"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."

I have 9 plus years of iOS experience starting with Objective C and moving to Swift, but after 4 years in my current company with little salary growth, I am struggling to find new opportunities in a highly competitive market with fewer openings and broader skill expectations. I am unsure about the long term career path for mobile developers, concerned about compensation growth and lacking SwiftUI experience, and would appreciate guidance on what additional skills to learn to stand out and secure better opportunities.

I’ve invested heavily in developing my app, but marketing and ASO remain challenging. Despite experimenting with different keywords and tools, my rankings haven’t improved much. Is this just a matter of time?

Dear Sirs My app wich ID is 6759109615 is waiting for review since Feb 12, is this normal? I'm a bit worried since the days of expiration are fewer every day! I'm not trying to bother anyone here, just need to make sure that all is fine and the app will be "reviewed" sooner or later! if there is any place that I can submit a ticket or ask more properly please let me know. Kindest regards Jose Rodriguez

Hi, I’m running into a persistent issue in App Store Connect related to TestFlight and app reviews, and I’m hoping someone has seen this before. Around two weeks ago, I started getting the following error when trying to create external TestFlight builds: ENTITY_UNPROCESSABLE.BETA_CONTRACT_MISSING Since then: I cannot create any external TestFlight tests Internal TestFlight builds appear, but cannot be downloaded (“The requested app is not available or doesn’t exist”) My apps do not progress properly through review One app got stuck in “In Review” for ~10 days; I eventually withdrew it and resubmitted it At this point, I cannot update two existing apps, and I can’t start testing a new app at all Important details: This is an individual developer account I am the Account Holder All contracts appear active and valid The issue affects multiple apps, not just one Nothing changed on my side (no contract updates, no account changes) before this started happening. Has anyone experienced this issue or found a resolution? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi, My app has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" since February 3rd - that's 14 days now. I've contacted support multiple times and keep getting generic responses that lead nowhere. This is unacceptable. Is there an actual issue with the review system right now? Has Apple stopped working with review contractors? Is there an internal strike movement ? I need a real answer, not another copy-paste response. What's actually going on? I need transparency on what's causing this delay and an estimated timeline.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to sanity-check App Store review queue times and see if there’s anything I might be missing. I currently have two iOS apps sitting in “Waiting for Review” with no movement: App 1: Apple ID 6758135741 — submitted Feb 6, 2026 at 5:42 PM (11 days in “Waiting for Review”) App 2: Apple ID 6758885884 — submitted Feb 8, 2026 at 4:33 PM (9 days in “Waiting for Review”) In App Store Connect I don’t see any warnings, messages, or visible account issues. Builds uploaded successfully and metadata looks complete. A couple questions for anyone who’s seen this recently: Are 9–11 day “Waiting for Review” times currently normal due to queue volume? Are there common “silent blockers” that can keep an app in this state even without an obvious warning (e.g., Agreements/Tax/Banking, export compliance/encryption, missing compliance answers, etc.)? If this seems unusual, what’s the best next step—Support ticket, Resolution Center, or an expedite request? Thanks in advance for any insight. If helpful, I can share the app category and whether it uses IAP, sign-in, or encryption.

I had to create a new version (26.01.1) for my app in order to provide updates to the age ratings prior to the end of January, 2026. The problem is that this version wasn't production/release ready, but nonetheless I created this version to answer the updated age ratings. I now have a production ready version (26.02.1), but I do not see any way to cancel/delete this current version in order to create a new version with the 26.02.1 build I've uploaded. What are my options? Must I submit 26.01.1 for review and distribute it and then I will see the + icon to be able to create a new release?

Hello🙏, I’m a new indie developer and I’m trying to understand review timing behavior. Context: App type: Game built with Unreal Engine 5 Initial submission: Entered “In Review” within 48 hrs. Result: Rejected due to icon similarity (icon too similar to an existing App Store icon) What I did next: I updated the icon to ensure it is clearly distinguishable and resubmitted. After 30 (?)hrs, I removed/rejected that submission myself while it was still in "Waiting For Review" because I suspected the icon asset might still contain a transparency issue (this was my own precaution before Apple flagged anything). I then corrected the icon asset and submitted again (current submission: Build 7). Current status: Status: Waiting for Review Duration: 9 days Calendar days ( Mon, 09 Feb and today is 17th Feb 26) in this state for Build 7 Additional notes: The app runs without crashes on my iPhone and iPad. During the earlier review, Apple only raised the icon similarity issue (no functional issues were mentioned). I contacted App Store Connect support; they couldn’t provide a queue timeline, but nothing appears flagged on their side. Question: Is it normal for a resubmitted build (after correcting an icon-related rejection, and after a developer-cancelled submission) to remain in “Waiting for Review” for an extended period before switching to “In Review”? I’m trying to understand if this is typical queue variability or if removing a submission and resubmitting can affect how long it stays in “Waiting for Review.” Thank you for any insights.

I am looking for some insight into current App Store review times. The Situation: I submitted my new app for its first review on February 3rd. It has been sitting in the "Waiting for Review" state for 11 days now and has not moved to "In Review." The Impact: We had a major launch event planned for today (Feb 14). We have marketing campaigns live and users waiting, but we have officially missed our launch window because the app is still sitting in the queue. My Questions: Is anyone else experiencing wait times this long (10+ days) just to enter the review stage? How much time does it typically take for a first-time submission to go live once it finally enters review? Is there any way to flag this delay if it has exceeded the standard 48-hour window? We are losing marketing budget every hour this is delayed. Any advice on how to get this moving would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hello🙏, I’m a new indie developer and I’m trying to understand review timing behavior. Context: App type: Game built with Unreal Engine 5 Initial submission: Entered “In Review” within 41 (?) hrs. Result: Rejected due to icon similarity (icon too similar to an existing App Store icon) What I did next: I updated the icon to ensure it is clearly distinguishable and resubmitted. A day later that, I removed/rejected that submission myself while it was "Waiting for Review" because I suspected the icon asset might still contain a transparency issue (this was my own precaution before Apple flagged anything). I then corrected the icon asset and submitted again (current submission: Build 7). Current status: Status: Waiting for Review Duration: 8 Calendar days in this state (09 Feb 1208 hrs and today is 17th Feb 26, 1044 hrs) for Build 7 Additional notes: The app runs without crashes on my iPhone and iPad. During the earlier review, Apple only raised the icon similarity issue (no functional issues were mentioned). I contacted App Store Connect support; they couldn’t provide a queue timeline, but nothing appears flagged on their side. Question: Is it normal for a resubmitted build (after correcting an icon-related rejection, and after a developer-cancelled submission) to remain in “Waiting for Review” for an extended period before switching to “In Review”? I’m trying to understand if this is typical queue variability or if removing a submission and resubmitting can affect how long it stays in “Waiting for Review.” Thank you for any insights.

My app was reviewed and approved on Feb 3rd, and still does not show in app store. I have submitted a ticket to Apple Feb 3rd, and still have not received a reply. I get either 404, or "this app is not available your country or region". This does it for me, and anyone I've asked to try it. This is very confusing - please someone help! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/exp-lights/id6758403863

Dear Apple Team, I am writing regarding our pending account termination. Timeline: January 25, 2026: Received Pending Termination Notice January 25, 2026: Submitted appeal and corrective update February 5, 2026: Responded to DPLA compliance notice February 10, 2026: Submitted follow-up via Review Board and Contact Us Current: Corrective update remains In Review, no response received We have submitted corrective updates addressing all identified issues. The corrected version is currently In Review. With the February 24 deadline approaching and no feedback received through any channel, we are concerned about the status of our appeal. We remain fully committed to compliance and respectfully request confirmation that our appeal is being reviewed. Thank you.

I recently had an app rejected for 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness and specifically, “no subscription options available“. The previous build I submitted did have the issue, but this latest one did not, at least as far as I could test. I tested on two different devices using a sandbox account as well as TestFlight and the IAP were visible and working. I also see each IAP pop up correctly within RevenueCat. One thing that may be an issue is I don’t have the section to attach the IAP onto the build before submitting to review. I’ve read through every help article I could find and have triple-checked everything with the IAP is in order. Pricing, localization, screenshot, review notes, signed agreement, etc. I’ve also tried reaching out several times through the contact us page as well as replied to the review, but haven’t received a response. Is there anything I could be missing? Is not attaching them to the build the issue and if so, how can I get them to show up without recreating the IAP with new names? Thank you.

I see many developers struggling with ASO where AI written content does not deliver results, performance analysis is unclear, localization is ignored, App Store optimization is incomplete, and keywords are often poorly chosen. I am considering running two simple group sessions to share practical tips and show clear ways to improve ASO with real effort involved, and I would like feedback on this idea whether offered for a small fee or even for free.

Hey everyone, I’ve been building iOS apps since 2011, released several, took a four-year break, and recently launched two new apps, but the ecosystem feels very different now. Earlier, new apps saw strong first-day downloads and fast Google indexing, while today my App Store pages took weeks to appear and show almost no organic traction without promotion, so I’m curious if others notice this and how developers now gain discovery.

My app has been in review state for 12 days. I have expedited it but it has still not moved. Is there anything else I can do to expedite the review?

My app has been in “Waiting for Review” since January 31. I already submitted a support case (id - 102819325365) last week, but haven’t received a response. I also requested an expedited review but with no response either. This is not a new app, and all previous submissions were completed in less than 48 hours, so this delay seems unusual.

Hey all, I am a first time publisher navigating the App Review process. I want to publish a watchOS only app, but keep getting this feedback: Regarding 4.0, Apple Watch app icon's background color is still black. Based on our investigation, you have included plain black icons. To resolve this issue, it would be appropriate to modify your app's Apple Watch app icon to include a lighter background color to ensure that it is recognizable and appears circular on Apple Watch. I set the following configs: Project -> Targets -> Apple Watch App -> App Icons & Launch Screen -> App Icon set to my Icon Composer file. Checked App Icons Source. I was able to install my build through TestFlight and successfully install on my watch, and the App Icon displays properly there. I also saw a recent Reddit post from another developer facing the same issue. I can't link that post, but will share this post with the OP. I attached what the reviewer sent me with the rejection.

Hi, Got my first submission rejected due to Design - Minimum Functionality and would like to ask for some guidance on what to do. To give some context of my app. My app is quite simple but solves a common issue in my home town. During the winter month, every street will have a certain time when parking is forbidden. This results in everyone having to move their car several times a week to avoid getting tickets. Every time you move, you need to note and remember when to move it again, etc. A parking ticket for forgetting is around 140 USD. My app aims to solve this by letting the user press a button which makes the app use the current GPS location to fetch the parking relevant parking restriction and create a notification the day before, reminding the user to move their car. Simple UI and nothing fancy. I've also created onboarding that gives relevant information the first time a user open their app. I'm a bit on the fence on what I should do to pass. In my opinion, the functionality is more than a website because it uses GPS, creates notifications, loading spinner when parking restrictions are being fetched, has onboarding, etc. I think an issue that might cause the reviewer to dismiss it is that it currently only work in my specific town - it uses certain APIs to fetch the parking restrictions. So, should I try to create more functionality (not sure what) or do I need to clearly argue my case and demo my apps functionality via recordings? Thanks in advance for any help and guidance :)