If you ship apps to the App Store, you know the drill. You open App Store Connect in your browser, wait for it to load, click through to your app, wait again, try to update something, get hit with a session timeout, log in again, and lose your place. Every single time.
App Store Connect is a web app that was never designed to feel fast. If you want to understand the technical reasons behind this, read our deep dive on why App Store Connect is slow. When your livelihood depends on managing App Store listings, TestFlight builds, in-app purchases, and customer reviews, "slow and unreliable" stops being a minor annoyance and starts costing you real time.
That is exactly why we built Forge — a native macOS app that replaces the App Store Connect web interface entirely.
The Problem with App Store Connect in the Browser
Let's be honest about what using App Store Connect actually feels like in 2026.
It is slow. Every page transition involves a full round trip. Navigating between sections feels like wading through mud. The JavaScript bundle is massive, the React rendering is heavy, and none of it is optimized for the kind of rapid task-switching developers actually do.
Sessions expire constantly. You step away for lunch, come back, and you are logged out. You are deep in a TestFlight configuration, switch to another tab to check something, come back — logged out. The two-factor authentication flow on top of that adds even more friction.
The interface is cluttered. App Store Connect tries to serve every role — developers, marketers, finance teams, legal. The result is a UI that is not optimized for any of them. Features are buried under menus. Important information is hidden behind extra clicks.
It does not respect your workflow. No keyboard shortcuts worth mentioning. No offline access. No way to quickly switch between apps. No bulk operations. Every task is a manual, one-at-a-time affair.
Why a Native macOS App Changes Everything
The difference between a web app and a native macOS app is not just cosmetic. It is architectural.
Instant rendering. Forge is built with Swift and SwiftUI. Views render in milliseconds, not seconds. There is no JavaScript interpretation, no virtual DOM diffing, no network-dependent rendering. When you click something, it responds immediately.
No session timeouts. Forge connects to Apple's App Store Connect API using API keys that you generate once and store securely in your macOS Keychain. There are no browser sessions to expire, no cookies to clear, no two-factor prompts interrupting your flow.
Offline capability. Forge caches data intelligently so you can review app information, read customer reviews, and prepare updates even without an internet connection. Changes sync when you are back online.
macOS-native interactions. Keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, multiple windows, menu bar integration — all the things you expect from a real Mac app. Forge feels like it belongs on your machine because it does.
What You Can Do with Forge
Forge is not a simplified dashboard or a notification wrapper. It covers the full scope of what you actually do in App Store Connect, organized into 17 feature modules:
- App Info & Versions — manage your app metadata, release notes, categories, and version submissions without clicking through five different pages.
- Screenshots & Previews — drag and drop screenshots across all device sizes. See exactly how your listing looks before submitting. Handle localization visually. We wrote a full guide on App Store screenshot management if you want the details.
- TestFlight — manage builds, testers, groups, and beta review submissions. See build processing status at a glance instead of refreshing a web page.
- In-App Purchases & Subscriptions — create and edit products, manage pricing tiers across regions, and handle subscription groups without losing your mind.
- Customer Reviews — read and respond to reviews with full context. Filter, sort, and respond faster than you ever could in the browser.
- Custom Product Pages — manage alternative App Store listings for different audiences and campaigns.
- Analytics Dashboard — see your key metrics without switching to a separate analytics portal.
- Users & Access — manage team members and their permissions in a clean, scannable interface.
Every module is designed to minimize clicks and maximize the information density you need to make decisions quickly.
How the API Key Approach Works
One of the most common questions we get: "How does Forge connect to my App Store Connect data?"
The answer is simple and secure. Apple provides an official App Store Connect API that any developer can use. You generate an API key in your App Store Connect account (under Users and Access), and Forge uses that key to communicate with Apple's servers directly.
Your API key is stored in the macOS Keychain — the same secure storage that Safari uses for your passwords. Forge never sees or stores your Apple ID password. The API key can be revoked at any time from App Store Connect if needed.
This approach is actually more secure than browser-based access because there are no session cookies to steal, no phishing vectors, and no password to intercept.
Getting Started Takes Two Minutes
Setting up Forge is straightforward:
- Download Forge from our website
- Open the app and navigate to Settings
- Add your App Store Connect API key (you can generate one at appstoreconnect.apple.com under Users and Access > Integrations)
- Your apps appear instantly
That is it. No complex onboarding, no account creation with Forge itself, no subscription required to get started.
The Bottom Line
App Store Connect is a tool you have to use. Forge is a tool you actually want to use. If you manage apps on the App Store and you work on a Mac — which, as an Apple platform developer, you almost certainly do — there is no reason to keep fighting with a slow web interface.
Download Forge and see the difference a native experience makes. Your future self, the one who is not waiting for a page to load or logging in for the fourth time today, will thank you.