App Review

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App review is the process of evaluating apps and app updates submitted to the App Store to ensure they are reliable, perform as expected, and follow Apple guidelines.

Posts under App Review tag

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App Name capitalization issue
Looking for a solution: our app name is read more clearly when it is lower-case. We have submitted it to the store in that format, and it shows up on the App Store that way, but when it is sent to the devices, it changes to upper case. I am not seeing results on why this is happening or how to change it. The app name is 1on1 Piano, and when it is downloaded on the device, it changes to 1ON1 Piano, which people often mistake for "ioni piano" and "10 and 1 piano," so we would like it to be consistent with our branding where "on" is lowercase.
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Jun ’25
App accepted to app store, but subscriptions are rejected
My app was accepted onto the app store yesterday, but i just found out that my subscriptions were rejected for some reason. The localization of each subscription said there was something wrong with it so i changed them and resubmitted them. The issue/question that i have is that now that my app has been accepted with my 1.0.0 version, do i have to submit an update for them to review my subscriptions? or do they review the subscriptions separately because you have to submit the subscriptions for review, the same way you have to submit builds. I just don't want to be waiting around because i can't market my app without those subscriptions accepted
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Jun ’25
"Removed from Sale" Application from App Store
I am planning to gradually phase out the app and make it unavailable for new users. However, we would like to ensure that users who have already installed the app can continue to receive updates and support during this transition period. Please advise if this is possible? If so, what are the necessary steps or settings we need to configure in the App Store Console to achieve this? In addition, I would appreciate your guidance on the following questions: What is the process for uploading or releasing an update for an app that is currently "Removed from Sale"? If an app is "Removed from Sale", can it be republished later? What are the steps to do that? Are there any limitations when changing the app’s distribution region (e.g., is there a maximum number of times the region can be changed)? Thank you.
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Jun ’25
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Links in Binary
Hello, Can anyone help me with the below? I've been sent the below bolded, italicized message three time in a row now with no further explanation. _**Please note that links are required to be included in both of the metadata and the binary. We noticed that your app binary is still missing: A functional link to your privacy policy A functional link to your Terms of Use This information is required for apps which include auto-renewable subscriptions.**_ My reviewer initially instructed me to include my terms of use link in my app description (as my privacy policy was already displayed). I followed that instruction and that subsequently started the persistence of the bolded, italicized message. For full context, the links are in my app description and on my paywall inside of the app itself. I need help and clarity on what I'm missing so I can get the app approved. Also, if anyone knows any alternative ways of allowing users to purchase a subscription within the app that Apple allows - I would appreciate that information, as it seems this process is too complicated for me.
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Jun ’25
In-App Purchase stuck "In Review" and cannot be attached to app version
Hi, I'm working on a macOS app that includes a non-consumable in-app purchase. The IAP works fine in local testing using StoreKit, but the app has been rejected a few times during review and I’ve resubmitted it after addressing the issues. Right now, both the app version and the in-app purchase are stuck in "In Review" status in App Store Connect. The IAP has never been approved before. The main issue is: on the app version page in App Store Connect, under "App Store" > "In-App Purchases", the entire option to add in-app purchases is now missing. I can’t link the IAP to this version anymore. Because of this, the reviewers get an error saying “Product not found”, which makes sense, since the IAP isn’t included in the submission anymore, and I have no way to reattach it. It feels like the app and IAP are both stuck in review, causing a deadlock that prevents me from progressing. Has anyone experienced something like this? Is there a way to escalate or fix this state? Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you! Antek
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Jun ’25
App still 'in review' after 9 days
I've submitted my app on May 17, 2025, and has been stuck 'in review' since (9+ days). I've contacted support numerous times with little success. One support rep said that my app was "expedited" 5 days ago, but not changes to the status of my app since. I'm afraid of deleting the submission and resubmitting as it might repeat this long process. Getting my app reviewed and hopefully listed on the app store as soon as possible is absolutely crucial to the success of my company. And every day spent 'in review' is a huge hurt on the conversions/sales on the people already waiting to try the app. Any help or visibility would be appreciated
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May ’25
App still 'in review' after 9+ days
I submitted my app to be reviewed on May 17, 2025. I've contacted support via phone and email a number of times without much success. One support member said my app was "expedited" on May 23 (5 days ago), but still nothing. I don't want to delete the submission of my app and try again only to repeat this long wait time. Having the app accepted and listed on the app store as soon as possible, since customers who've given us their email for pre-launch are waiting for the app to be public, thus hurting sales (every day this problem persists). Any help or visibility would be appreciated.
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May ’25
Apps still not review after 5 days
真诚地 We submitted updates for our applications on May 24, 2025, to make them available to new customers. As of today, the applications remain "in review," and we have not received any communication from your team. Please note that we revised the application names based on previous feedback from App Review. The availability of these apps in the store is critical to our operations, as our customers are eagerly awaiting access, and the delay is negatively impacting our sales. The lack of expedited service is frustrating, especially given our annual developer program fee. We would appreciate greater transparency regarding potential slowdowns (e.g., during peak periods like Christmas). Any assistance or visibility into the review timeline would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support, and best wishes to my fellow developers on your team. Sincerely,
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May ’25
Apple review team unable to fetch subscriptions
Hello, New app with a simple subscription is being rejected in review, apparently because the subscription's IAP products are unavailable in the review environment. Subscription purchases work correctly in TestFlight. The only description of the problem supplied by the reviewer is "Specifically, error processing IAPs" – no screenshots or description of symptoms. However I can see from app diagnostics they are getting the log error "Subscription store should include at least one auto-renewable subscription", which implies the products cannot be loaded. There is nothing I can change at my end to resolve this. Please help. This seems to be a regular problem, reading this forum. FYI: Subscriptions work in TestFlight using the sandbox Subscription products were attached to the app version for review Subscription products have status "Waiting for review" The paid agreement is active and bank information is present I have also deleted and re-created the products with new group and product ids after a previous similar rejection. The submitted build uses these new products of course.
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May ’25
App update "Waiting for review" for a week
Hi! We have a critical in-app launch coming soon and already missed one due to longer than expected review process. I even requested an expedited review last Saturday, but it's still "Waiting for review". We also have a patch version waiting that we would send to review right after the current one is approved. Or should we reject the current submission and submit the patched version (and request expedited review) or would that just drop us back to the end of the line? Help appreciated, thank you. 🙏
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May ’25
App Review Delay – 6 Days Without Feedback, Urgent Launch Approaching
Hello Apple Developer Support, Please we are writing to respectfully seek your assistance regarding the current status of our app submission. As of today, it has been six (6) full days since we received the last correspondence through our Apple Developer account. In that last message, we were informed that our app and the information we submitted had been successfully acknowledged, and we were kindly asked to allow additional time for the review process. While we absolutely understand and respect the importance of a thorough app review — especially for ensuring compliance, security, and overall app quality on the App Store — the extended delay without further updates has become a serious concern for us, and we are reaching out in hopes of getting some clarification or an approval update. Our situation is quite time-sensitive. We have been preparing for our app launch for a long time, and we have communicated a specific release date to our users and clients. Unfortunately, with no update from the review team and our planned launch date fast approaching, we are now in a position where we might miss this window. This could lead to broken promises to our users and potentially damage the trust we’ve worked hard to build with them. We are not trying to rush or pressure the team — we deeply respect the process and the work that goes into it. Rather, we are simply trying to understand where things currently stand so we can better manage expectations on our side, and possibly make informed decisions if any contingency plans are needed. We have reviewed all communications thoroughly and have ensured that no additional information was requested from our side. If there is any action needed on our end, we would be more than happy to respond immediately and provide anything that could assist in moving the review process forward. We sincerely hope this message can help prompt a follow-up or at least help us understand what the next steps might be. If there is a known backlog or expected delay duration, even having that context would go a long way in helping us communicate transparently with our users and stakeholders. We’re excited to bring our app to the App Store and share the hard work we’ve put into its development with the iOS community. We appreciate your time, support, and the dedication the App Review team gives to making the App Store a safe and high-quality environment for all users. Thank you in advance for your help.
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May ’25
Apps still not review after 9 days
We submitted our apps on May 19, 2025, in order to make them available to our new customers. To date, we have heard nothing from the AppStore Connect team. We tried to delete the submission of one of our apps and try again the process on May 23, but this too was unsuccessful. The availability of these apps on the store is vital to the operation of our company, since our customers are eagerly awaiting their use, which is a drag on our sales. It's frustrating not to have a faster service, especially as we pay an annual fee, without having more information on potential slowdowns such as during the Christmas period. Any help or visibility would be appreciated Wishing you a good day and good luck to my fellow developers if you're in the same situation. Best regards,
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May ’25
Guideline 3.2.1(viii) - domain ownership issue despite Admin email match
Hi everyone, I’m having a recurring issue with App Review under Guideline 3.2.1(viii). Our app provides loan services, and we’re using a custom domain on our app's Product Page (e.g. support URL, marketing URL). To comply with the requirement that the domain must be clearly under our control and associated with Apple Accounts, we’ve: Verified the domain (e.g. exampleloanservice.com) via the apple-app-site-association file. Added an Admin user to our App Store Connect team with an email like admin[at]exampleloanservice.com. All URLs listed in the App Store metadata (support, marketing, privacy policy) use that same domain. The Account Holder is still using a personal email like companyname[at]gmail.com. Despite this, the app is still being rejected with the same message: "domains used on the Product Page must be under your control or ownership" My questions are: Is having an Admin user with the correct domain email enough? Or does the Account Holder email also need to be on the same domain to pass review? Would really appreciate insights from anyone who’s faced this and solved it. Thanks!
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May ’25
Repeated Rejection Due to Guideline 4.3(a) – Need Help Understanding the Issue
Hello everyone, We’re currently facing an issue with getting our app, approved in the App Store. The app keeps getting rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) with the explanation that it appears too similar in concept, binary, or metadata to other apps on the App Store. We’ve responded to Apple multiple times explaining that: -Our app is built from scratch with unique design and code. -We do not use any templates or prebuilt frameworks. -The app offers real-time support and a working, stable VPN connection. -Notifications are limited to rare, essential updates. -Metadata (title, description, keywords, screenshots) were crafted individually. -We’ve also thoroughly reviewed the App Review Guidelines, the Human -Interface Guidelines, and the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, and we believe our app fully complies. However, we continue to receive the same general rejection response, without specific feedback on what exactly needs to be changed. We’ve requested clarification from the App Review team, but haven’t received actionable details. We would really appreciate if anyone from the developer community — especially those who’ve gone through similar experiences — could provide advice on how to move forward. -What has worked for you in resolving a 4.3(a) rejection? -Are there specific changes we should make to the app’s metadata or user experience that helped in your case? -Would adding significantly new features or in-app purchase options help distinguish the app more clearly? -Any insights or guidance would be extremely helpful! Thank you in advance for your support!
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May ’25
Clarification on Use of exit(0) in iOS App for Fatal Error Recovery
I am reaching out to seek clarification on the usage of exit(0) within an iOS application under specific circumstances, as I have not been able to find concrete guidance on this in the App Store Review Guidelines Context of Our Application: We are developing a mobile game using Cocos2d-JS (Cocos2d-x JavaScript bindings). The game is built in C++ with JavaScript used for game logic, and it runs on both Android and iOS. Occasionally, due to an unrecoverable fatal JavaScript error (e.g., corrupted state or unexpected runtime crash), the game’s screen goes completely black. When this occurs, the rendering engine halts, user interaction becomes impossible, and the app enters a non-functional state. From this point, the only way to return to a working state is to manually terminate and relaunch the app. We are exploring a user-friendly solution where, upon detecting such a critical failure, we present a native UIAlertController to the user explaining the issue and informing them that the app needs to restart. Upon confirmation (i.e., tapping “OK”), we call exit(0) to gracefully close the app, so the user can relaunch it in a working state. Our Question: Is it acceptable to use exit(0) in this very limited and clearly explained context? The intention is to improve the user experience during unrecoverable fatal states that cannot be handled through standard UI or engine resets. I understand that the use of exit(0) is generally discouraged, but in our case: The user explicitly initiates the exit via a native prompt. The app is not quitting on its own or in response to a policy violation. We are not using exit(0) to bypass App Review or circumvent system behavior. There is no mention in the App Review Guidelines explicitly stating whether or not exit(0) is disallowed in such edge cases. Please confirm whether this approach aligns with Apple's policies, or suggest an alternative method for cleanly handling such irrecoverable errors on iOS? Looking forward to your guidance.
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May ’25
App not finished being reviewed for more than 3 weeks
Hi everyone, I submitted my app for review nearly 3 weeks ago, and it’s still stuck in “Waiting for Review” status. My intended launch date was May 20, which I’ve now missed due to this delay. This has already impacted user acquisition and visibility. I’ve submitted a request for expedited review (with a valid reason), but I haven’t received any update. I also emailed support at the two-week mark and only received a vague response. This is incredibly frustrating, especially considering the annual fee we pay to use App Store Connect. I would appreciate any insight from others who’ve dealt with similar delays—or any advice on how to escalate this properly. Any help or visibility on this would be appreciated.
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May ’25