I am writing to share my frustration regarding the app review process for my application. My current submission has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for nearly 7 weeks, starting from February 5th. Although I have attempted to cancel and resubmit periodically, there were significant gaps of 10 and 21 days between submissions where no action was taken. Currently, I am stuck again. The situation is critical for the following reasons: Critical Bug: The update includes a necessary fix for an In-App Purchase bug that is preventing users from accessing paid features. No Communication: I have sent four inquiries regarding this delay. I received only one generic response asking me to wait, and my subsequent follow-ups have been completely ignored. Expedited Review Request: My requests for an Expedited Review have also gone unanswered. Apple’s standard review time is typically 24-48 hours, but my experience is far from that. I am not asking for special treatment; I am asking for basic transparency regarding why my app has been stalled for nearly two months. Could anyone from the review team please look into this or provide an explanation? This prolonged silence is causing significant issues for my service and its users. Apple ID: 6752595582 First Submission Date: Feb 5th

Hello Apple Developer Community and App Review Team, I'm writing to seek guidance regarding my app Lookify: AI Virtual Try-On (App ID: 6757718224), which has been caught in an ongoing review cycle since February 15, 2026 — nearly two months ago. Submission History: Date Version Status Feb 15 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Feb 19 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Feb 21 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 3 (2:21 AM) iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 3 (1:17 PM) iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 6 (current) iOS 1.1.0 Waiting for Review Each submission was either self-removed after extended waiting periods with no reviewer feedback, or removed to address potential issues — only to re-enter the queue with the same outcome. The current submission has now been in "Waiting for Review" status since April 6 with no activity, no messages, and no indication of progress. What I've done to comply: Updated the Privacy Policy to be fully GDPR and KVKK compliant Provided clear demo account credentials and usage instructions for the AI try-on feature Ensured all metadata, screenshots, and descriptions accurately reflect the app's functionality Reviewed Apple's App Review Guidelines thoroughly before each resubmission I understand that AI-powered apps — especially those involving visual try-on technology — may require closer scrutiny, and I fully respect that process. I'm not asking to bypass any review step. I simply ask for transparency: if there is an issue with the app, a rejection with specific feedback would allow me to address it immediately. This app represents months of development work. As a small independent developer, prolonged uncertainty without communication makes it very difficult to plan or improve. My request: Could anyone from the App Review team or community provide insight into: Whether there is an active flag or concern on this submission What the expected timeline might be for accounts with this submission history Whether an Expedited Review would be appropriate given this timeline I have also submitted a contact request through the official App Review contact form. I am fully committed to making any necessary changes — I just need to know what they are. Thank you sincerely for your time and assistance. Mustafa Bilgiç Developer, PlayTools

Apple review usually takes a couple hours or even 2 days or less to review my submissions but it’s taking them 4 days to review it I submitted on a Wednesday. should I re-submit?

My app requires Google or Apple login. The App Store requires an active email for review. How can the App review team access my email if it required 2FA? I don't understand how I can get an app reviewed it they need me to provide a code after they login? It seems ridiculous that I need to supply them with a test email, why can't they test with a dummy email? Is it just not possible to get an app reviewed if the app requires Apple or Google logins? Should I temporarily add the option for any email to setup an account and just make a dummy email and then after review asap remove the email login from the app? that seems like a lot of unnecessary programming just because they the need me to provide an email address and login.

I’m trying to find out whether anyone has seen this kind of App Store Connect issue remain unresolved for this long. This is for a first auto-renewable subscription. Timeline: Original support case opened: Feb 27, 2026 Support initially repeated the normal guidance that the first subscription must be submitted with the app version I explained that the issue was not the process itself, but a stuck review state On Mar 25, 2026, I was told the case had been escalated to the appropriate internal team Since then, I have sent follow-up emails asking for status / owner / ETA As of Apr 12, 2026 (KST), there has still been no meaningful update Current state in App Store Connect: App version 1.0.10 is still “Prepare for Submission” Previous 1.0.10 submissions show as “Deleted” There is no active app review submission for 1.0.10 The subscription previously showed “Waiting for Review” Now the subscription itself shows “In Review” But its localization still shows “Waiting for Review” So the state looks inconsistent: no active app review submission app version still draft subscription partially moved into review anyway At this point I’m not asking about the normal first-subscription submission flow. I already understand that. What I’m trying to understand is: Has anyone seen a case like this stay stuck for 6+ weeks? Has anyone had Apple say it was escalated internally and then go silent for weeks? Did Apple eventually fix it manually? Is this something that can remain stuck indefinitely unless the internal team intervenes? Any comparable experience would be helpful.

Hello everyone, I am currently developing a smart camera app for iOS that recommends optimal zoom and exposure values on-device using a custom Core ML model. I am still waiting for an official response from Apple Support, but I wanted to ask the community if anyone has experience with a similar workflow regarding App Review and the DPLA. Here is my training methodology: I gathered my own proprietary dataset of original landscape photos. I generated multiple variants of these photos with different zoom and exposure settings offline on my Mac. I used the CalculateImageAestheticsScoresRequest (Vision framework) via a local macOS command-line tool to evaluate and score each variant. Based on those scores, I labeled the "best" zoom and exposure parameters for each original photo. I used this labeled dataset to train my own independent neural network using PyTorch, and then converted it to a Core ML model to ship inside my app. Since the app uses my own custom model on-device and does not send any user data to a server, the privacy aspect is clear. However, I am curious if using the output of Apple's Vision API strictly offline to label my own dataset could be interpreted as "reverse engineering" or a violation of the Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA). Has anyone successfully shipped an app using a similar knowledge distillation or automated dataset labeling approach with Apple's APIs? Did you face any pushback during App Review? Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hola, el día 20 de enero de 2021 a las 7:26 p. m. hice la compra del programa para desarrolladores y Apple quedo de enviarme un correo cuando todo este listo, ya han pasado las 42 horas y no tengo respuestas, ya le escribí a soporte espero me ayuden. De igual manera quisiera saber cuanto tiempo les demoro a ustedes todo el proceso de compra y verificación, espero me ayuden. Gracias

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on a repeated App Store rejection under Guideline 2.5.1. Background: We initially explored using Family Controls for a planned feature. That feature has now been fully removed from the app. We no longer provide any Screen Time related functionality. What we already cleaned up: Removed all FamilyControls / ManagedSettings / DeviceActivity code usage. Removed commented-out code and all related references from the project. Removed related capabilities and entitlements from targets. Removed related frameworks/dependencies. Performed a clean rebuild and submitted a new archive. However, App Review still says the app includes ScreenTime API in an unapproved manner and suggests removing those APIs. Questions: What are the most common hidden places where Screen Time / Family Controls traces remain? Has anyone seen this triggered by transitive dependencies or stale build artifacts? What evidence/details should I provide in App Review Notes to help the reviewer verify cleanup? Is there a recommended way to ask App Review to share the specific symbol/framework/target they detected? Any practical checklist or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello, I submitted my app for review and it was rejected under Guideline 4.2. I believe the rejection was a misunderstanding of my app's functionality, so I filed an appeal through the Resolution Center explaining why I believe my app meets the minimum functionality requirements. It's been passed almost two weeks since I filed the appeal but I've received no response or update on the status. My app is directly tied to an event launching next week, and without a resolution, I will miss the launch window entirely. I'd greatly appreciate any visibility into where my appeal stands, or any guidance on what steps I can take to move this forward. Thank you for your time.

I’ve had an issue with all of my apps. Where I push my build to TestFlight and then the image pops up. I’ve troubleshooted EVERYTHING. My account has no issues on it, no payment or compliance issues. I’ve looked to reddit for advice, one user says they need there app to get approved by apple, i got a couple apps to have there update approve, still the bug persist. Whether the app is on the App Store or a work in progress nothing works.

I submitted an app build and filled out the expedited review form, they quickly replied: “The issues we've identified below are eligible to be resolved on your next update. If this submission includes bug fixes and you'd like to have it approved at this time, reply to this message and let us know. You do not need to resubmit your app for us to proceed.” I replied with “Yes, please accept the current version now as it contains bug fixes, will resolve that issue later lalala” I replied again 1 day after the letter. And nothing. 2 days total have passed. So the replies do not go to the Expedited Review queue? What should I do? Reply again? Or resubmit the build with a comment “Important bug fixes, please accept immediately”? Or maybe call them, will a call help? Thank you so much!

New member here, please be gentle :) I am getting ready for App Review for my first iOS app, and I am curious if ANY level of obfuscation is allowed? Say I had a drone controller App, I might have something like this: struct Drone{ var name : String var forwardVelocity : Double var lateralVelocity : Double var verticalVelocity : Double var receivedSignalStrength : Int var rssThreshhold : Int var gpsCoordinates : Data func reverseCourse(){ //do a 180 //... } } func onUpdateReceivedSignalStength(drone:Drone){ if drone.receivedSignalStrength < drone.rssThreshhold{ drone.reverseCourse() } } But I don't really want to make it easy for someone to pull the strings from the binaries and try and copy my work. I realize it's pretty much inevitable, but it seems sensible to protect my IP as much as I can. Is something like this acceptable? struct D{ //obfuscated Drone var parameter1 : String //name var parameter2 : Double //forwardVelocity var parameter3 : Double //lateralVelocity var parameter4 : Double //verticalVelocity var parameter5 : Int //receivedSignalStength var parameter6 : Int //rssThreshhold var parameter7 : Data //gpsCoordinates func funcSeven(){ //do a 180 //... } } func funcSix(d:D){ //check if signal strength requires a course reversal if d.parameter5 < d.parameter6{ // signal strength less than threshhold d.funcSeven() //reverse course } } The comments make it clear what the similarly-named parameters are doing, and what the functions do. I fully understand that something like the below is a no-no, just writing it made my eyes bleed: struct DDF{ var SXR : String var KYV : Double var GTC : Double var DKY : Double var ENY : Int var WKN : Int var DJV : Data func BDO(){ //do a 180 //... } } func PUL(KHY:DDF){ if KHY.ENY < KHY.WKN{ KHY.BDO() } } Is there any level of IP protection through obscurity that is acceptable? I realize that the more genericized the variable and function names are, the harder it is to debug, but that might be an acceptable trade-off against IP protection. To be clear, my app isn't anything to do with drones, this was just a vehicle to ask the question with. My code isn't currently at all obfuscated, everything is in clear terms, but I am wondering if I could/should obfuscate the critical parts before App Review and release? The reason for my concern is that a key feature of the app is something very novel, and I have filed a patent application for it. The patent (if granted) won't be granted for 18-24 months, so anything I can do to protect the IP seems like the right thing to do. As a complete newcomer to releasing Apps, I have no experience at all, so I would be grateful for any help/steers from those that do have experience in trying to protect their IP while not making life difficult for the App Review team. Thanks in advance! 6502A

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 is highly concerning that an original creator's work, is being "front-run" by a low-effort clone that appears on the store exactly when the original is submitted. I have filed a formal Rights Infringement report, but I want to ask the community: Has anyone else noticed clones popping up with domains registered on their exact submission date?

My game's critical update (related to AdMob) has been stuck in the review queue for over 2 months now. I’m not exaggerating - it’s literally been more than 2 months. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. My updates used to get approved within 2–3 business days at most. But this time, the process seems completely broken. The update was sitting in the queue since February 4th and wasn’t even taken into review. I finally gave up and rejected it myself on April 4th, then resubmitted it. It’s still the same story: stuck in the queue with zero progress. During this time, I’ve sent multiple emails and messages. None of them provided any useful information, and now I’m basically being ghosted by support. Thanks, Apple, for the amazing support and the value you give to developers. Bonus: Another one of my games has been waiting for its initial release for 15 days now. At this rate, I guess I should expect 3–4 months for that one too. The worst part isn’t just the delay - it’s the complete lack of any meaningful explanation.

Context: We are developing an SDK to support global age verification regulations (e.g., Texas HB 18, Brazil’s LGPD). We plan to use the DeclaredAgeRange and PermissionKit frameworks. We want to verify if our proposed "Block-by-Default" sequence for non-compliant states is legally and policy-compliant according to Apple’s standards. Detailed Workflow Description: Initial Authentication: After the user logs in, the SDK calls requestAgeRange(ageGates: 13, 16, 18). Handling Sharing Status: If Declined: If the user declines age sharing (.declinedSharing), the SDK blocks app access and displays a popup guiding them to enable sharing in System Settings. Age Verification Results: Adult (VERIFIED, 18+): Immediate access to the game. Non-Regulated Region (UNKNOWN): Access to the game is allowed. Minor (SUPERVISED, 13-17): Step A (Age Gate): We check if they are 13+. If they are under 13, we block access and show an "Underage" notice. Step B (Family Sharing): If they are 13+, we check if Family Sharing is linked. If NOT linked, we block access and show a guide to set up Family Sharing. Significant Update & Parental Consent: If a "Significant App Update" requires consent (via requiredRegulatoryFeatures), we call AskCenter.shared.ask with a SignificantAppUpdateTopic. If Approved: The minor is allowed to proceed to the game. If Denied/Pending: Access is blocked, and a "Parental Consent Required" notice is displayed. Information Unavailable (REQUIRED): If age info cannot be verified, access is blocked with a guide on how to provide age information. Specific Questions for Feedback: Blocking for Non-Consent: In regions where Age Assurance is legally required, is it acceptable under App Store Review Guidelines to block app functionality for users who choose .declinedSharing? Mandatory Family Sharing: Is it permissible to require Family Sharing for 13-17-year-old minors to access the app, or must we provide alternative parental verification methods (e.g., credit card verification) for those not using Family Sharing? VPC Compliance: Does using SignificantAppUpdateTopic via AskCenter satisfy the "Verifiable Parental Consent (VPC)" requirements for regulations like Texas HB 18 or Brazil's LGPD for initial gameplay access? User Experience (UX): Does this "Strict Blocking" approach for unverified or non-consented states violate any policies regarding "App Functionality" or "Data Privacy," even if implemented for legal compliance?

Hi everyone, I’m dealing with a strange App Review delay and would appreciate any advice from people who faced something similar. My app was released on January 20. A small update was approved quickly on January 28, and another one on January 29. So far everything looked normal. Then I submitted another update on February 6. This submission stayed in “Waiting for Review” for 3 weeks with no progress. During that time, I contacted Apple Support to ask if something was wrong with my submission or the review queue. The response took quite a while, and since nothing was changing, I assumed the queue got stuck. So I decided to remove the update and resubmit it. Later Support replied and told me that I removed my own update, and that the queue was working normally and there was nothing I needed to do. However, even after resubmitting, the new build stayed in the same “Waiting for Review” status all the way until March 19 — with no signs of movement. At this point I started to think maybe the review team found some critical issues that would block the app from going live. I rechecked the entire app, didn’t find anything serious, but fixed a couple of small bugs and submitted another update. Unfortunately, this update is now also stuck in “Waiting for Review.” Additionally, I requested an expedited review on April 6, but haven’t received any response or changes in status. So at this point I’m not sure what else I can do. Has anyone experienced something similar? Is there anything that helped you unblock a submission stuck in this state? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, I uploaded my first app over a month ago now and there has been no status change at all. I have been stuck in ‘waiting for review’ the whole time since upload. I know Apple say sometimes it may take over the 24-48 hours but 1 month seems like I’ve been missed out. I’ve also submitted an expedited review to see if that helps but nothing as of yet. Does anyone have any advice at all? Thanks.

Has anyone experienced something similar with App Review / App Store Connect? We ran into a very frustrating situation that is now seriously affecting our release and iteration plan. What happened: One of our subscription products was initially rejected on “value” grounds. Although we disagreed with that assessment, we removed that subscription from the latest build in order to move the review process forward. The problem is that the subscription product remained stuck in “In Review” status in App Store Connect. Because of that state, we were unable to edit, remove, or modify it from our side. App Review then rejected the app again under Guideline 2.1(b), saying the IAP attached to the submission could not be found in the binary. So the issue is basically: we already removed the product from the app as requested, but App Store Connect still keeps that product attached to review, and we have no way to remove it ourselves. Then the app gets rejected for exactly that mismatch. We explained this multiple times, attached recordings and backend screenshots, but the responses mostly repeated the same review language and pointed us to contact support. Questions: Has anyone had a subscription get stuck in “In Review” and become impossible to remove? How was it finally resolved? Did Apple manually remove it from the submission, reset the review state, or require you to withdraw and resubmit everything? This has already caused major delays to our release cycle, so any similar experience or practical advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all, We've been rejected four times under Guideline 2.5.2 with identical responses, despite providing detailed clarifications each time. Hoping someone here has dealt with a similar situation. What our app is: A B2B SaaS companion app for our platform (Setgreet). Our customers — product managers and designers — create in-app engagement content (onboarding flows, feature announcements, surveys) on our web dashboard. This companion app lets their teammates and stakeholders view that content on a real device for review and approval before it goes live in the customer's own app via our SDK. The content is structured UI data (text, images, buttons, layout) fetched from our REST API. No executable code, no app binaries, no runtime interpretation, no app distribution. The rejection (verbatim, repeated 4 times): The app appears to be designed for clients or users to preview apps prior to being submitted to the App Store for review. This type of design allows you to change the app's behavior or functionality to differ from the intended and advertised primary purpose of the app, which is not in compliance with App Review Guideline 2.5.2 and section 3.3.2… What we've tried: Detailed written replies explaining the app is a content viewer, not an app preview tool Comparisons to approved App Store apps that work the same way (Figma Mirror, InVision, Braze, Notion — all render remotely-created content via shared links/codes) Filed an App Review Board appeal (waiting for response) Requested a 30-min App Review video call — declined by Apple Each reply gets the exact same rejection text back, with no engagement on our explanations. My questions: Has anyone successfully resolved a 2.5.2 rejection where the reviewer pattern-matched a content viewer as an "app preview tool"? Is the QR-code-to-view-content interaction the likely trigger? Should we de-emphasize it in favor of a login + flow list as the primary UX? Any advice on getting a senior reviewer to actually engage with the explanation vs. copy-pasting the same response? Submission ID: 2f079345-04df-4701-8089-5e55e982f99a Any insights appreciated. Happy to provide more detail. Thanks!