I have two questions regarding releasing an app that uses an in-app browser (WKWebView) on the App Store worldwide. Question 1: Encryption usage Our app uses WKWebView and relies on standard encryption. Should this be declared as using encryption during the App Store submission? Question 2: If the answer to Question 1 is YES If it must be declared as using encryption, do we need to prepare and upload additional documentation when submitting the app in France? Also, would this require us to redo the entire build and upload process, even for an app version that has already been uploaded? Goal / request: We want to release an app using WKWebView worldwide, including France. We would like to understand all the necessary steps and requirements for completing the App Store release without unexpected rework. Best regards, P.S.: A similar question was posted a few years ago, but it seems there was no response. https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/725047 Sadao

Hello, I’m writing to seek help regarding a serious App Review issue that has been ongoing for over three months. Our app has been under review since July 29, and despite providing all required explanations, documentation, and updates, we have not received any meaningful feedback for over a month — only repeated messages stating that “additional review time is required.” Timeline Jul 29–Aug 1: Apple rejected the app for not meeting the External Purchase requirements (Modal Sheet, canMakePayments). Jul 30–Aug 1: We explained that these requirements apply only to digital content, while our app also includes offline offerings permitted for external payment. Aug 3: Apple requested additional review time → Aug 12: requested demo account → Aug 21: we submitted a detailed explanation video and PDF. Early September: Apple sent detailed follow-up questions about whether each product type was considered digital. Mid-Sep to mid-Oct: Apple repeatedly replied with “additional review time required” without further updates. To fully comply with Apple’s payment policies, we even modified all product flows in our app to meet StoreKit requirements — even for offline products — and resubmitted the new version accordingly. However, the latest submission has now been “In Review” for over a week with no reviewer contact or feedback, even after we requested an expedited review. Meanwhile, our users have been stuck on the old version of the app for over three months, experiencing major issues and dissatisfaction. This delay is now critically affecting our service and business operations. Has anyone experienced a similar situation — where an app review has been stalled for months, even after providing all requested materials and being granted expedited review? If there are any possible ways to escalate or resolve this, I would be very grateful for your guidance. Thank you for any insights or advice.

I recently had my Apple Developer Account removed from the App Store. I have spent 3 months trying to reach someone at Apple who can clarify the issue and help reinstate our developer status. No one has responded to us, explained the situation, or reviewed the case. I was able to get in contact with an old Apple App Store executive. After hearing the story, he agreed the situation seemed wrong. However, he no longer has connections at Apple, so he wasn’t able to help us. The app had millions of users and 50,000+ five-star reviews. Resolving this would allow us to restore the app and continue launching new products. Right now I’d appreciate anyone’s thoughts or guidance on this situation. Thanks!

"ASO in 2025 is more algorithm-driven, with a stronger focus on user engagement signals like retention and in-app actions. Keyword relevance still matters, but quality and user experience now play a bigger role in ranking boosts."

Hi all My radio streaming app (using Radio Browser API - open source, ODbL licensed) was approved for iOS but is being repeatedly rejected for macOS under Guideline 5.2.3 despite identical functionality. iOS version (approved): https://apps.apple.com/ch/app/pladio/id6747711658?l=en-GB Pladio Uses: radio-browser.info (community-maintained, ODbL license) Apple requests "documentary evidence" but hasn't clarified what form this should take for publicly broadcast radio streams. Other similar apps (TuneIn, Triode) are approved on both platforms. Has anyone successfully navigated a similar situation? What documentary evidence did you provide for publicly accessible content? Best regards, Patrick.

Hello everyone, I am writing to seek help with a critical App Review issue for a new application. My app has been in the "In Review" status for 29 consecutive days (since October 1st) without any change or feedback. This is on an experienced developer account with 5 other apps already live on the App Store. Here is the timeline of the current submission: Sep 30: Submitted new binary. Oct 1: Status changed to "In Review". Oct 9: After inquiring about the long delay, Developer Support kindly granted an expedited review (Case ID 102702095699). Oct 30 (Today): The app is still "In Review". It has now been 21 days since the expedited review was applied, and 29 days total. The core problem: My primary concern is that based on our server metrics, there has not been a single login attempt or health check from the App Review team since October 1st. This strongly suggests the app is technically "stuck" in the queue and has not even been opened or tested by a reviewer. We have been in constant contact with Developer Support, who have been very responsive and confirmed they escalated this internally with urgency. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the app's status remains unchanged. This delay is now critical. We had firm, paid promotional integrations scheduled with partners for the first week of November, which were all dependent on an approval by our deadline of October 29th. We have now missed this deadline entirely, which is resulting in direct financial losses and reputational damage with our partners. Has anyone else experienced an app being "stuck" like this, where even an expedited review fails to get the app looked at? Is there any known technical glitch or a different path to get this specific blockage resolved? Thank you for any insights.

Hello everyone, I’m reaching out to seek guidance regarding an unusual delay in the App Review process. Two of our new apps have been in the “Waiting for Review” status since October 30, 2025, with no change or update from the review team. Both submissions were uploaded from an active, established developer account that already has multiple live apps on the App Store. We reached out to Apple Developer Support, and they kindly confirmed that the issue has been escalated under Case ID: 102741157121. However, as of today, both apps continue to remain in the same status without any progress. At this point, we’re concerned that the apps might be stuck in the queue due to some technical issue, since no review activity seems to have started yet. Has anyone else experienced a similar delay recently, or found any effective way to get such stuck submissions moving again? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Our app was rejected on October 23. After communicating with the App Review team on October 24, the decision was still the same, so we submitted an appeal to the App Review Board that day. It's over 17 days later, and we still haven’t received any update. We totally understand that the review process can take some time, but this new version includes a major self-developed feature that took us quite a while to build, and we’re really hoping to get it online for validation soon. Does anyone know how long it usually takes to get a response from the App Review Board? Or is it okay to follow up with them again at this point? Thank you for any insights.

I already created subscription in appstore connect with proper metadata still when I am using product id to purchase the subscription using flutter package in_app_purchase: ^3.2.3 it say's no subscription found with product id x. I observed everything minutely all seems fine than why ?? I try to test with storekit that works btw. I also have sandbox account and same signed in my iPhone 12 mini but much please look into this.. Flutter code : Future<void> _loadSubscriptions() async { Set<String> kSubscriptionIds = {'monthly_plan_test_iop_81'}; ProductDetailsResponse response = await _inAppPurchase.queryProductDetails(kSubscriptionIds); if (response.notFoundIDs.isNotEmpty) { kLog("Subscription IDs not found: ${response.notFoundIDs}"); } kLog("God it works seriously"); kLog(response.notFoundIDs); kLog(response.productDetails); kLog(response.error); subscriptions.value = response.productDetails; }

Hi, I want to consult about this: This is regarding [Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage] My client is asking if we can remove the new account registration through the iOS App, so we won't need to ask for mobile and birthdate. For iOS App users, new users will register through the website (or through a non-Apple related app). After registering through the website, they can access the iOS App using the credentials created through another method. Will that be a problem with Apple policies? My client said they need the Mobile number and birthdate for verification. Thanks in advance for the help and guidance. Best regards, Sophia

I hope you are doing well. I am reaching out to follow up regarding my app, which has been under App Review for an unusually long period of time. I have contacted Apple Developer Support several times through both phone calls and emails, but so far, there has been no effective resolution or progress. Below are the case references from the last few weeks: • Case ID: 102741157121 — App Store Connect Users and Roles • Case ID: 102745063464 — Program Enrolment • Case ID: 102744897406 — Other Membership or Account Questions • Case ID: 102742872512 — App Review Status • Case ID: 102742874797 — App Review Status • Case ID: 102743079324 — Developer Team Management • Case ID: 102738804525 — Feedback and Other Topics • Case ID: 102735998715 — Agreements and Contracts • Case ID: 102735996938 — App Review Status • Case ID: 102725767721 — Other App Review Questions • Case ID: 102725766192 — App Review Status • Case ID: 102729318336 — My Issue Is Not Listed • Case ID: 102723997813 — Program Enrolment As you can see, I have made numerous attempts to resolve this matter, yet I have not received any concrete response or outcome. My app continues to remain in the “In Review” state without any progress or communication from your team. This repeated delay is affecting my project timeline and business operations. I respectfully request that this issue be escalated to a senior App Review specialist or higher-level reviewer who can take direct action. Please review the above case history and provide a clear resolution or update at the earliest possible. Thank you for your attention and understanding.

Our iOS/iPad app is built with React Native. We use Axios as our HTTP client. Our app has been out on the app store for 2+ years and we've never had issues with reviews. Since iOS 26 came out, our app has been constantly getting rejected because the Apple tester keeps facing network timeout issues when our app makes requests to our API services. Our API stack is already configured to support IPv6 networks, and our regular user base does not run into the issues the Apple tester is seeing. None of our developers nor our internal testers have been able to reproduce the issue the Apple tester is facing. We've tried a number of things to debug the potential issue: Added a ping check on app startup. We used the native fetch present in React Native apps as well as our Axios client (with the default XHR/HTTP adapter). None of the pings make it to our API services. Added higher timeouts on app startup to let the Apple tester have more time to reach our services while their simulator device is able to connect. We've read that the environment that Apple testers use can sometimes take longer to establish an initial connection, even though packages like NetInfo from React Native report that they are connected to WiFi as soon as the app starts. Switched our Axios client adapter to use the native fetch. We did this since we noticed that Mixpanel, our tracking library, uses the native fetch in their React Native SDK and we've confirmed that requests on their end do make it through when the Apple tester is testing our app. We're running out of ideas since the issue is pretty obscure and we haven't been able to reproduce it yet, not even by following the Apple guide to set up a local IPv6 NAT64 network to be as close to their environment as possible. We've also tried testing the app while connected to VPNs from different locations to no avail. Like I said before, we noticed that this issues started for the Apple tester with the release of iOS 26, so we're wondering if there are known issues in the community that might relate to what we're experiencing. The most recent finding we've made is that some other developers report new issues with HTTP 3/QUIC on iOS. We've seen recommendations about turning off explicit support for HTTP 3 on our services, which seems to have helped other developers.

Dear App Review & App Store policy team, I am writing as an independent macOS developer who has spent more than the last six months building TilesWM, a full‑featured window‑manager that rivals existing products such as Magnet, Divvy and BetterSnapTool. The app works exactly like those solutions: it uses the Accessibility (AX) API to move and resize arbitrary windows, registers global hot‑keys, and stores user preferences locally in ~/Library/Application Support/<bundle‑identifier>. When I attempt to submit TilesWM through App Store Connect the validation process failed with two errors, one of which was relatively easily solvable with the help of "ssmith_c" and "Quinn". The other, the hard blocker: Sandbox not enabled – the app does not contain the required com.apple.security.app-sandbox = true entitlement. but: The same accessibility entitlement is absent from the binaries of Magnet, Divvy, BetterSnapTool and other window‑manager apps that are already available on the Mac App Store. Those applications were on the Store before Apple introduced the mandatory sandbox requirement (≈ macOS 10.7.3-ish). Consequently, they continue to operate without a sandbox while new entrants are forced either to abandon the platform or to distribute outside the App Store. This situation creates an uneven playing field that contradicts Apple’s stated commitment to an open and competitive ecosystem. All developers pay the same $99 annual fee and should follow identical review guidelines; yet legacy window‑manager apps enjoy a privileged exemption that new developers cannot obtain, effectively granting them a perpetual non‑compete advantage. What I am asking for Clarification: Is a missing Sandbox entitlement truly unsupported for Mac App Store distribution or is there a way to "request" an exception? Policy action: Please evaluate an option to provide a concrete path forward so that TilesWM can be submitted without having to abandon the App Store. Point of contact – If this issue falls outside the scope of App Review, kindly direct me to the team or individual responsible for macOS sandbox policy decisions. I remain committed to distributing my app through the Mac App Store because it is the primary channel users trust and expect. I believe that a fair resolution will benefit developers, Apple, and end‑users alike by expanding the selection of high‑quality window‑management tools. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a constructive response and to working together toward an equitable solution. Respectfully, Denis Steinhorst Full‑Stack Engineer & macOS enthusiast Bundle ID: dev.steinhorst.tileswm

My game has been live since 2018 and I’ve been updating it recently to add some improvements because it’s been a few years (last update was 2020). I got hit with a couple of basic issues with the screenshots but I was told I can release that version anyway and fix it in a later update. I spent yesterday fixing those issues because they were minor, and resubmitted my app to review. This morning I was hit with another rejection for a new issue, 4.3(b) Design Spam. The reason being it’s a game in a saturated category (Beer Pong) and so I should reconsider the app concept. This game has been live for 7 years. In those 7 years the category may have become saturated, but it wasn’t when I originally released it, so stopping me from updating it feels extremely unfair. If this was a brand new app I would still be upset but I would understand. Another reason was that it’s based on a drinking game, and that it encourages people to drink alcohol. I stated in the age rating section that it heavily contains alcohol references, although you never actually see anyone drinking. There are Beer Pong games that feature characters drinking the beer, mine is so inextreme in comparison. What bugs me the most is if I hadn’t fixed the screenshots it would be live by now, yet I feel I’m being punished for following the rules. Can anyone on here give me some advice on how to proceed? I have to say this entire dilemma has really taken the wind out of my sails. If this update doesn't get accepted I'll have wasted about two months of development time I could've spent on a different project.

Hello App Review Team, The last the three review submissions including the current one have been stuck on "Waiting in Review" for more than 7 days for the first two times and currently 4 days now for the current submission. I was wondering if something happened that is causing this issue. Thanks and Regards

My submission was rejected twice for "framing in the preview video". I couldn't understand why because there was no framing. Then on the 2nd rejection I noticed an included screenshot. The screen shot wasn't from my new preview video but from the old (they are very old) preview videos that are currently approved and live on the app store. Why did this happen? Because I had uploaded my new videos to the app update and decided before submitting I would run an A/B test to make sure they performed as well or hopefully better. When I went to the "Product Page Optimization" section I found my new videos already there. However... The new preview videos were in the "Original Product Page" and the old videos were in "Treatment A". I asked ChatGPT about this and it said not to worry it was a known quirk. What has obviously happened is that when the reviewer reviewed my Product Page Opt test they were presented with the old videos from Treatment A and not the new videos which were in "Original Product Page", as proven by the screenshot from the old, approved, live, video. I've submitted my app update but you seem to be just sitting on it now. I'm guessing because I'm black marked as not fixing an issue and constantly resubmitting unfixed. Please don't punish me for your mistakes....

have successfully created subscription with all metaData: Localization(inside subscription and also for subscription group), logo, description and also screenshots but subscription shows missing metadata instead of ready to submit causing flutter app package inAppPurchase to not found the subscription id or product it. Flutter code level : Future<void> _loadSubscriptions() async { Set<String> kSubscriptionIds = {'monthly_689'}; ProductDetailsResponse response = await _inAppPurchase.queryProductDetails(kSubscriptionIds); if (response.notFoundIDs.isNotEmpty) { kLog("Subscription IDs not found: ${response.notFoundIDs}"); } print("God it works seriously"); print(response.notFoundIDs); print(response.productDetails); print(response.error); subscriptions.value = response.productDetails; } Says: Subscription IDs not found is been logged I try with storekit it works!!! but as apple asking me we test on sandbox environment and it's not working I also created sandbox account login with same credentials and test it not works. Point is package I used in flutter not finding the above product_id I successfully added subscription group, localization, image and all still why my subscription not found ?

Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to this community for advice and hoping to get some insights from anyone who has faced similar issues. Our social casino app has been rejected twice under Guideline 4.3 (Spam), and we're struggling to understand the specific reasons. App Details App ID: 6753935757 Submission ID: fbb70e69-c91f-49fd-82d7-43c02bbdca4e Category: Social Casino Game (Slots) Our team has been developing social casino games for 7 years. We've had both successful launches and products that didn't work out - we understand this market well. For this new product, we conducted extensive market research and identified a specific gap: modern, high-impact themed slots targeting young male players.focused on modern male-oriented content including sports, beast taming, competitive gaming, and other high-energy themes. We created specifically for these intense, modern themes - not reused from previous projects. Yes, we did reuse some foundational technical components like:RNG algorithms, basic framework structure, standard SDK integrations. But isn't this standard practice? Just like every app uses the same Apple SDKs, social casino games need proven RNG systems. These are foundational elements, not what defines our product. How much code/framework reuse is considered acceptable by App Review? For those who develop multiple games in the same genre, how do you demonstrate sufficient differentiation? After the first rejection, we've already emphasized our unique modern male-oriented theme direction and Explained the necessity of foundational code reuse. But we got rejected again with the same 4.3 reason, with no additional details. If anyone has experience with this or knows how to better communicate with App Review about differentiation in competitive categories, I'd really appreciate your insights. Also, if any Apple reviewers happen to see this post, we'd be grateful for any guidance on how to better demonstrate our app's uniqueness or what specific aspects need to be addressed. Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi everyone, I’m currently stuck in a review loop related to in-app subscriptions and would really appreciate some advice. Here’s what’s happening: My app uses Apple’s in-app subscription system (auto-renewable). When I submit the app, it gets rejected because there are no active/approved subscription plans available for purchase. But the subscription plans themselves are also rejected or kept under review because the app isn’t approved yet. So I’m in a loop where: The app approval depends on the subscription approval, and the subscription approval depends on the app approval. I’ve been stuck in this situation for about a month now, and I can’t move forward. Here’s what I’ve tried so far: Displayed a message on the subscriptions screen saying that “No plans are available right now.” Displayed the plans as UI only, and when users try to subscribe, it shows a message like “Plans are currently under review, please try again later.” Despite these attempts, the app still gets rejected with the same reason — that the in-app purchases are not available or not functioning properly. My question is: How can I break out of this loop? 1-Hide all subscription plans until approval? 2-Allow users to access a plan for free (without using Apple’s in-app purchases)? 3-Or take some other action? Thanks in advance!

I submitted my app for review on October 22, but I still haven’t received any response. It’s now October 31, and the review is still pending. Could someone from the App Review Team please check my submission? Thank you very much! 🙏 Apple Id: 6753878193