“copycat”

I need to bring attention to a very suspicious copycat incident that suggests a potential metadata scraping issue. I submitted my original sports insights app, KickPick, for review on April 2nd, 2024. To my shock, I discovered a competitor app already live on the store with same app name and nearly identical app information (descriptions, metadata) and a very similar UI structure. Domain Registration: The infringing developer registered their website domain on the exact same day I submitted my app for review (April 2nd). This is not a coincidence; it points to automated monitoring or scraping of new submissions/metadata. Plagiarized Legal Assets: While the UI has some variations, they have copied my Privacy Policy and Terms of Service verbatim. These documents were custom-written for my specific project logic, yet they appear on their site with only the company name changed. App Information: The app descriptions and store metadata are almost identical to what I provided in my pending submission. It i

I am having issues getting feedback from Apple review to understand whether the game I created is not unique enough or whether it is something else. My game was inspired by Wordle and uses the idea of marking letters as green/yellow to provide hints, but in my view (and the view of all the testers I've had), creates extremely different and unique experience, which is the core goal of guideline 4.1. Core gameplay: The game is real-time multiplayer (or vs an adaptive difficulty computer that mimics human play), where two players each choose a starting hint word, then based on those hint words (yellow/green letters), in 3 minutes, need to find as many unique words that fit those hints. You see what the player guesses and can't guess the same words. Each word gives 1 point, but the last word and 1 bonus word give +5 points. At 120 seconds, a third hint is provided that limits the number of possible options (making it more likely to reach the very final word with +5 bonus or the bonus word if it wasn't guessed yet

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some clarification and advice regarding an unexpected App Review rejection under Guideline 4.1 – Copycats. My app has been live on the App Store since May 2024, and during that time, it has maintained the same core flow, structure, UI, and feature set. There have been no major redesigns or attempts to imitate any other app. Recently, I submitted a new version (v3.2) with only minor changes related to ad logic implementation (no UI/UX changes, no branding changes, no metadata changes). However, this update was rejected with the following reason: “This app or its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game…” This has left me quite confused for a few reasons: The app has been approved and publicly available for nearly 2 years There were no significant design or branding changes in this submission The rejection seems unrelated to the actual changes made in this version My questions: Has anyone experienced a situation where an app was flagge

Hello everyone, I am seeking some guidance on how to break out of what appears to be an automated App Review rejection loop. My app has been rejected three times in a row for the exact same reason, and my replies in the Resolution Center seem to be getting ignored. The Issue: My app is named Linkwise (associated with my web platform, linkwise.app). I am being rejected under Guideline 4.1(c) - Design - Copycats. The rejection message specifically states: The app's icon and name contain an icon, brand, or product name that belongs to the following developer: Linkwise. The bizarre part is that I am the developer of Linkwise. I am being accused of impersonating my own brand and product. Submission Details: App Name: Linkwise Submission ID: fa557f1b-3724-4e01-aa85-bf05ced4801f Version: 1.0.1 Review Device: iPhone 17 Pro Max What I've Tried: I have replied to the rejection message in App Store Connect three times explaining that I am the owner of the Linkwise brand and domain. Despite this, I keep receivin

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with an Apple Developer account “Pending Termination” notice. What happened Yesterday I received a Pending Termination notice for my Apple Developer account (not just a single app). This is a huge deal for me because it affects all apps under the account. The notice cites 3.2(f) and 5.6.2 (Developer Identity). It includes language like: Evidence of Dishonest or Fraudulent Activity You provided fraudulent and/or false account information, documentation, or otherwise falsely represented yourself or your submitted app to Apple either during the account enrollment process or after the account was created. What I discovered (my mistake) After the notice, I did a deeper self-audit and found something that looks bad and could be contributing: One of my apps has a supporting website built from an AI template that look like tea app, the app itself have original code. The Privacy Policy page on the website was empty, and the footer copyright name was wrong (

My app got rejected because of Guideline 4.1 Copycat. The name of my game is Color Jumper and even though it worked on Google Play, apparently there is already a game out there called Color Jumper. Can I just add words after to avoid this (something like Color Jumper: Jump to Survive or Color Jumper: Switch and Jump) or can I not use the words Color Jumper in my title at all? Thanks!

My application does not compete with the developer. It’s an extension which sits on top of their website. Its only use is to work with their website. Without using their name, the extension does not make any sense. The developer not only has no issue with it - some of their own employees use the extension. To get documentation from developer, that’s easy. However, two questions: Developer wants to know what needs to be provided? An email, A statement? How / what format would be required they are asking? How does such above documentation get submitted / included in subsequent updates to Not hinder approval? The app went through 8 positive reviews / approvals and then all of a sudden this happened out of no where. So not understanding what changed on Apples side and how/what is sufficient documentation (email, statement, PDF, ????) from developer? thanks.

Hello, I’m looking for advice from developers who may have encountered similar App Review situations. I have an iOS game (“Next Run Game”), a fantasy roguelike RPG. App version 1.0.13 was reviewed and approved by App Review, but it was not released publicly on the App Store. Later, I submitted version 1.0.14. This update contained only minor changes: small balance tweaks bug fixes localization text fixes No changes were made to metadata or presentation: app name icon screenshots description branding overall concept After submitting version 1.0.14, the app began to be rejected under: Guideline 4.3 (Spam) later also Guideline 4.1 (Copycats) The review messages are generic and state that the app or its metadata “appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app,” but no specific example, reference app, or concrete issue has been provided. What is confusing to me: The same app (version 1.0.13) was previously approved by App Review. Metadata did not change between the approved and rejected submi

Title: Mistaken 4.3(a) “Spam/Copycat” Flag → 3.2(f) Termination — Seeking Guidance on Reinstatement Hi everyone, I’m an independent developer and I believe my account was escalated to termination because of a misunderstanding around Guideline 4.3(a) – Design – Spam and 4.1 – Design – Copycats. I want to explain the full timeline so I can get advice on how to present this correctly in the “Re-instate a terminated membership” request. 1. What I submitted I submitted an app called “Anime Jigsaw: Waifu Puzzles.” The idea was simple: it’s a jigsaw puzzle app, but I wanted to make it more relaxing by combining anime/waifu themed puzzle images with built-in lo‑fi music. So the concept I was aiming for was: puzzle + themed art + calming music, not just another generic jigsaw clone. 2. First rejection Apple rejected it under 4.3(a) – Design – Spam and also mentioned 4.1 – Copycats. The exact wording in App Store Connect said my app’s binary, metadata and/or concept was similar to apps that w