All apps must be set to Live Mode for production use

Starting October 23, 2019, all apps must be set to Live Mode for production use. Apps that stay in Development (Dev) Mode will not be able to manage any assets (for example: Pages or ad accounts) that aren’t owned by their own business or access the data of any users who aren’t associated with the app.

We offer Dev Mode and Live Mode to support the development process for developers integrating with our APIs. This post outlines the difference between these modes and the necessary steps to take to switch your app to Live Mode.

Note: Apps accessing advanced user permissions and/or business permissions must have also completed App Review.

Background on Development Mode

Newly created apps are automatically set to Dev Mode, giving developers an environment to configure and test their integration prior to submitting for App Review. When an app is in development mode, it will have access to all permissions and features, but can only access data for the following roles on the app: Administrator, Developer, Tester and Analytics User.

Benefits of Dev Mode

Dev Mode does not require App Review since it’s used for testing and configuration purposes, and it doesn’t provide access to user data (for users who aren’t associated with the app). This helps you test out various permissions and features and compile the assets required for App Review.

Best practices for app development

Our best practice for app development is as follows:

1. Create app, which is automatically set to Dev Mode
2. Begin testing with your own assets, and compile the assets required for App Review
3. Submit for necessary permissions/features in App Review
4. After completing App Review, switch your app to “Live”

Switching to Live Mode

To switch to Live Mode, go to your App Dashboard and find the toggle at the top of the screen:

You will first need to indicate a few pieces of information in your Basic Settings, including:

• Privacy Policy URL
• App Icon (1024 x 1024)
• Business Use
• App Category

Benefits of Live Mode

Once you’re in Live Mode and have completed App Review for the permissions and features your app requires, you will be able to access the associated data for users interacting with your integrations (for example: people commenting on your business’ page or users signing up for your app).

If you’re accessing the Marketing API, Live Mode will also mean you’re eligible for Ads Management Standard Access, which provides higher rate limits than the Dev Tier.

Ready to switch your app to Live Mode? Visit your App Dashboard now.