Issue: Our first app, Cool Girl Wears (Apple ID 6812481375, iOS 1.0.0), has been in "Waiting for Review" for 8 days with no movement. Request: Please check whether anything is holding the review, or tell us if you need anything else from us. Background: The first review happened within a day. On 27 September App Review asked for more information (Guideline 2.1, new account). We answered the same day with a screen recording, demo account and full answers, and resubmitted on 29 September. Since then we've requested an expedited review twice (both confirmed) and sent a status request on 5 October (case 102986649532), with no change. Thank you, Sienna Espie, Cool Girl Wears

Hello everyone, I am designing an in-app subscription and pass extension/upgrade system for an iOS app and want to ensure full compliance with App Store Review Guideline 3.1.1. Because pricing in our system depends on the user's historical purchase price rather than static store catalog prices, direct fixed-SKU purchases aren't sufficient on their own. Business Logic Overview Extensions: An extension costs 50% of the price the user originally paid for their plan. Example: If a user bought Plan A at $200, their extension cost is $100 (even if Plan A currently retails at $150). Upgrades: An upgrade charges the delta between the target plan's current price and the user's original purchase price. Example: A user bought Plan A for $200, and Plan B currently costs $250. The upgrade cost is $\max(0, 250 - 200) = 50$. Proposed Technical Solution User requests an extension or upgrade from the iOS client. The backend server calculates the exact delta amount based on user purchase history. The backend maps this calculated amount to a pre-defined Tiered StoreKit Product ID (e.g., com.app.tier_50). The iOS app receives the Product ID and executes the transaction via StoreKit 2 (Product.purchase()). The backend validates the transaction JWS signature with Apple and updates the user's access duration. Questions for the Community & Apple Engineers Has anyone implemented backend-resolved dynamic Tiered SKUs for top-ups or price deltas? Did this pass App Review without issues under Guideline 3.1.1? Are there recommended patterns when configuring price-point tier SKUs (Consumable vs Non-Renewing Subscription) in App Store Connect for variable delta payments? For auto-renewing subscriptions, is it preferred to handle extensions strictly via StoreKit 2 Promotional Offers rather than delta SKUs? Any feedback or real-world experience with similar pricing structures would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can shed some light on an App Review issue we're currently experiencing. We have submitted our Caffè Sabrina iOS app (version 1.0, build 5) for review. The app was previously reviewed by Apple and we were told that the demo account credentials we had provided were no longer valid. We immediately fixed this by creating a completely new demo account, testing it successfully, and updating the App Review information in App Store Connect. We then resubmitted the app. The submission has been sitting at “Waiting for Review” since Wednesday at 7:57 AM. The unusual part is that we have now requested expedited review twice, and Apple confirmed that the review would be expedited. However, the submission still hasn't moved to “In Review.” We've checked everything we can think of: Current build is correctly submitted. New App Review credentials have been tested successfully. App Review information has been updated. The latest build has been tested through TestFlight. The latest build has had installs and multiple sessions. There are no known crashes on the latest build. The current submission has not been cancelled or resubmitted again. We're now several days beyond the expedited request and are concerned that something may be preventing the submission from entering the review queue. Has anyone else experienced an expedited review being granted but the app remaining stuck on “Waiting for Review” for several days? If so, did Apple eventually move it into review automatically, or did you have to contact App Review again? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Michael Darling Tech Ltd

Hello App Review Team, I’m following up regarding our app Neat Everyday, which has been in Waiting for Review for approximately one week. We submitted an Expedited Review request yesterday because the app is part of our planned India launch, but we have not received any update and the submission remains in Waiting for Review. Could you please check whether the submission is correctly queued for review or if any action is required from our side? The app has been reviewed and approved by Apple previously, and there are no outstanding issues or requests for information in App Store Connect. We would greatly appreciate it if you could check the status of this submission. Thank you.

I have an App Store version stuck In Review. I need to cancel / remove it from review so I can submit a newer build. I contacted Apple Developer Support. They said they cannot manually remove the app from review and that I have to cancel it myself. I have tried everything on my side: App Store Connect web UI → Remove this version from review / Cancel Submission App Store Connect on iPhone App Store Connect API (canceled: true on the review submission, and removing the submission item) Every attempt fails. In the UI I get errors like “An error has occurred. Try again later” / “Your changes could not be saved. Try again later.” Via the API I get HTTP 409 STATE_ERROR.ENTITY_STATE_INVALID (“Resource cannot be canceled at the moment, please try again later” / “Cannot remove item because of state of reviewSubmission”). The version stays In Review. I’ve reproduced this in Chrome and Safari, and on the phone app, plus the API so it doesn’t seem like a browser-only issue. Has anyone gotten past this when Support says you must cancel it yourself but Connect won’t let you? Any workaround, or is waiting for Apple the only option?

Hey guys i think am not the only one experiencing this delays from Apple review team , it has been like that now +10 days , does anyone know, what is going on??

Hello Apple App Review Team, I’m reaching out to request an update on the review status of my app, LetsGo Cayman.

Hi App Review team, Our new iOS app was rejected on September 30, 2026 under Guideline 2.1(a) related to demo account access. We replied in App Store Connect with clarifying questions that same day and have not received a response in nearly a week. We also opened Case ID 102983881736 on Friday with no reply yet. The reviewer ran into two separate sign-in issues: Sign in with Apple: Our app is a companion app for an existing web platform, so it currently only allows sign in for accounts already set up on our website. The reviewer's Apple ID showed the expected "Please sign in on the web app to continue" message. Since Sign in with Apple uses the reviewer's own Apple ID, we can't provide standalone credentials for it. Google: Our Google demo account was hit with a Google "Verify it's you" security challenge. That prompt comes from Google, not our app. We can't reliably provide Google or Microsoft demo credentials, because we can't control when those providers trigger security checks during review. To solve both issues, we've built invite code support into the sign-in flow. When a user successfully signs in with Google, Microsoft, or Apple and no account exists for that email in our system, the app now prompts for an invite code instead of showing the "Please sign in on the web app to continue" message. For review, the reviewer would sign in with their own account and enter an invite code from our App Review Information notes, which links their OAuth sign-in to a fully seeded demo account. Before resubmitting, we need answers to two questions: Is this invite code approach acceptable for review? Does the reviewer need to test all three sign-in methods (Google, Microsoft, and Apple), or is one enough? This tells us whether to provide one invite code or a separate code for each method. We'd like to confirm this before resubmitting so the next review goes smoothly, but our launch is on hold until we hear back, so a reply soon would be greatly appreciated. All other fixes are complete. Once we have an answer, we will add the invite code(s) to our App Review Information notes and resubmit with a new build right away. Thank you.

Submitted my third brand new on 15 Sep. Three weeks later it's still sitting in "Waiting for Review". Sent an expedite request on the 27th, heard nothing. By now the build in review is already pretty outdated, and I might have to wait another two weeks after sending the newer version. But I don't want to pull it and end up at the back of the queue. Anyone else seeing waits this long right now? And if it gets approved, does an update usually go through faster, or should I swap the build while I'm waiting?

App Review's automated message (3.0.0 Business: Preamble) arrived on 1 October at 10:14 AM CDT. It asked us to confirm the price of a non-consumable in-app purchase. We confirmed the price in the same thread at 10:21 AM CDT, and wrote again on 5 October at 10:00 AM CDT. As of 6 October it has been nearly 5 days since our answer, with no reply in the thread. Developer Support (case 102978876606) estimated 48 hours on 1 October. The submission still shows "Unresolved Issues" and the app version shows "Rejected". What we have already done: replied in the thread; confirmed the price in writing; left the build and all four in-app purchase items unchanged and "Ready for Review"; opened the Developer Support case above. Two questions: Has anyone gone through this exact message, and how did it end (a reply, a status change, a resubmission)? How long did it take? Are we missing a step besides replying to the question, such as resubmitting, or changing something on the in-app purchase page? App ID 6808337831. Thank you.

Hi everyone, A week and a half after we started the validation process for our app, we’re still stuck with just one response every 24 to 48 hours, and now there are only three days left before the game’s release. The testers aren’t replying, even though I reply politely and send videos to show them how to do it. They test the wrong version, no send of video problem, etc. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything quite as stressful. Three years’ work is at risk because the testers aren’t replying or aren’t reading my messages. How can I speed up the approval process? Or how can I get in direct contact with the people responsible for review ? I’m willing to pay if necessary ! The game was tested during 3 month no problem, this last version works fine on my end, on iPhone and iPad, yet I keep getting the same non-constructive response over and over. I sended video that prouve that. What’s wrong with this review system? Can anyone help me? I’m desperate – our game has been announced and is due to be released on 8 October.... Best Regards Pierre Proudhon

Hello, Our app NUTRIFIT FEMME has been in Waiting for Review for approximately one week. There are no rejection messages or requests for additional information in App Store Connect. Could someone from Apple please confirm whether the submission is processing normally or whether any action is required from our side? Thank you.

My first iOS app, Yug Purushottam, was originally submitted to App Review on September 27, 2026 at 2:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time. Apple subsequently returned the submission under Guideline 2.1 – Information Needed – New App Submission and requested additional information because the developer account has limited App Review history. I provided everything requested, including: A screen recording captured on a physical iPhone showing the app launch and normal user flow Registration and login flow Account deletion and revocation flow Detailed information about the app’s purpose, target audience, external services and regional behavior Updated App Review Information and Notes The submission was then successfully resubmitted on Friday, October 2 at 6:25 AM, and App Store Connect has remained at “Waiting for Review” since then. It has still not moved to “In Review.” I have also already submitted an Expedited App Review Request and contacted Apple through the App Review Status support channel, but so far there has been no progress. The app is complete, has been tested on a physical device, and all information requested by App Review has already been supplied. Has anyone recently experienced a similar delay with a first App Store submission, particularly after a Guideline 2.1 information request? Is there any further escalation route available when a submission remains in “Waiting for Review” despite an Expedited App Review Request and an App Review Status support case? Any recent experience with how long this situation eventually took to resolve would be very helpful.

To learn how to prevent copycat and impersonation rejections, visit 4.1 - Preventing copycat and impersonation rejections on App Review Help.

To learn best practices for before and after submitting your app for review, visit App Review Help.

To learn about supporting your app on multiple devices, visit Test your app on compatible devices on App Review Help.

To learn how to best prepare your app for an efficient review, visit Test your app on compatible devices, Configure In-App Purchases for review in the sandbox, and Provide information for a complete review on App Review Help.

Hi everyone, I'd like to raise a concern about the transparency and fairness of Guideline 4.3 reviews. A rejection that says an app duplicates existing functionality or is indistinguishable from widely available apps should explain what specifically led to that conclusion. General categories, followed by an instruction to make substantial improvements, do not give developers an actionable path forward. Which functionality is the problem? Which aspects need to change? What standard would satisfy the reviewer? Without concrete examples or a clear threshold, the assessment feels highly subjective. Developers can spend significant time building a product and still be left guessing what would make it acceptable. In my view, independently developed apps should be able to compete in existing categories. Products naturally share basic functionality when they solve the same problem. Competition can come from a better workflow, a clearer interface, privacy, pricing, accessibility or serving a different audience. It should not require every developer to invent an entirely new category. If similar functionality alone is enough to reject a new entrant, that risks protecting established apps from competition. That feels unfair to independent developers and limits users' choice. The first app to enter a category should not effectively own that category. I support preventing copied apps, repetitive submissions and low-quality template spam. But there needs to be a clear, consistently applied distinction between spam and legitimate alternatives. A developer should be able to understand the reasoning behind a rejection and respond to specific concerns. Could Apple clarify: What specific evidence should reviewers provide when rejecting an app under 4.3? How is ordinary competition within a category distinguished from unacceptable duplication? What concrete criteria establish sufficient differentiation, and how are they applied consistently? When 4.2.6 is mentioned alongside 4.3, can the reviewer explain whether there is an actual template-related finding and what supports it? What is the best process for obtaining an actionable explanation when the rejection only lists general possibilities? Asking developers to make substantial changes is reasonable when the issue is clearly identified. Asking them to guess at an unstated standard is not. Clear reasons and consistent criteria would help developers improve their products while giving new entrants a fair opportunity to compete. Has anyone successfully obtained specific, useful clarification in this situation?

I have a macOS app that has be in “waiting for review” status since September 27 and the same app’s iOS build has been waiting since September 30th. Is this normal wait time for an app to enter the review process?

Hello everyone, I submitted my app for review on October 2nd, and it has been in the "Waiting for Review" state since then. Has anyone else experienced similar delays recently? Any advice on whether I should just wait or reach out to support would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!