Hello, Our developer account (Team ID S9D9F72QF8) was terminated on August 24 under Section 3.2(f) for "documented indications of fraudulent conduct." We received no prior warning, no pending termination notice, and to this day no specific reason: not which app, not which action, not which signal. This account was not a side project. Our whole company, our team's livelihood, and six live apps with real users were built on it. All of it stopped overnight. We take Apple's rules extremely seriously. We have never bought or manipulated reviews, ratings, or downloads, never used misleading metadata, and never operated any other developer account. We submitted a reinstatement petition (Case 20000145868954) with a compliance improvement plan, and we offered full supporting documentation, including our trade registry records and a notarized declaration that we have no connection to any other account. We are not asking Apple to skip its process. We are asking for two things any developer would ask for: Human review of our file and petition. The specific conduct at issue, so we can respond to it with evidence. If a mistake was made on our side, we want to know it, fix it, and prove the fix. If this is a false positive, we want the chance to show it. If anyone from App Review sees this, we would be grateful for any update on our case. And if other developers have resolved a similar situation, we would appreciate hearing what helped. Thank you for reading.

Hello, We submitted an appeal regarding the rejection of our app on July 17th, but haven’t received any response so far - it's been 7 days. Does anyone know what the typical timeline is for hearing back on appeals recently? And at what point should we reach out to Developer Support directly? Thank you, serge_o

I have received Guideline 4.3(a) rejections on five apps in the space of a week, and I would like help understanding what my account is being compared against, because I am now guessing. The app I most recently resubmitted is Real Cost: Loan Calculator (Apple ID 6804081720). WHAT I CHANGED BETWEEN SUBMISSIONS After the first 4.3(a) I accepted that the reviewer was right about what they were shown: the one thing my app does that the category does not was behind the in-app purchase, so the app opened as yet another loan calculator. I made that feature free for everyone with no limit, rewrote the metadata, added an app preview, and lowered the price. I received the same rejection. WHAT I MEASURED BEFORE POSTING The app is 5,054 lines of Swift across 39 files. Zero remote package dependencies, no third-party frameworks, no advertising SDK, no analytics, and no network calls of any kind. It ships with 118 unit tests written against its own loan math and document parser. I compared every non-comment line of Swift across my own projects. Real Cost's highest overlap with any other app I have submitted is 6.9%, and that fraction is ordinary SwiftUI scaffolding. I surveyed 181 loan and debt apps in the US store. None of them reads the lender's own paperwork, which is the feature this app is built around and which is free in the current build. THE PART I CANNOT EXPLAIN The rejection text changed between submissions. The earlier ones said the app shares a similar binary, metadata and/or concept as apps submitted "by other developers". The most recent one says "by you or other developers". I do not know whether that wording is meaningful or simply a different template. If it means my own apps are the comparison, I would like to know which ones, because the measurement above says they do not share code. WHAT I AM ASKING Could someone tell me which specific app or apps my submissions are being compared to, or which part of the binary or metadata is triggering this? I replied in Resolution Center several days ago asking the same question and have not had an answer yet. I would rather make one real change than keep guessing and resubmitting, which I understand is the behaviour the guideline exists to stop. Thank you.

First iOS game stuck in “Waiting for Review” since August 28, 2026 App: Hornbills Version: 1.0 First public submission Submitted: August 28, 2026 Current status: Waiting for Review Developer Support case already opened There are no Resolution Center messages or outstanding actions visible in App Store Connect. I have not withdrawn or resubmitted the submission. Could App Review please confirm whether the submission is correctly queued, or escalate the existing support case if necessary? Thank you.

Our first submission has now been rejected under Guideline 2.1(b), with the message: "the in-app purchases do not load successfully." Each review was performed on an iPad Air 11-inch (M3) running iPadOS 26.6. The app sells only auto-renewable subscriptions. We cannot reproduce the failure, and we have verified every part of the configuration we can think of. WHAT WE VERIFIED (via the App Store Connect API, not just the UI) Two subscriptions in one group, state READY_TO_SUBMIT Product IDs exactly match what the app requests Available in 175 territories, including the United States Prices set, en-US localizations present for both products and for the group App review screenshots attached to both, state COMPLETE Both subscriptions are included in the review submission (READY_FOR_REVIEW) Paid Apps Agreement: Active. Bank account: Active. Tax forms: Active. WHAT WORKS On our own devices, installed via TestFlight (sandbox environment), the products load correctly and a purchase completes and activates as expected. This works on both a real Apple ID and a Sandbox Tester account. WHAT WE OBSERVED FROM THE REVIEW SESSION We use RevenueCat. Their server-side API returns our offering with both packages and the correct product identifiers, so the offering metadata is fine. Our backend also shows that the reviewer's session reached our servers and signed in successfully at the review timestamp, so the device had working network connectivity. That leaves StoreKit itself returning no products on the reviewer's device, which is what empties the offering. QUESTIONS Are there known conditions under which StoreKit returns no products in the App Review sandbox for subscriptions that are in "Ready to Submit" and are attached to the same submission as the binary? For an app that has never been approved, is product loading during review handled differently from a normal sandbox session on a released app? Is there any way to obtain diagnostics from a review session, or to ask the reviewer for a screenshot of the failing screen? Replies in Resolution Center so far have only repeated the original rejection text. Is there anything specific to iPadOS 26.6 that could affect StoreKit 2 product lookups? For the next submission we have added a timeout and automatic retries around the product lookup, plus a visible retry control instead of a spinner, in case the failure is a transient cold-start timeout. But we would rather understand the actual cause than keep guessing. Any pointers appreciated.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here has seen something similar, or maybe someone from the App Review team can shed some light on this. I have a small game, Cryospire, that shipped as 1.0 earlier this year. App ID is 6794310965, bundle ID com.janewilliams.cryospire. I submitted version 1.1 on August 12, 2026 at 9:34 AM, and it went into “In Review” at 11:19 AM the same day. At the time I thought that was a good sign, but it’s now September 2 and the status hasn’t changed since. So it’s been sitting in review for 21 days. I’ve checked the Resolution Center and there are no messages or open threads. I’ve also checked my email (including spam) and haven’t received anything from App Review. The update itself isn’t a major technical change from 1.0. Same entitlements, no new permissions, no new SDKs. It’s mainly new features. Has anyone else had a build stay “In Review” for three weeks recently? I’m trying to figure out if this is just an unusually long review or if the submission might be stuck somewhere. Also, is there any way to reach an actual person about this besides the regular Contact Us form? And if someone from App Review happens to see this, I’d really appreciate it if you could take a look at the App ID above. Thanks!

Hey guys, quick question My game Astral Drop — Merge Puzzle (App ID 6792792341) has had a few updates approved before, usually within a day or two. Version 1.3 has been stuck this time though. I submitted it on Aug 20, it only moved to “In Review” on Aug 27, and it’s still there as of today. No messages in the Resolution Center, no rejection, nothing unusual in the update either. Is anyone else seeing really long review times lately? Also, is it worth contacting App Review at this point, or does that not really help? If someone from the App Review team sees this, I’d appreciate a look. Thanks!

TLDR: My app was rejected and i re-submitted a fixed build. Now i still keep seeing that red badge and im worried that i need to act on something but i can't figure out what it is. The actual status is "Waiting for Review" and inside the rejection thread i replied to their message and there is no red mark in there and it's all saying "Waiting for Review" in there too. I also don't want to just cancel and loose my potentially still active queue spot.. so i wonder, is this common? Background: New app, first ever submission, iOS 1.0. Aug 22 -> First submitted for review. Day 4 -> Reviewed and rejected on two guidelines: 5.1.1(iv) for the wording of the location permission primer, and 5.6 for the renewal price not being displayed as clearly as the first-year price. Day 4, about three hours later -> Both issues fixed, a new build uploaded, and the submission sent back. It kept the same submission ID. Day 5 to Day 11 -> No change at all. Still "Waiting for Review". It has never shown "In Review". So the first review was done in 3 days, and the resubmission has now been waiting more than twice that: 7 calendar days/5 business days.

Hello, I am facing a recurring issue during the review process of my app, FlexicX, and I am struggling to understand the exact concerns raised by the App Store Review Team under Guideline 4.3. Each time I submit my app, I receive a response stating that it duplicates the content and functionality of other apps already on the App Store and is therefore considered a form of spam. However, no specific examples or comparisons are provided to help me understand which parts of my app are considered problematic or why. I submitted an appeal over a week ago but have not received any substantive response. Each time I contact support, I receive nearly identical replies, reiterating that the app duplicates functionality, but no clarification is given as to what exactly they believe is duplicated. This lack of detail is incredibly frustrating and makes it feel like the guidance is to simply “throw out the app and remake it,” which is neither realistic nor fair. FlexicX is a highly innovative game that has already garnered a large following. It has hundreds of thousands of downloads on Google Play and a growing community eagerly awaiting its release on iOS. The game has a dedicated YouTube channel where players share their excitement, gameplay, and feedback. Our game offers unique and groundbreaking features, including: • A proprietary softbody physics engine that delivers realistic, real-time deformation and energy transfer. • The ability to grab, drag, and manipulate vehicles with a finger, providing unparalleled interactivity. • Advanced replay functionality, allowing players to save and review their gameplay. • The option to program movements for AI-controlled bots, creating dynamic and engaging scenarios. • A variety of realistic crash scenarios and customizable vehicles for players to experiment with. • High-performance softbody physics that run smoothly even on mobile devices. • A focus on realism and creativity, enabling players to explore car destruction in ways not possible in any other app. Despite these unique features, I continue to receive feedback asking me to make the app “unique.” However, without clear examples or detailed explanations of what aspects are being flagged, it is extremely difficult to understand how to address this feedback. I understand the importance of maintaining a diverse ecosystem on the App Store, but our app is truly one of a kind. While some apps may claim to have “softbody” physics, their implementations are often superficial or static. FlexicX is the only app that provides a full-fledged, real-time softbody physics experience, delivering unparalleled realism and excitement to players. Our community is eagerly waiting for the iOS version of the game, and it is disheartening to be unable to move forward due to vague and unclear feedback. Could anyone provide advice or share their experience in addressing such issues? Is there a way to request more detailed feedback or examples from the review team to better understand their concerns? Without this, it feels impossible to know how to proceed. Thank you for your time and support!

Hello, I am posting here because I no longer have access to the communication channels that were previously available to discuss my developer account with Apple. My appeal was denied, but Apple informed me that I could submit a reinstatement request after addressing the concerns that had been identified. Following that communication, I spent considerable time reviewing my applications, metadata, screenshots, codebase, user flows, and business practices. Although I do not believe my account was involved in dishonest or fraudulent activity, I nevertheless made extensive changes in an effort to address any potential concerns Apple may have had. The main difficulty is that the specific conduct that led to the termination decision was never clearly explained to me. Apple cited Section 3.2(f) and provided examples of prohibited behavior, but did not identify which specific action or activity was associated with my account. As a result, I was left attempting to correct every possible issue without understanding what the actual concern was. In addition, throughout my participation in the Apple Developer Program, I had never previously encountered a notice, suspension, or similar action of this nature. This made it even more difficult for me to understand what specific issue Apple believed had occurred and how best to address it. While I was still implementing changes and preparing what I believed would be a reinstatement submission, I received a termination notice. Since the termination, I have lost access to the Contact Us page and the communication channels that were previously available to me. I would therefore appreciate guidance from Apple or from developers who may have experienced a similar situation: How is a developer expected to submit a reinstatement request after termination if the Contact Us page is no longer accessible? Is there an alternative channel through which reinstatement requests can be submitted? Has anyone successfully submitted a reinstatement request after account termination and received a review? I am not asking Apple to reverse its decision through this forum. I am simply trying to understand how a developer is expected to submit a reinstatement request after termination when the previously available communication channels are no longer accessible. Thank you for your time.

Hello, I’m hoping someone from Apple can help with our developer account, which is currently under a Pending Termination Notice under Section 3.2(f). We submitted an appeal to the App Review Board almost 30 days ago and have not received a response or request for any additional information. We have been part of the Apple Developer Program for approximately 8 years and really want to get this resolved properly. We are happy to provide Apple with any additional information or documentation that may be needed. At this point, I’m mainly hoping someone from the Apple team can help confirm that our appeal has reached the appropriate team and is still under active review. If there is anything else we should be doing while we wait, I would really appreciate the guidance. Organization: Live it Tech LLC Team ID: GBNG5A4K8Y Thank you for your help.

Hello, Our app has been in "Waiting for Review" since August 18, 2026 at 6:51 PM, and has never entered "In Review." It has now been 10 days. Apple ID: 6768989011 Version: 1.0 Platform: iOS Submitted: August 18, 2026 Current Status: Waiting for Review I have already confirmed the following on our side: No messages or requests for additional information in Resolution Center Agreements, Tax, and Banking are all Active Age Rating questionnaire and Export Compliance are complete App Review Information includes demo credentials and detailed review notes No in-app purchases pending review I understand review times can vary, and I can see from recent posts in this forum that other developers are experiencing similar delays with first submissions. Could someone from the App Review team please check whether this submission is progressing normally, or escalate it if necessary? Thank you for your time.

Hello, I am looking for guidance on a new app submission that has not moved out of the queue. App: Balanced: Pilates Instructor Apple ID: 6797579437 Platform: iOS Version: 1.0 (first submission of a new app) Submitted: 20 August 2026 Current status: Waiting for Review It has now been 12 days without the status changing to In Review. There are no messages in the Resolution Center and I have received no communication from the App Review team. I submitted a request through the Contact Us form on 26 August and have not had a response. I would also note that the Distribution tab for this app intermittently fails to load, showing "Sorry, something went wrong. Try your request again." I am unsure whether this is related or a separate App Store Connect issue, but it means I cannot always view the submission record. I have not cancelled or resubmitted the build, as I understand that would return me to the back of the queue. Is there anything further I can do to have this submission picked up for review? Thank you.

I'm starting to wonder if something has gone horribly wrong in the App Review department. We've had reviewers request specific information in one message, which we supplied the same day, then we wait another 4 days and they ask the same question having clearly not looked at the information we sent. We've now been completely adrift for 21 days and it's been over a week since we last heard from them. We have hundreds of people waiting on us, can't promote on social media, receiving support requests every day from customers wondering why they can't access the app. This isn't the first time we've released an app through App Store Connect, and our app is very straighforward - no restrictions or unusual requests. The app is obviously compliant, they just aren't reading any of the information we're providing, so we're totally stuck. It didn't used to be like this. A year ago we were seeing reviews turn around within the stated 24-48 hours. Has something changed in the last 6 months? Perhaps an uptick in submissions due to AI coding? Anyone else seeing these issues?

Hello, I'm a solo developer and I'm running into the same review delay on every single submission, not just one. I'd appreciate any insight into whether something on my account is causing this. Current submission: App: Silk Road Tycoon: Idle Empire Apple ID: 6795834497 Version: 1.0.7 (Build [1]) Submitted: [23 Aug 2026] Current status: [Waiting for Review] Days in queue: 8 This is an update to an app that is already live on the App Store (1.0.3 shipped 22 Aug). It contains no new permissions, no new frameworks and no change to the monetization model. The pattern is not isolated: My other app, Big Bluff - Liar Party Game (Apple ID 6798633287), went through the same multi-day waits on every submission before it went live earlier this month. Every release I have submitted so far has sat in the queue far longer than the 24-48 hour guidance, including minor updates. What I have already verified: All Agreements, Tax and Banking information is active and current Export compliance, content rights and age rating questions are all answered App Review Notes are filled in; the game requires no login, so no demo account is needed No messages in the Resolution Center and no communication from App Review I have not cancelled or resubmitted, since I understand that resets queue position I have also filed an expedited review request with no response. My question: is this simply the current queue length, or is there something flagged on my developer account that routes my submissions into a slower lane? If it's the latter, I'd like to fix whatever is causing it rather than keep filing tickets on every release. Thank you.

Hello, I am seeking guidance regarding a Pending Termination Notice received on March 18, 2026 for the developer account of Kaagapay Platform Inc. Background: Our app, CreditKaagapay: Score & Report (App ID: 6744999391), is a credit report and loan matching platform operating in the Philippines in partnership with the Credit Information Corporation (CIC). The app maintained a 4.8-star rating with over 4,000 reviews. No prior warnings were issued before the notice. Notice Details: The notice cited Guideline 5.6 and Section 3.2(f), alleging dishonest or fraudulent activity related to account information. Timeline: • March 18: Received the Pending Termination Notice. Submitted two appeals (App Removal + Pending Account Termination) on the same day. Both received on-screen confirmation. • March 25: Submitted a follow-up through the App Review Status contact form. • March 26: Developer Support confirmed the appeal was forwarded to the App Review Board (Case ID: 30000003321343). • April 1 (today, Day 14): No response received from the App Review Board. Questions: Is there a way to confirm that our appeals are currently under review by the App Review Board? Are there any additional steps we should take to bring this to the Board's attention? Is there any mechanism to submit supplementary documentation, as the appeal form did not support attachments? We remain fully committed to compliance and ready to provide any additional information requested. Thank you for any guidance. Yifu Zhang, Account Holder Case ID: 30000003321343

I have a problem with the title of my app "Trophy Tracker for PlayStation". I submitted version 2.0.0 a few days ago and it got rejected because of the following: Guideline 4.1(c) - Design - Copycats "App's cannot use another developer's icon, brand, or product name in the app's icon or name, without approval from that developer." I'm wondering for two reasons about this. First, why did the previous versions not get rejected? The app is a month old now and from what I know there has not been an update of the guideline. Second, isn't it a base practice in the App Store to use the title formate "xxx for xxx"? A few examples would be "Creator View for YouTube" or "Apollo for Reddit". And even my competitors use terms like "Steam", "XBOX" or "PSN" in their subtitle. I sent a message to the review team, but I just got a generic response containing the text of the guideline. I have to mention that I do not claim to be Sony or PlayStation in any way, the reason why it is in the app title is to let users know that the app is only for PlayStation, no Steam or Xbox for example. What do you recommend in this situation? Is it worth to make an appeal? Do I have to live with it and change my app name? Did I just have bad luck with the reviewer? If you've made similar experiences or know what to do next I'd love to hear your ideas. Thanks in advance!

I'm looking for clarification on how the new EU business terms apply to a code-redemption flow. My app sells self-guided digital audio tours via Apple In-App Purchase. I would also like to sell the same tours independently through third-party travel marketplaces (general tour and activity booking platforms). The proposed flow: The app would not advertise, mention, or link to these marketplaces in any way. After purchasing a tour externally, an EU customer receives a booking code. In the app, the customer taps "Enter a booking code," types the code, and taps "Fetch Tour." The app verifies the booking against our server and unlocks the purchased tour, with no additional payment taken. The same tours remain available for direct purchase through Apple In-App Purchase. App Review has previously rejected this type of code-redemption functionality under the In-App Purchase rules. Two questions: Is this exact flow now permitted on EU storefronts under Attachment 14, using the StoreKit External Purchase or External Purchase Link entitlement? Do these externally initiated sales need to be reported to Apple, or incur an Apple commission, given that the app contains no external offer, marketplace name, purchase instructions, or actionable link? Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Hi everyone, I am seeking advice from developers who have successfully resolved or navigated Guideline 4.3(b) (Design: Spam / Saturated Category) rejections, especially within the dating or social networking space. App Overview & Core Features: Our app is a "Diary-based Dating / Emotional Connection Platform." Unlike traditional photo-first, swipe-deck dating apps, our core mechanics rely on authentic emotional reflection: Journal/Diary-First Discovery: Users write daily diary entries reflecting their thoughts and emotions. Matching and interaction occur based on mutual empathy with these journal entries. Identity Verification: All users are identity-verified to maintain authenticity and safety. 24/7 AI Moderation: We run continuous AI verification on profile content, posts, and real-time chat to prevent spam, abuse, and inappropriate content. Text-to-Profile UX: Users read daily self-written introductions first, and profiles only unlock after reading the text. Current Situation: We received a 4.3(b) rejection stating that the app primarily includes dating features duplicating existing apps on the App Store. We appealed to the App Review Board (APL527511) and explained our rebuilt UX (removing photo grids, prioritizing text/diary entries), but received a template rejection stating the category is saturated. We have requested an App Review Appointment and are waiting for guidance. Questions for the Community: Has anyone successfully overcome 4.3(b) for a dating/social app by reframing metadata, category placement (e.g., Lifestyle/Mental Wellbeing instead of Social Networking), or onboarding flows? Is a 4.3(b) flag tied permanently to a Bundle ID once flagged multiple times, or is it possible to pass review after adjusting the core positioning? How did you effectively demonstrate to the review team during an App Review Call that your app provides a non-traditional, unique user experience? Any insights, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Our developer account was deactivated, and our app has now been unavailable for more than a week. We submitted our appeal and contacted Apple regarding Case ID 20000149095871, but we still have not received a substantive response. We have worked with Apple for approximately three years and have always had great respect for the App Review team and Apple’s rules. Whenever App Review raised concerns in the past, we communicated openly with the team, understood the issue, and made the requested changes. That is why we were genuinely shocked and deeply concerned by what happened. We are not asking Apple to make an exception for us. We are simply asking for the opportunity to understand what went wrong and fix it. Our team is ready to provide any information, make any necessary corrections, or speak directly with Apple by phone. After three years of cooperation and respect for Apple’s team, it is very difficult for us to understand why our app has been unavailable for more than a week while we are still waiting for an answer. We sincerely hope someone from Apple can review our situation and escalate Case ID 20000149095871 to the appropriate team. We just want the opportunity to understand the issue, cooperate with Apple, and resolve this properly. Thank you for your attention and help.