The FileMaker iOS App SDK was a development kit for packaging a FileMaker custom app as a standalone iPhone or iPad application.
Instead of asking users to install FileMaker Go and then open a FileMaker file, an organization could create its own branded iOS application with a custom name, icon, launch image, and bundle identifier.
The resulting application used FileMaker technology internally but appeared on the device like an organization-specific business app.
A customized FileMaker Go experience
Applications produced with the iOS App SDK behaved broadly like FileMaker Go applications.
They could include one or more FileMaker files and could work with local or hosted data. The developer still created the database structure, layouts, scripts, calculations, and security in FileMaker Pro.
The SDK then provided the components required to turn those files into an Xcode project and compile an iOS application.
This allowed organizations to:
- Give a FileMaker app its own identity
- Deploy it like another managed corporate application
- Avoid requiring users to open FileMaker Go first
- Include selected FileMaker files within the application
- Add compatible iOS plug-ins or native code
- Invoke FileMaker scripts from Swift or Objective-C
The SDK did not convert a FileMaker application into an entirely independent native codebase. It embedded FileMaker’s mobile runtime into a custom iOS application.
Deployment was the difficult part
Building the application required a Mac, Xcode, an Apple developer account, signing certificates, provisioning profiles, and knowledge of Apple’s deployment rules.
Claris specifically recommended enterprise deployment rather than public distribution through the App Store. This made the SDK primarily suitable for internal business applications distributed to employees or managed devices.
Every major change to iOS, Xcode, signing requirements, or the FileMaker runtime could require the application to be rebuilt and redistributed.
The SDK therefore offered more branding and deployment control than FileMaker Go, but also introduced considerably more maintenance.
Is the iOS App SDK still current?
The last publicly archived Claris documentation is the iOS App SDK 19 Guide. The SDK is not presented as part of the current FileMaker product documentation.
It should therefore be regarded as a legacy FileMaker technology rather than the recommended basis for a new mobile project.
Existing applications built with the SDK may also face compatibility issues with current iOS and Xcode versions. Their long-term viability should be assessed before investing in further development.
What are the alternatives?
For most current FileMaker mobile deployments, FileMaker Go is the natural solution. It can open local FileMaker files or connect securely to files hosted by FileMaker Server or FileMaker Cloud.
Other possibilities include:
- FileMaker WebDirect for browser access
- A custom native app connected through OData
- A custom app connected through the FileMaker Data API
- A web application designed specifically for mobile devices
The correct choice depends on the required user experience, offline operation, deployment model, security, and integration requirements.
Mobile FileMaker expertise from fmcloud.fm
At fmcloud.fm, we can help organizations evaluate an existing iOS App SDK application and determine whether it should be maintained, migrated to FileMaker Go, or replaced by another mobile architecture.
Our expertise covers FileMaker development, mobile access, APIs, WebDirect, authentication, and secure FileMaker hosting.
The objective is not simply to reproduce an old deployment method, but to preserve the business application and provide its users with a sustainable way to access it.
