Apple brings back app slicing developer feature to iOS 9

Apple has just brought back its app slicing developer feature to iOS 9 that became unavailable in September due to iCloud issues. The new fix is applied to the App Store and developers can use the feature through iOS 9.0.2 update and Xcode 7.0.1 update.

In a statement on its developer centre, Apple has announced the comeback of app slicing. "The issue affecting app slicing has been fixed, and device-specific versions of apps will be delivered when downloaded by users running iOS 9.0.2 or later," the statement said.

App slicing is one of the key developer-focused features of app thinning optimisation that the iPhone maker released alongside iOS 9. As its name suggests, the feature creates multiple slices of iOS apps to let developers install only a part of their apps on their devices to test their functionality. The slices are known as variant, and each variant is available for download on the App Store.

Developers who want to use app slicing to test their apps on the App Store need to use the latest version of Xcode. The software slices apps in a manner to let developers test how their apps work on a particular hardware running on iOS 9.0 or above. Also, a full version of any sliced app is available directly from iTunes Connect to give a full-fledged experience.

The new development comes following the release of iOS 9.0.2 update that was rolled out last week. The update came into existence as the first maintenance update after the release of iOS 9.0.1, and included bug fixes for issues in app cellular data usage, iMessage, iCloud Backup functionality and screen orientation. Further, it comes with an improved stability of podcasts and has patched the vulnerability that previously gave access to photos and contacts on locked devices.