Hi all, Submitted first ever app for review to app store and got rejected. My app isn't live and I have demo accounts too which they seemed to use. For context my app is free on launch, no in app transactions, and it is a marriage app. What I did not account for is them going through apple sign in and right now I have no way to catch that so that account doesn't mix with real users. I've thought about adding a tap feature and disclosing it, so they tap something x times and it is marked as reviewer account, but that violates guideline 2.3.1. Also thought about adding just visible text for reviewers, but then real users would see that too so its a no go. Asked Claude and it says to try Sandbox Receipt Detection, which should work for a free app, but I'm not sure and would rather ask then implement, submit and find out it doesn't work. Appreciate any help y'all can give me! Thanks!

I submitted my app Wednesday of last week and it has been "waiting for review" for 5 days. What is the likely issue for this delay?

Hello all - just developed my first app. Submitted to apple for review since February 26, 2026 and still stuck in "Waiting for review" status. Is this timing normal? I've filled out support tickets and no response I can see either. Curious how app review and response timing is for others?

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!

Our app has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over a week now. We have submitted expedited review requests, but none of them have received a response. We also reached out through the Contact Us support page, but have not heard back either. What's strange is that during this same period, we submitted an update for another app under the same developer account, and it was approved in less than 12 hours. We believe there may be an issue on the App Store side. We are posting here in hopes of getting assistance from the engineering and review teams. Our app has been on the App Store for 7 years and has 10 million users. We need to deliver a critical bug fix and address certain review compliance requirements, but for reasons unknown to us, the submission has been stuck — something that has never happened to us before.

Hello, I’m experiencing an unusual issue with App Store review and would appreciate any guidance. I currently have two apps in the review queue: • Tendre – submitted on February 4 • After Midnight – submitted on February 19 The first app has now been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over a month, and the second one has also not progressed at all since submission. During this time: • I contacted Apple Developer Support multiple times • I submitted support requests (including escalation) • I requested an expedited review However, I have not received any meaningful response or update. What makes this concerning is that typical review times are usually much shorter (often within a few days), and there are no visible issues or rejections. This situation is currently blocking our release, and we are unable to move forward. As these are our first app releases, this delay is critical and is significantly affecting our planned launch. Could this be related to: • an account-level issue • a review queue problem • or something else on Apple’s side? If anyone from Apple or other developers has experienced something similar, I would really appreciate any insight or advice. Thank you in advance.

I've been rejected a couple of times for Guidelines 5.1.1(i) and 5.1.2(i) regarding third-party AI data sharing consent. Each time, the reviewer states they cannot see the consent prompt, even though it is the first screen displayed on every app launch. My app (GymFusion) uses Anthropic's Claude AI for features like meal scanning, body composition analysis, and workout coaching. Here is exactly what I've implemented: IN-APP CONSENT (embedded in view hierarchy, not a sheet/popup): In my RootView.swift, the consent is a conditional view that blocks the entire app: } else if !consentManager.hasConsented && !consentManager.hasSeenConsent { AIConsentView() } else if auth.isAuthenticated { MainTabView() } The hasSeenConsent flag is reset to false on every app launch in the App's init(), so the consent screen appears on every launch until the user accepts: init() { UserDefaults.standard.set(false, forKey: "user_ai_consent_seen") AIConsentManager.shared.hasSeenConsent = false FirebaseApp.configure() } THE CONSENT SCREEN INCLUDES: Lists all personal data shared (meal photos, water glass photos, workout history, progress photos, body measurements, fitness profile) Names Anthropic, PBC (Claude AI) as the third-party recipient 3 required acknowledgment checkboxes that must all be checked before "I Agree" is enabled Cannot be swiped away (.interactiveDismissDisabled) "Decline" lets user proceed but consent reappears next launch Users can revoke consent anytime in More tab PRIVACY POLICY INCLUDES: Names Anthropic as third-party AI provider Lists all data collected and shared States Anthropic provides "same or equal protection of user data" Explains consent and revocation process Link: https://ahmedali420911.github.io/gymfusion-legal/privacy-policy.html WHAT THE REVIEWER SAYS EACH TIME: "We were not presented with the consent prompt on launch or anywhere else in the app." WHAT I'VE VERIFIED: Aiconsentview.swift is in the Xcode build target (confirmed in project.pbxproj with 4 references) Consent appears correctly on simulator and physical device UserDefaults resets hasSeenConsent to false on every launch The file compiles without errors DerivedData has been cleared before archiving Clean build performed before every archive MY QUESTIONS: Could there be a reason the consent screen doesn't appear on the reviewer's device even though it shows correctly on mine? Is there a known issue with SwiftUI conditional views not rendering on certain devices or iOS versions? Has anyone else experienced App Review not seeing UI that works correctly in their own testing? Should I attach screenshots of the consent dialog in the App Review notes or reply? Is there something else Apple expects beyond an in-app consent dialog and privacy policy for third-party AI data sharing? I've been stuck on this for over a month across 8 submissions. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

I’m working toward an official release of our application. The app is designed to interface with peripheral devices, which means users need both the mobile app and the peripheral devices to log in and use it. Because of that, how would the review process work when I get to that point?

My app has been rejected repeatedly for showing 3rd party content but the content they flagged is owned by me. I believe it was caused by me charging the display name of the app, however the add id is the same and the bundle id is the same as before. Any time I submit with those comment, it is still being rejected. If you have any suggestions it would be helpful.

Hello everyone, I recently submitted my iOS app for review, but it was unfortunately rejected under Guideline 2.1(a) - Performance - App Completeness. For context, my app is a healthcare application built with Ionic. According to the App Review team's message, they found the app to be incomplete. They stated they were unable to review the app because they couldn't get past the login screen. The Root Cause: Upon investigating, we discovered the issue is related to IP Geo-blocking. Because the app handles sensitive healthcare data, our API provider strictly blocks all network traffic originating from outside of Italy to legally comply with European GDPR regulations. Since the App Review team tests from the US, their requests are being entirely blocked by the firewall, causing the login to fail and the app to look broken on their end. What I have verified so far: I have provided valid demo account credentials in the App Store Connect App Review Information section. I have tested the app thoroughly on physical devices and simulators (iOS 16/17) in Italy and couldn't reproduce any crashes or login issues. My Questions for the Community: Has anyone successfully navigated this situation before? Will Apple accept a detailed video demonstration of the app functioning correctly from an Italian IP? Is it possible to request that they review it using a local VPN? Or is the only reliable solution to build a completely separate "mock" environment with dummy data just for the App Review team? Are there any common pitfalls I might be overlooking here? Any advice on how to properly address this with the App Review Board would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Hi, Please review my app I’m reaching out regarding an issue with my app review process. I was expecting a call last week but unfortunately didn’t receive any contact. I would really appreciate it if someone from the team could either review the app as soon as possible or contact me directly. I’m available anytime for a call. thanks

Hi everyone, My TestFlight build has been stuck in 'Waiting for Review' for over 32 hours and I'm hoping someone can help or share their experience. The situation: I have an External Testing group with a Public Link set up. The build was submitted for Beta App Review on March 19th but it's been over 32 hours with no update. I have 25+ testers waiting to install the app. What I've tried: Waited patiently Checked App Store Connect multiple times No rejection emails received No issues flagged by Apple Questions: Is anyone else experiencing unusually long review times for TestFlight external builds right now? Is there anything I can do to speed up the process or check if something is wrong? Has anyone successfully resolved this by contacting Apple Developer Support directly? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Apple Support Case ID: 102846633409

I am looking for some guidance regarding a significant delay in the review process for my app update. Platform: iOS Submission Date: March 6, 2026 Current Status: In Review It has now been 12 days, and the status has been "In Review." I have checked my App Store Connect "App Review" section, but there are no outstanding requests for information or messages from the review team. I have already attempted to contact the App Review team via the official "Contact Us" form but have only received generic automated responses. Is anyone else experiencing similar delays this month? Are there currently known backlogs, or should I consider canceling this release and re-submitting? Thank you for any insights.

hii submitted app yesterday to review, This morning I was surprised that the application was rejected, Reason 4.3 Design: Spam.And I've introduced an application programmed by myself, and a unique design.This message I receivedGuideline 4.3 - DesignWe noticed that your app provides the same feature set as other apps submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language, which is considered a form of spam.The next submission of this app may require a longer review time, and this app will not be eligible for an expedited review until this issue is resolved.what should I do ?

Hello, I am facing a rejection under Guideline 4.3(a) - Spam for "duplicate apps". However, this submission is an update of an existing app (same bundle identifier), not a new app. The update only includes a company rebranding (name, icon, and screenshots). At the moment, we only have one app with this functionality available on the App Store, and we are not intentionally distributing multiple apps targeting the same users or storefronts. The review team mentioned that the app duplicates another app we submitted, but we are unable to identify which app they are referring to. Has anyone experienced a similar issue where Apple flagged a duplicate app even though only one app is live? How did you resolve it? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I just spent way too many hours trying to figure out why my in-app subscription was stuck in “Missing Metadata” in App Store Connect, even though I had filled out everything. If you're here because you're in the same boat, this is the solution Apple doesn't make obvious. The Problem I created an auto-renewable subscription (Kanabloom Premium) and filled in all required fields. The subscription was still marked "Missing Metadata", preventing me from submitting it. The “In-App Purchases” section wasn’t showing up in my App Store version submission, which meant I couldn't even attach the subscription to my app version. I triple-checked the metadata, pricing, tax settings, review screenshot, and even resaved everything, but nothing worked. What I Tried (Before Finding the Fix) Checked that pricing was set up correctly for all countries. Uploaded the required review screenshot for the subscription. Made sure the subscription group existed and was linked properly. Refreshed, logged out/in, and tried different browsers. Read every Stack Overflow, Reddit, and Apple Developer Forum post I could find. Even tried creating a dummy subscription to see if that would reset the system. The Solution: Localizing the Subscription Group Here’s the stupidly hidden requirement that finally fixed it: ✅ Your subscription group itself (not just the subscription) needs a localized display name. App Store Connect requires each subscription group to have at least one localized display name for it to be valid. If this is missing, all subscriptions inside that group will stay stuck in “Missing Metadata” no matter how complete they are. How to Fix It: Go to App Store Connect > Subscriptions > Subscription Group Click on your subscription group (not the individual subscription). Check if there's a localization added under "Group Reference Name." If missing, add a localization (e.g., English) and save. Refresh the page and boom – the subscription will finally be "Ready to Submit." Conclusion Apple really needs to make this requirement clearer. Now that I’ve finally figured it out, hopefully, this post helps someone else avoid losing hours of their life to the same issue. If you're still stuck, double-check that: You’ve set pricing and enabled "Cleared for Sale." You’ve uploaded a review screenshot for the subscription. You’ve signed all App Store agreements and banking/tax documents. Your app's In-App Purchase capability is enabled in Xcode. Let me know if this helped you! I wish I had found a post like this sooner. 😂 This should make for a useful and searchable post in case other devs run into the same headache. Let me know if you want any tweaks before posting! 🚀

everything is working perfectly fine on my end and I continue to get this message, please help me navigate this. Review date: March 23, 2026 Review Device: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) Version reviewed: 1.0 Guideline 2.1(a) - Performance - App Completeness Issue Description The app exhibited one or more bugs that would negatively impact users. Bug description: When we tried to log in the app was returning to the login page. Review device details: Device type: iPad Air 11-inch (M3) OS version: iPadOS 26.3.1 Internet Connection: Active

Hello, our app has been stuck in Waiting for Review for 9 days already, which is unusually long in my experience. I also opened a support ticket (Case ID 102845782608), but still haven’t received any response. Could someone from App Review please take a look? Thank you

Hello iOS Developer Community, I have two apps stuck in "Waiting for Review" and would appreciate any advice from developers who have faced a similar situation. 📱 App 1 — BookAstors (User App) Submission ID: 33bc446c-42aa-425d-9eba-2b79e88e9c9f Version: iOS 1.0.4 (Build 15) Date Submitted: March 17, 2026 Waiting since: 6+ days 📱 App 2 — Admin BookAstors (Admin Panel) Submission ID: c8af128f-0666-492a-bd88-3a2cad64d74c Version: iOS 1.0.5 (Build 8) Date Submitted: February 28, 2026 Waiting since: 23+ days Both apps are live on the App Store with an active user base. These updates contain critical bug fixes that our users and business operators are waiting on. The delay is directly impacting user experience and platform operations. I submitted an Expedited Review Request for both apps and received Apple's confirmation: "We'll expedite review for BookAstors / Admin BookAstors." However, even after the expedited request was accepted, neither app has moved from "Waiting for Review" to "In Review". Has anyone experienced such long delays in 2026 even after an expedited review was approved? How long did it eventually take to move forward? Any advice or shared experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Setu Hariyani

I submitted a reply to a rejection on the 17th and today is the 20th: no responses yet! What's happening there? I need a feedback! Isn't supposed to arrive within the 48 hours? When shall I expect that? Moreover there is no way to ask for support anywhere, the page shows an error and the spinning wheel never reaches an end! ...and this is why I'm posting this here.