Hello SteamGifts Community!

A few years ago I wanted to learn iOS development and was inspired by the (former) SG for Steamgifts Android app so I decided to port it over, creating SteamGifts-iOS. However, after struggling to get the app through Apple's app review process I decided to set the project aside for a while.

That was until I saw the announcement of AltStore! Seeing the opportunity I jumped back into the project and rebuilt the inner workings from the ground up with what I had learned since setting the project aside. So since then, I've been working hard to make the app faster and more stable. I’ve been using it for a couple of months now and I can say it’s in much better shape now than it was 3 years ago. There might be a few bugs lurking that I haven’t found yet but I’m keeping an eye out. And that brings me to today…

Now available

I'm happy to announce that SteamGifts-iOS is now readily available! However, as you may have guessed by now there is one caveat: it must be installed via AltStore or other methods of side-loading. Although, that may soon change. I know it's inconvenient but I figured providing the option is better than keeping it from everyone.

If you have AltStore installed on your iPhone, all you have to do is click the “Install now” button from the website and it will add it to AltStore for you. If you happen to be a Patron supporter of AltStore — or are savvy enough to find the beta version of AltStore — you also have the option to add SteamGifts-iOS as a source to get automatic updates.

Users who prefer not to use AltStore in favor of other side-loading options can find the the .ipa on the Github page.

FAQs:

  1. Will there be iPad support?
    • I do not intend to support iPad as the app is intended to provide a more usable experience on smaller screens. I feel that if you are on an iPad then you should be using the website.
  2. Will there be Mac support?
    • The answer is the same as for iPad support; cg has worked hard on this site and deserves the ad revenue. I do not wish to take that traffic away from the site.
  3. Can I request features?
    • Yes, however, there are some features and improvements currently at the top of my list but I look forward to community requests.
    • If you have any feedback on how you think things can be improved, feel free to share your thoughts so there can be a discussion!
  4. Will you add push notifications?
    • I do not intend to add push notifications when giveaways become available. That is, in my opinion, getting too close to auto-join territory.
    • That said, I am looking into the possibility of notifications for incoming messages (i.e., you've won, comment replies, etc).
  5. How often will there be updates?
    • Life has a way of keeping me very busy. I plan to work on the project when I can but I cannot make promises on timelines or frequency.
3 years ago*

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i didnt know this website had ads

3 years ago
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Most people have adblockers nowadays so I’m not surprised haha. I think that’s why cg introduced Patreon.

3 years ago
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Sounds good and thanks for such a labor of love. Any options for other sideloading methods, like Sideloadly?

3 years ago
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I believe so, you can find the .ipa here if that’s what you need :)

3 years ago
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Can't iOS users just open SG through browser?

3 years ago
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Yep

3 years ago
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the website doesn't adapt its layout to the smaller screen though, which the app probably does. modern web design says the website should work on smaller screens, but steamgifts isn't that modern.

3 years ago
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IIRC a responsive design was tried some years ago and the result was not very user friendly so it was disabled at the end.

3 years ago
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I am actually glad it's this way. Modern responsive websites on phone feel cramped for me and often lack some features. You can't even force load computer version of some websites because they choose the layout based on your screen size.

3 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 1 year ago.

3 years ago
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Hi everyone, I’ve released a new update which introduces tabbed navigation. There is only so much that can go into a side menu before it becomes cumbersome to users so this update sets up for much easier navigation as more features are introduced. You can find the .ipa here. I’ll have the website updated in the next few days with a new AltStore link.

3 years ago
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Version 2023.4.04 is now available! It brings a new Messages tab where you can view messages and mark them as read! The AltStore link has been updated on the website or you can find the .ipa here.

I've also made a small tweak to the login experience that should provide faster login, please reach out if you experience any issues.

3 years ago
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Hey all, it's been a while! Version 2024.03.25 is now available and with it, there is now a Profile tab! This is where you'll manage your login as well as where you can see a few stats about your profile.

You may also notice a distinct lack of NSFW games, I am working on some filters in an attempt to make things more App Store-friendly.

The AltStore link has been updated on the website or you can find the .ipa here.

2 years ago
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AltStore beta doesnt accept this as an source. Could you fix it :).
eror is that "One or more apps is missing marketplaceID"

2 years ago
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Hi, thank you for bringing this to my attention! It looks like the marketplaceID is for AltStore PAL and obtaining this ID requires notarization from Apple. At this time the app is not notarized, however, the source can still be added to AltStore World :)

I'm looking into both notarization and actually getting the app published into the Apple App Store but progress has been slow due to life circumstances.

2 years ago
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Good day!

I've been looking for the SteamGifts app for iOS for so long, and yet I found it)) Because it is extremely difficult to use SteamGifts from a browser on an iPhone. I downloaded the latest release from github, signed the .ipa file via GBox 5.6.6 and it works fine, all tabs work, but the login function in the profile does not work, which automatically makes the application useless, because I cannot participate in giveaways on the site without authorization. I noticed that the last release was a 1,5 years ago. Can you tell me if work on the project has been suspended? Will updates not be released? I would be extremely happy if my guesses turned out to be wrong, but on the other hand, I understand that dealing with a non-commercial product takes a lot of time and effort. In any case, good luck to you, I will be grateful for the answer )

8 months ago
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UPDATE Oh, sorry, I was a little impatient. After trying to log in to the app a few more times, I got the Steam welcome window and successfully logged in. Everything works now. Thank you for your work.

8 months ago
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Glad it started working for you! I have not stopped development on the app but life has kept me busy with other things over the last year so I let my Apple Developer membership lapse and haven't been able to make new releases.

8 months ago
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Hello, I just saw this. I have released a https://flutter.dev/ app a while ago. It works well on android and I'm regularly updating it, adding functionalities etc. https://github.com/mihalycsaba/snag

I don't own an apple computer(and not planning to), to be able to make a release properly. I have a virtual machine with the last version of macOS that is x86_64 compatible, theoretically I should be able to make the app work at least in the simulator, but it's a bit cumbersome to work in a vm and I'm not sure if I can finish it 100%, to be able to make a release build. So I didn't really dive into it.

I'm planning to make a build for windows and linux in the near future, which would prepare some of the needed code adaptations necessary for other platforms.

What needs to be done is to create some of the flutter package configurations for iOS, like for background task, notifications and objectbox. Plus some other minor apple specific configs, basically stuff that is necessary for any other iOS app, that has similar features. The app itself once these configs are done should work and look like it is on android, with some minor code modifications, like a few if statements here and there when using some of the packages.

After this the platform specific maintenance should be minimal, mostly depends on apple, how often they change requirements on the platform. I don't plan to add any other packages that require platform specific configurations.

If you are curious about flutter, it would be nice if you could help. I can answer questions about flutter and the app or if you are just curious about the topic. I can do most of the above mentioned flutter specific things in the vm too, but it would make things easier if someone could help with at least the finishing touches for release and also with releasing the app itself.

All the code is on github, GPL 3 license, which requires the source code of the derivative work to be published.

8 months ago*
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