Open Radar

 
Summary:
I often use the iOS Simulator to prepare App Store screenshots for my app, but it is difficult to get the status bar up to the standards that I hold myself to, and that I know Apple holds itself and other developers to. I just spent about an hours mucking around in Photoshop, combining Wi-Fi signal meters and 9:41 AM clocks from different screenshots of both device and simulator to get something App Store-ready. The simulator (and/or device) should have the option of setting its status bar to “App Store Mode"

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Launch app in simulator on device.
2. Take some screenshots of your app for use in the App Store and other promotional materials.
3. Look at Apple.com/ios for guidance on Perfect App Store Status Bars™.
4. Realize that the signal strength indicator is doing something that the device doesn’t actually do (show bars/circles but no carrier), the clock is always 9:41 AM, and the batter is always charged and showing the percentage indicator, which is off by default.
5. Try an app like Status Magic (in the Mac App Store) to doctor your screenshots, but notice that it doesn’t support the new iOS 7 status bar style yet.
6. Realize that even if it did, the new transparent status bar in iOS 7 means that the only way you’re going to get a really good screenshot is if you spend hours in Photoshop patching together status bars for all your screenshots for all your device sizes and orientations from snippets grabbed from devices or simulators in various modes.

Expected Results:
The simulator should have a menu item, “toggle pretty status bar” or “status bar screenshot mode” or something like that. It sets the following items in the status bar, or provides a UI with some checkboxes and text fields to customize the status bar:

Cell signal strength: full (with the option of none, for iPod touch and non-3G/LTE iPads)
Carrier name: none (or customizable)
Wi-Fi signal strength: full (with the option to turn it off)
Clock: 9:41 AM (with the option to set a custom time)
Battery: 100% full with percentage indicator (with the option of setting other modes if desired)

Development-enabled devices should also have this option, either under the Developer section of Settings.app, or triggered through Xcode, perhaps with a build flag, menu item, or build scheme setting.

These options would allow for taking screenshots with realistic content showing behind the screen. This would be especially useful for apps that display, for example, a fullscreen photo that extends behind the status bar.

Actual Results:
The simulator and devices have no such options.

Version:
all versions