We are attempting to submit a companion app to the App Store that can only be accessed with login credentials from an existing app on the App Store, which requires a paid subscription to have full access. These existing apps are our main apps. We have made sure they are compliant with Apple App Review Guidelines (they have all been approved). You can register a new account and start a new monthly in app purchase subscription on these apps. An account with these apps can be used for our new companion app. Details of our companion app: Simple Content: The app features simple mini-games with no specific or unusual content or features. No In-App Purchases: The app does not have any in-app purchase functionality as it cannot be used independently from the main apps. Link to Existing App: The login screen of our companion app includes a link that opens a popup that shows all our main existing apps on the App Store (the popup has links which can directly open the App Store page of each main app). It also indicates that an active paid subscription is required with one of these apps to use the companion app. However, our submission has been repeatedly rejected based on the following guideline: "Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase We noticed that your app includes or accesses paid digital content, services, or functionality by means other than in-app purchase, which is not appropriate for the App Store. Specifically: Your app accesses digital content purchased outside the app, such as 'monthly subscription', but that content isn't available to purchase using in-app purchase." Does anyone have any recommendations on how we can get this app approved? Any guidance on adjustments or specific changes to align with Apple’s guidelines would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My app has been published twice now with the same code. But each time the subscription was forgotten to be approved. The app is now in the AppStore and the subscription view shows that there is no available subscription. The subscription itself has the status "Waiting for review". Texts with the advice to review the subscription are apparently ignored and not read, as there have already been several inquiries which have already been answered in advance.

Hi, My game is rejected because of Design: Copycats 4.1. I sent a message to the technical support, two or three days passed and there was no news. Now I don't know what the reason for this warning is? If he thinks that it is a design and an icon, it is not the same at all. The whole design has been done from zero to hundred. I really don't know what to do? The full warning message is: Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats This app or its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game already available on the App Store, from a developer's website or distribution source, or from a third-party platform. Apps should be unique and should not attempt to deceive users into thinking they are downloading something they are not. Next Steps Learn more about requirements to prevent apps from impersonating other apps or services in guideline 4.1. Revise the app to comply with these requirements. Once the app is fully compliant, resubmit the app for review.

Hello, I am creating a database type app that deals with a game called Monstronomy. I am an owner of the company (Dolphin Horizon Games) that created Monstronomy but I am working under an individual apple developer account. I am trying to get this app to the App Store and have had some issues with third party rights and proving that I have the rights to produce this app. I have submitted a IP license agreement that has been signed by me and the CEO of the company and I have also submitted email transcripts between me and the owner of the company telling me that I have the rights to produce my app with its name and imagery from the game Monstronomy. These both have been rejected and not sufficient enough to prove that I have the rights. I replied to the apple review message and have yet to get a reply. What documentation is sufficient to prove that I have the necessary rights to the game and all of its assets? Thank you for your help.

Hi, Is it possible to publish an app to the app store which has functionality to download a javascript package that handles UI? I want to have an application that uses a framework such as Capacitor to dynamically download and load a javascript package and to provide updates for bug fixes and improvements on a regular basis. The package will be based off an app we currently use in house. Thanks Nate

Hello There, I'm trying to submit our IPA for review and need steps to do it from apple developer account on web. Please let me know step by step process to submit.

Our application is a new app for multifinance in Indonesia and we got remove on 4th. It was stated we have violated 3.2(f) and 5.6.2 Has submit appeal separately on 5th, 12th and 23rd to clarify on the issue and we haven't received any updates yet Kind of anxious here cause it was also mentioned that within 30 days our account will be terminated. Any suggestion on this issue how should we do next step?

I have designed a unique dating app in Figma and recently read that they aren't accepting apps in this category unless they are different. From my understanding, it's not possible to submit an app unless it is fully developed. I truly believe my app is different and have already received social validation in real life. Is there any way to send a video showcasing all the screen designs and what appears to be a functioning app to see if it can get preapproval? In order to not keep making a pointless investment of time and money. Thanks.

I have an app, OneMind. The purpose is to unify the voice of the users through a voting process. It is essentially a group chat, which is the main purpose of the app. As an optional incentive, I incorporated a OneMind Token, a Solana-based token, awarded to the user who created the message that won the most votes. It is not mandatory; it is an incentive for users, but it is not the main purpose of the app. My app was denied for the following reasons: Guideline 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use and Sharing The primary purpose of the app is still to encourage users to perform digital tasks in exchange for compensation, watch ads and/or perform other marketing-oriented tasks, which is not appropriate. I have thoroughly reviewed Guideline 5.1.2(i) and do not see how my app violates this guideline. The guideline mentions that: "Your app may not require users to enable system functionalities (e.g., push notifications, location services, tracking) in order to access functionality, content, use the app, or receive monetary or other compensation, including but not limited to gift cards and codes." OneMind does not require users to enable any system functionalities for the app to work or to receive compensation. The app functions perfectly without requiring such permissions. Regarding the feedback about encouraging digital tasks for compensation, watching ads, or performing marketing-oriented tasks: Digital Tasks for Compensation: The OneMind Token is a secondary feature to enhance engagement, not the primary purpose. The core functionality is facilitating thoughtful communication and collective decision-making. Watching Ads: Ads are minimal and not central to the user experience. Marketing-Oriented Tasks: The app does not ask users to perform tasks for marketing purposes. Could you please provide a direct quote from Guideline 5.1.2(i) that specifies the violation by our app? I want to ensure OneMind is fully compliant and would appreciate any specific guidance on how to address the review feedback. Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, Joel Castro

Hello. I would like to provide both self-login/sign-up service and social login service to the app. According to the guidelines, if an app provides a social login service, it must provide Apple Login or another login service with equivalent privacy protection features. So, even if the app provides the company's own login/signup service, if it also provides any other social login service, do the above app review guidelines need to be considered? Or, if we provide our own login, can we ignore the above guidelines even if we provide social login? I don't really understand the guidelines, so I'm asking a question to get a clear answer. Thank you for reading my long question.

Hello, I am trying to submit my app to the app store and I want to make sure that my app is only installed by iPhones with a true depth camera. I have tried including the "iPhone / iPad Minimum Performance A12" in the the minimum required devices capabilities tab in info.plist but it seems to not work. I can still open my app with a phone that does not have the true depth camera. Is there a way of setting the minimum requirement to have the true depth camera through the info.plist or can I also hard code it in my app?. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

The app comes with its own login/signup service and several other social login services. Even though our app has its own login/sign-up service, if we provide at least one social login service, should we provide Apple Login or another login service with a privacy policy as an equivalent option? Can you please answer whether I should include the sign in with apple service or the login service with privacy protection in my app?

Hi everyone, I'm facing an issue with my app review process. My app has been in the "Waiting for Review" status for more than 48 hours, whereas usually, the review process is completed within 12 hours. We have a crucial launch coming up, and this delay is significantly impacting our plans. Has anyone else experienced such delays recently? Any advice on how to expedite the process or escalate the issue with Apple would be greatly appreciated.

I am trying to upload my app to app review, but i cannot upload the required screenshots for iPad and iPhone. It says that the pictures are not fit to dimensions. I have tried to use third party tools but it still will not work. I built the app purely on swift playgrounds and do not have access to XCode.

While submitting one of our new app for review, we are getting Agreement Update pop up, in which it states that "Your paid application agreement is outdates. For more information, go to Agreements, Tax and Banking", but when we navigating to respective page, it didn't show us any option to agree the agreement. Can you please guide us to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Hi, I have a question about Section 3.1.1 of the App Store Review Guidelines regarding In-App Purchases. Is it mandatory to include In-App Purchases in my app? My app is an extension of my website, which has been online for four years and serves a large student base. We offer courses that students purchase through the website. Once purchased, they can access lessons, watch videos, download files, answer quizzes (optional), participate in group chats, and review courses. In the app, users can view all courses and categories, access some free lessons to decide if they want to buy the course, and search for courses—similar to platforms like Udemy. I do not wish to use In-App Purchases or any external payment systems within my app. Instead, I prefer that users purchase courses on the website and then access them via the app. I will not include external links, calls to action, or any mentions that direct users to purchase from the website. Essentially, I plan to inform users that purchases are not supported in the app, and they will understand this implicitly. Is this approach acceptable?

I needed to change the bundleid in my app, so I created a new app and used the build I created with the same source code and deleted my old app completely, but my app is rejected for spam

I have been in the industry for 20 years, previously working as an internet product manager. In 2023, due to the global economic downturn, I was laid off and found it difficult to secure a satisfactory job. To support my family, I decided to leverage my skills. I designed my own app, and with a technical background, I taught myself popular programming technologies such as uni-app (a front-end framework) and Python. I wrote 100% of the front-end and back-end code myself and used AI tools to design the visual assets of the product. In March 2024, I successfully released an application called Mia (com.jacky.her) on the App Store. Mia connects to a large language model to chat with users and provide emotional support. I noticed there were already many similar applications on the market, but most of them were just simple chat boxes. I believe that future product competition will focus on more detailed features based on large models. Therefore, I designed a character prototype, added character mechanisms, and aimed to surpass these competitors. After launch, with limited promotional efforts, I found that although I could barely break even, it was still difficult to achieve scalable profitability, and this model mainly attracted users driven by hormonal impulses. After a series of considerations and iterations, I prepared to release version 2.0 of Mia in June this year. Compared to 1.0, it includes original storyline progression, no longer just a chat mode, and introduces a gamified card-drawing mechanism to advance character skills. Simply put, it is more like a nurturing game. However, when submitting version 2.0, Apple rejected my application citing "Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam." Several appeals were unsuccessful, leading me to request a phone call with Apple. Although Apple called me a few days later, I was deeply puzzled by the outcome of the conversation. Here are the main points raised by Apple's review staff: 1.Apple's Review Standards Are Constantly Changing The reviewer mentioned that the standards are always changing, and the rejection this time was due to "too many similar applications," not a quality issue. However, Mia's 1.0 version passed smoothly, but after adding more unique features, it was rejected, citing the presence of too many similar applications on the market. 2.Lack of Specific Standards and Feedback The reviewer repeatedly mentioned that my application was "unremarkable," but could not specifically explain what constitutes "unremarkable," nor clearly pointed out in what aspects my application was similar to others. I repeatedly asked for clear standards or next steps for modification but received no specific answers. 3.Apple's Business Strategy The reviewer finally mentioned that Apple is a private platform, and this is their current business strategy, which does not accept applications like mine. This strategy is not based on quality or uniqueness but is an internal decision by Apple, which is very disappointing for developers. 4.Compared to Other Similar Applications I researched similar applications on the App Store and found that there are indeed many simple chat applications with rough quality and details. My application features specific character images, unique storyline development, and a gamified card-drawing mechanism, yet it was still rejected. The reviewer suggested I report other applications, but this was of no substantive help. 5.Inability to Disclose Information on Similar Applications When I asked the reviewer to give examples of applications similar to mine, he said he could not disclose information about other applications. This means that Apple's judgment of my application cannot provide any substantive evidence, and everything is at Apple's discretion. The above content reflects the actual statements made by Apple's review staff. Apple has recordings of these conversations as well. Although the communication was in Chinese, I have summarized it in English. I believe the rise of large models will reshape products in many industries. My application is essentially a nurturing game with rich plot and scene settings. Apart from using third-party interfaces for the large model part, all other aspects are independently developed. The interface design and character materials are AI-generated. However, merely integrating large model dialogues led to it being labeled as a spam application. Does this mean that any application utilizing large models cannot pass the review? As a product manager, I have always been a fan of Apple and Steve Jobs. I started using a Macbook Pro for work back in the iPod era, and I replace my iPhone every year. However, this experience has left me deeply disappointed. Perhaps you do not care about a single consumer or developer, but I cannot accept that nearly a year of effort was dismissed with a single word, "spam." Goodbye, Apple.

We recently submitted an app for external testing via TestFlight, but it has been stuck at the "Waiting for Review" status for several weeks. This delay is blocking our testing process and impacting our development timeline. Could you please look into this issue and provide an update on the review status? Thank you for your support.

Hi team, Our app is going to upgrade the backend infrastructure which needs to inform an announcement to the users. It seems there is a limitation that doesn't allow a message related to the decommissioning put up on the App's home page. I have check some docs over internet but still not found any official one specify this topic. Can we just put the message as mentioned above or there is actually a limit which not allow to add it in? Thanks