — this is the one that appears in the Dev Center, like with my MetaKitty app.
    • Instructions for use — what do they need to know? Point out any specific keys that trigger functionality.
    • Features of the app — list all of the various features your app can do!
    • Troubleshooting info — is there a common bug which you often need to do certain things to fix? Such as a key to press to recenter elements if things go wrong?
    • Release notes — if you have had previous submissions for this app, what was updated? This is likely to be your first app, so you can skip this if that’s the case!

Once you have submitted the app, you should hear from the Meta team who will do a quality assurance check on your app and suggest any fixes or ways to improve it before publishing. They provide some really valuable bits of feedback — just ensure you submit it with time to spare to adjust anything you’ve missed that the Meta QA team pick up.

Conclusion

If you have followed all of those steps, have a quality AR app and have adjusted it to meet any QA requests from the Meta team, you should find your app sitting proudly within the Meta Dev Center for other Meta Pioneers to try out!

Have you submitted an app to the Meta Dev Center? Let me know in the comments below, or get in touch with me on Twitter at @thatpatrickguy, I’d love to check it out!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Exporting and Submitting Your Meta App

What is a Meta App and why is it important?

A Meta App is a software application developed for the Meta platform, formerly known as Facebook. These apps are designed to provide users with unique experiences, such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). They are important because they allow developers to create immersive experiences for users, which can be used for gaming, social interaction, education, and more.

How do I export my Meta App?

Exporting your Meta App involves several steps. First, you need to ensure that your app meets all the requirements set by Meta. This includes having a valid app ID, a privacy policy, and a correctly configured app dashboard. Once these requirements are met, you can export your app using the Meta App Manager. This tool allows you to package your app into a format that can be submitted to the Meta App Store.

How do I submit my Meta App to the Meta App Store?

Once your app is exported, you can submit it to the Meta App Store through the Meta App Manager. You will need to provide details about your app, such as its name, description, and category. You will also need to upload screenshots and a video preview of your app. Once submitted, your app will undergo a review process before it is published on the store.

What are the requirements for submitting a Meta App?

The requirements for submitting a Meta App include having a valid app ID, a privacy policy, and a correctly configured app dashboard. Your app must also comply with Meta’s content policies and technical requirements. Additionally, you must provide a detailed description of your app, along with screenshots and a video preview.

What is the review process for Meta Apps?

The review process for Meta Apps involves a thorough examination of your app by the Meta review team. They will check if your app complies with Meta’s content policies and technical requirements. They will also test your app to ensure it works correctly and provides a good user experience. If your app passes the review, it will be published on the Meta App Store.

How long does the review process take?

The review process for Meta Apps can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the complexity of your app and the volume of submissions the review team is handling. You will be notified once the review is complete.

What happens if my Meta App is rejected?

If your Meta App is rejected, you will receive feedback from the review team explaining the reasons for the rejection. You can then make the necessary changes and resubmit your app for review.

Can I update my Meta App after it has been published?

Yes, you can update your Meta App after it has been published. You will need to submit the updated version of your app for review before it can be published on the Meta App Store.

How can I improve the visibility of my Meta App on the Meta App Store?

You can improve the visibility of your Meta App on the Meta App Store by optimizing your app’s title, description, and keywords. You can also promote your app through social media, your website, and other marketing channels.

What are the benefits of developing a Meta App?

Developing a Meta App allows you to tap into a growing market of users who are interested in immersive experiences. It also gives you the opportunity to create unique experiences that are not possible on traditional platforms. Additionally, Meta provides a range of tools and resources to help you develop and market your app.

Patrick CatanzaritiPatrick Catanzariti
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PatCat is the founder of Dev Diner, a site that explores developing for emerging tech such as virtual and augmented reality, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and wearables. He is a SitePoint contributing editor for emerging tech, an instructor at SitePoint Premium and O'Reilly, a Meta Pioneer and freelance developer who loves every opportunity to tinker with something new in a tech demo.

ARaugmented realityEmerging Techmetameta 1meta 1 developer kitmeta pioneer
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