Hey everyone, We recently submitted our new dating app, Rove Dating, and it’s been rejected under Guideline 4.3(b) — “Design: Spam.” I’d really appreciate your insights, especially from anyone who’s faced something similar or has experience getting nuanced apps approved in a saturated category. Before building Rove, we spoke to dozens of users of existing dating platforms. We consistently heard the same thing: people are deeply dissatisfied with current apps. They’re overwhelmed, burned out by swiping, and frustrated by endless choices and low-quality interactions. It became clear that the problem isn’t that there are “too many” dating apps — it’s that most aren’t adapting to how people actually want to date in 2025. We designed Rove to address those pain points head-on, with a totally different approach to matching, message limits, and emotional safety. We believe our app meaningfully improves the dating experience — but we’re having trouble getting that across in the review process. Below is the explanation we’ve been submitting, which we feel strongly communicates how Rove is different. If anyone has tips, feedback, or even just a second set of eyes on how we’re presenting this, I’d be grateful! –– Response to Guideline 4.3(b) – Design – Spam We respectfully disagree with the assessment that Rove Dating duplicates existing apps. Rove is not a clone of existing dating apps — it introduces original interaction mechanics and novel safety features designed to address the growing frustration users feel toward current dating platforms. ⸻ What Makes Rove Dating Unique Rove Dating is a highly curated experience that intentionally limits user engagement to foster more meaningful, emotionally safe interactions: Key Differentiators: • No Swiping or Infinite Browsing: Users see a small, rotating selection instead of endless feeds. • Limited Conversations: Each user can have only 3 active conversations at a time. • “Shoot Your Shot” Mechanism: • Men can initiate contact with a limited set of women. • If a woman declines, the man can try with someone else — if not, he must wait. • Women can only receive inbound messages, helping prevent message fatigue. This constraint-based system: • Reduces inbox overload (especially for women). • Encourages higher-quality, intentional messages. • Mimics real-life social dynamics — where opportunities are limited and meaningful. ⸻ Innovative Safety System: MPAA-Style Behavior Ratings Rove also introduces a first-of-its-kind safety feature inspired by the MPAA film rating system: • Male users are assigned a community-informed behavioral safety rating (e.g., G, PG, R) based on in-app messaging analysis. • Women can quickly assess a match’s tone, trustworthiness, and vibe before engaging. • This system encourages respectful behavior and promotes a safer, more transparent dating environment. This type of behavioral transparency does not exist in any other dating app currently on the App Store. ⸻ Conclusion Rove is not another swipe-based clone. It is a thoughtfully reimagined dating platform built around scarcity, respect, and intentionality. Its mechanics — from conversation caps to safety scores — are fundamentally different from other offerings in the App Store’s dating category. We hope you’ll reconsider Rove on the merits of its original features, purpose-driven design, and unique safety innovations.

Hello, I'm posting again — and unfortunately, I already know how this thread is going to go. My app (ID: 6756186616) has now been stuck in "In Review" for 80 days. To save everyone time, here is the reply I expect to receive within a day or two, copy-pasted from the response on my last thread: "Thank you for your post. We're investigating and The App Review team will contact you in App Store Connect to provide further assistance. If you continue to experience issues during review, please contact us." Nothing actually happened after that reply last time. No follow-up in App Store Connect. No further communication. Just silence. When I escalated to Developer Support (case #20000111565861), I was told explicitly that Developer Support has no way to reach the App Review team and no authority to intervene on submissions stuck in review. So Developer Support points back to App Review, and the standard forum reply points back to "contact us" — which loops back to Developer Support. This is a closed loop that doesn't actually resolve anything for an independent developer. Concrete questions: Is there any real escalation path that doesn't end in an automated reply? Why has a submission been "In Review" for 80 days with zero communication? What should a solo developer do when both Developer Support and the forum response are dead ends? I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking for the review to actually move — in either direction. A rejection with feedback would be infinitely more useful than 80 days of silence. Thank you.

Hello, I submitted an update for my app for review on April 27th. Since then, the app has remained in the “Waiting for Review” status. I contacted support by email after one week and again after two weeks, but both of my messages were left unanswered. Please provide me with an overview of what is going on with my app submission for review. Thank you.

Hello Apple Review Team, Our app update has been stuck in "In Review" status for almost 2 months, and we are unable to get any updates or response through the standard channels. App Details: App Name: Pomodoro Timer: CoffeePomodoro App ID: 6756186616 Version: 1.3.0 (Build 2) Submission ID: 50057266-51aa-4b7a-ad93-c3310c200f21 Date Submitted: March 15, 2026 Current Status: In Review (for ~60 days) We have already submitted multiple "Contact Us" requests through App Store Connect, but have not received any response or explanation for the extended review time. This prolonged delay is significantly impacting our release schedule and our ability to deliver bug fixes and improvements to our users. The update contains important fixes that our users are waiting for. Could someone from the App Review team please: Look into why this submission has been pending for this long? Provide an estimated timeline or any feedback if there's an issue with the build? Let us know if any additional information is required from our side? Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. Best regards

I'm hoping someone from the App Review team can help. My App ID: 6743341470 is Ready for Distribution, but both auto-renewable subscriptions have been stuck in "In Review" since May 10 with no update. Subscriptions: Subscription Group ID: 22039292 Account status: Paid Apps Agreement: Active Banking and tax: Complete Localization: Approved (Since 11 May) Resolution Center: No outstanding items What I've tried: Apple Developer Support case 20000114086909 — escalated thrice, support confirmed nothing is concerning but no movement. All they said was wait with no definite timeline. This is my first app and these subscriptions are blocking my launch. Any help from the App Review team would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, I am new here. Wanted to publish my first app in App store in January. In January the review process was pretty fast, I got answers every 2-3 days. In February it got to 30 days or more. I've been waiting for more than 30 days and got a reject due to app quality. Since that I fixed all the bugs and UI is now smooth. I applied for another review and still waiting for about 45 days now. I contacted support, but didn't receive any response. Please help!

This is already my second post about this situation. Submission ID: 8094bc1f-3b79-4f70-9b8b-7a5182e845de The review process is completely stuck in “Waiting for Review”. Calls, emails to support, expedited review requests — absolutely nothing gets answered. Total silence and complete ignore from every side. We already tried everything possible, including resubmitting the app for review hoping it would return to the normal queue. Nothing changes. The status just stays “Waiting for Review”. At this point it feels impossible to do anything at all. There are already many developers on the forum reporting the exact same issue, but there is still no clear explanation or solution from Apple. @App Review

App's Apple ID: 6763641491 I know there are already many posts about long review times, but we heard Apple Support may be able to help look into specific cases. We first submitted our app for review around April 27. There was some back-and-forth communication initially, but we have not received any updates since May 4. Timeline: May 8: Submitted an expedited review request May 11: Canceled the submission and re-submitted the exact same build, hoping it would resolve a possible queue issue May 12 (morning): Submitted another expedited review request for the new submission May 12 (night): Submitted a support request via email Could someone please help check the status of this review or whether there may be an issue with the submission queue? Thank you.

Hello, I’m hoping to get some advice regarding several app submissions that have been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” stage for an extended amount of time, along with another case where I have not received any follow-up after a rejection. Here’s a breakdown of the situation: My first app was submitted as a new application on April 30, 2026. Shortly after submission, it received an automated rejection asking for more information about the app’s functionality. I responded the same day on 30th April, by uploading a detailed feature demonstration video and resubmitted the app. Since then, the status has remained unchanged at “Waiting for Review” with no additional communication. The second app was also submitted on April 30, 2026, and received a similar automated rejection requesting clarification about certain features. I provided a detailed explanation video and resubmitted it on May 1, 2026. After waiting several days without any response, I temporarily rejected the submission from my side to make some metadata adjustments, then submitted it again on May 8, 2026. It is still stuck in “Waiting for Review” with no updates so far. I also submitted another app on May 14, 2026. This one is currently showing the same “Waiting for Review” status. I additionally requested an expedited review because the release includes important bug fixes, but there has been no progress yet. At this point, the ongoing delays across multiple apps are starting to seriously affect my business operations, especially due to the absence of any communication or timeline from the review team. If anyone has recently dealt with a similar issue or knows of any effective escalation channels to request a status update, I would truly appreciate your guidance. Thank you in advance for any help. Kind regards Jannat Tariq

App ID: 6767989183 was rejected for Guideline 4.3(a) Spam. I resubmitted, filed an appeal, and booked a call with App Review – got zero confirmation on any of it. Has anyone managed to escalate past this point and actually reach someone? What worked for you?

I'm hoping someone from the App Review team can help. My App ID: 6743341470 is Ready for Distribution, but both auto-renewable subscriptions have been stuck in "In Review" since May 10 with no update. Subscriptions: Subscription Group ID: 22039292 Account status: Paid Apps Agreement: Active Banking and tax: Complete Localization: Approved Resolution Center: No outstanding items What I've tried: Expedited review request submitted Apple Developer Support case 20000114086909 — escalated thrice, support confirmed nothing is concerning but no movement. All they said was wait with no definite timeline. This is my first app and these subscriptions are blocking my launch. Any help from the App Review team would be greatly appreciated.

We have been waiting for the App Review process to complete for almost 2 weeks already. The review process appears to be completely stalled.

Hello everyone, I'm reaching out to see if anyone has experienced a similar situation or can offer any guidance. I have several apps that have been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for an unusually extended period, and one additional case where I am awaiting a response after a rejection. Here is a brief timeline: • One app was originally submitted on February 5, 2026. After receiving no response, it was resubmitted on March 26, 2026, and is still showing "Waiting for Review." • Another app was resubmitted on February 10, 2026, after addressing all feedback from a prior rejection. It has had no status change since. • A third app was resubmitted on February 5, 2026. It was rejected, and I replied to the rejection with the required information, but I have not received any response since. Steps I have already taken: • Submitted an appeal – no response received • Contacted App Review support – no response received This prolonged delay across multiple apps is seriously affecting my business and I am running out of options. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation recently? Is there any other official channel or escalation path available to get a status update? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I'm hoping someone can help me get clarity on my app submission for LinkUp, an iMessage-native group scheduling app. Here's the timeline: • Initial rejection (~1 month ago): Rejected under 4.3(a) for "duplicating functionality of other apps" • I updated screenshots, app description, and submitted again • For the past 2 weeks the app has been stuck with no meaningful response from App Review • I have called Apple support, submitted messages through the Resolution Center, and filed an App Review Board appeal — but I have received no confirmation email for the appeal and it does not appear on my developer support request page What LinkUp actually does: it lets friend groups coordinate availability entirely inside iMessage. Users send a schedule card as a message bubble, and participants vote on availability directly in the conversation thread — no redirects, no external app required. The heatmap updates in the bubble as people respond. To my knowledge, nothing on the App Store does this.

Earlier in iTunes Connect we had a settings for enable bitcode which will recompile our app. This setting is no longer active/present for iOS , could you please confirm? https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode-release-notes/xcode-14-release-notes Starting with Xcode 14, bitcode is no longer required for watchOS and tvOS applications, and the App Store no longer accepts bitcode submissions from Xcode 14. Xcode no longer builds bitcode by default and generates a warning message if a project explicitly enables bitcode: “Building with bitcode is deprecated. Please update your project and/or target settings to disable bitcode.” The capability to build with bitcode will be removed in a future Xcode release. IPAs that contain bitcode will have the bitcode stripped before being submitted to the App Store. Debug symbols can only be downloaded from App Store Connect / TestFlight for existing bitcode submissions and are no longer available for submissions made with Xcode 14. (86118779)

Hello, I'm hoping someone from the App Review team can look into this situation, which has specific context that I believe makes it worth a careful look. Thank you in advance for your time. I'm hoping someone from the App Review team can look into this situation, which I believe has specific context that makes it worth a careful look. My app YADA: You've Already Met (App ID: 6759586097) has been in "Waiting for Review" since Wednesday May 6 at 7:44 PM ET - now over 96 hours. I have an open support case (20000112508151) filed Friday with no response yet. I'm not writing simply to flag the wait - I want to explain why this submission deserves a thoughtful second look on the merits. When YADA was submitted for TestFlight beta review, it was flagged under Guideline 4.3(b) for the same reason as the App Store rejection. I appealed, explained the differentiating mechanic, and an Apple reviewer evaluated the argument and approved the app for external testing. That approval is on record. I'm asking for consistency with that prior decision. YADA's core mechanic is genuinely unlike any dating app currently on the App Store. A user privately adds someone they already know to a list. That person receives no information about who added them. A match is only revealed when both people have independently and privately added each other. If the feeling isn't mutual, nothing is ever disclosed. There is no browsing of strangers, no algorithmic recommendations, no swiping, and no rejection possible because neither party knows they've been added until both have added each other simultaneously. Critically, YADA does not ask users to declare their gender or sexual preferences - because the mechanic doesn't require it. This makes YADA the only interest-discovery platform on the App Store that works entirely without those declarations, which creates a uniquely safe experience for LGBTQ+ users and young people who are not ready to publicly disclose their orientation. No equivalent experience exists on the App Store. The App Store rejection also included 5.1.1 and 2.1 issues, both of which I fully resolved - redesigning the contacts permission flow with a proper in-app explanation screen and directly answering Apple's question about data handling - with a new build submitted alongside my Resolution Center reply. I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking for the opportunity to have the full argument evaluated by a reviewer with the time to consider it, consistent with how the TestFlight review was handled. Support case: 20000112508151. App ID: 6759586097. Submission ID: abdf8b5b-5ea0-46a4-8a0b-fb58320fa701. Thank You

My app (actually, an update for an existing app) has been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” status. I first contacted support after one week had passed, and then again after the second week. So far, support has only replied with “we will investigate your issue,” but they have never followed up with the results of the investigation. I also created another thread on this forum in an attempt to get my issue resolved. The only response I received from @App Review was that they would investigate the issue and that I would receive an update in App Store Connect. However, I have not received anything, and I have no idea how the investigation is progressing. So, Apple, could you please provide me with more information regarding my case? Here is the submission ID: 809d736e-6aba-4c7a-8e94-b4585befd9bf

Currently our app Juris: Learn the Law has consumable IAPs available publicly. We've recently added a subscription to a new update, but since we already added consumable IAPs, we can only submit new IAP on their own and cannot attach it to a new binary. The issue is that when we submit the subscription for review, it gets rejected and the reviewers respond that the subscription needs to be included with a new binary, even though we can't attached it to a new binary. We submitted a new binary at the same time we submitted a new subscription, but the new binary would be approved and the subscription would be rejected. The update with the subscription is available, but the subscription isn't, meaning users cannot use the new features which require the subscription.

Hi everyone, I’d appreciate guidance on a 2.5.2 rejection. My app was rejected with this message: “During review, the app installed or launched executable code. Specifically, the app allows users to install apps created by other users.” What my app actually does: Users create/share tool templates (not binaries/plugins). A template contains only: form configuration (text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, sliders, etc.) At runtime, placeholders like #TextField are replaced with user input, then the final prompt is sent to a server for AI response. *The iOS app does not download/install/execute native code, scripts, frameworks, or dynamic modules on-device. I suspect review interpreted the word “install” in my UI as real app/code installation anyone knows what can i do to fix this problem. thank you,

Hello Apple Review Team and Community, I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out regarding our app (Apple ID: 6743547441), which has been stuck in the "Pending Review" status since May 5th — now more than 8 days with no updates or feedback. I fully understand that review times can vary and that the queue may currently be experiencing higher-than-usual volume, and I truly appreciate the hard work the review team puts in. I am not looking to escalate — I simply want to make sure everything is in order on our end. Could anyone kindly help confirm whether: There is a specific issue or blocker with this submission that requires our attention Any additional information, documentation, or clarification is needed from our side Or whether the app is simply still awaiting reviewer assignment We are happy to provide any further details or make any necessary adjustments as quickly as possible. Thank you so much for your time and support. We look forward to hearing from you. Best regards