Dear App Review & App Store policy team, I am writing as an independent macOS developer who has spent more than the last six months building TilesWM, a full‑featured window‑manager that rivals existing products such as Magnet, Divvy and BetterSnapTool. The app works exactly like those solutions: it uses the Accessibility (AX) API to move and resize arbitrary windows, registers global hot‑keys, and stores user preferences locally in ~/Library/Application Support/<bundle‑identifier>. When I attempt to submit TilesWM through App Store Connect the validation process failed with two errors, one of which was relatively easily solvable with the help of "ssmith_c" and "Quinn". The other, the hard blocker: Sandbox not enabled – the app does not contain the required com.apple.security.app-sandbox = true entitlement. but: The same accessibility entitlement is absent from the binaries of Magnet, Divvy, BetterSnapTool and other window‑manager apps that are already available on the Mac App Store. Those applications were on the Store before Apple introduced the mandatory sandbox requirement (≈ macOS 10.7.3-ish). Consequently, they continue to operate without a sandbox while new entrants are forced either to abandon the platform or to distribute outside the App Store. This situation creates an uneven playing field that contradicts Apple’s stated commitment to an open and competitive ecosystem. All developers pay the same $99 annual fee and should follow identical review guidelines; yet legacy window‑manager apps enjoy a privileged exemption that new developers cannot obtain, effectively granting them a perpetual non‑compete advantage. What I am asking for Clarification: Is a missing Sandbox entitlement truly unsupported for Mac App Store distribution or is there a way to "request" an exception? Policy action: Please evaluate an option to provide a concrete path forward so that TilesWM can be submitted without having to abandon the App Store. Point of contact – If this issue falls outside the scope of App Review, kindly direct me to the team or individual responsible for macOS sandbox policy decisions. I remain committed to distributing my app through the Mac App Store because it is the primary channel users trust and expect. I believe that a fair resolution will benefit developers, Apple, and end‑users alike by expanding the selection of high‑quality window‑management tools. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a constructive response and to working together toward an equitable solution. Respectfully, Denis Steinhorst Full‑Stack Engineer & macOS enthusiast Bundle ID: dev.steinhorst.tileswm

My game has been live since 2018 and I’ve been updating it recently to add some improvements because it’s been a few years (last update was 2020). I got hit with a couple of basic issues with the screenshots but I was told I can release that version anyway and fix it in a later update. I spent yesterday fixing those issues because they were minor, and resubmitted my app to review. This morning I was hit with another rejection for a new issue, 4.3(b) Design Spam. The reason being it’s a game in a saturated category (Beer Pong) and so I should reconsider the app concept. This game has been live for 7 years. In those 7 years the category may have become saturated, but it wasn’t when I originally released it, so stopping me from updating it feels extremely unfair. If this was a brand new app I would still be upset but I would understand. Another reason was that it’s based on a drinking game, and that it encourages people to drink alcohol. I stated in the age rating section that it heavily contains alcohol references, although you never actually see anyone drinking. There are Beer Pong games that feature characters drinking the beer, mine is so inextreme in comparison. What bugs me the most is if I hadn’t fixed the screenshots it would be live by now, yet I feel I’m being punished for following the rules. Can anyone on here give me some advice on how to proceed? I have to say this entire dilemma has really taken the wind out of my sails. If this update doesn't get accepted I'll have wasted about two months of development time I could've spent on a different project.

Hello App Review Team, The last the three review submissions including the current one have been stuck on "Waiting in Review" for more than 7 days for the first two times and currently 4 days now for the current submission. I was wondering if something happened that is causing this issue. Thanks and Regards

I recently released the first version of my app, and it was discoverable via App Store search. After pushing an update with bug fixes and improved keywords/category, the new version went live and showed as “Ready for Sale” within hours. However, since the update, the app no longer appears in App Store search results - even when searched using its exact name. It’s still accessible through the direct link. Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

My submission was rejected twice for "framing in the preview video". I couldn't understand why because there was no framing. Then on the 2nd rejection I noticed an included screenshot. The screen shot wasn't from my new preview video but from the old (they are very old) preview videos that are currently approved and live on the app store. Why did this happen? Because I had uploaded my new videos to the app update and decided before submitting I would run an A/B test to make sure they performed as well or hopefully better. When I went to the "Product Page Optimization" section I found my new videos already there. However... The new preview videos were in the "Original Product Page" and the old videos were in "Treatment A". I asked ChatGPT about this and it said not to worry it was a known quirk. What has obviously happened is that when the reviewer reviewed my Product Page Opt test they were presented with the old videos from Treatment A and not the new videos which were in "Original Product Page", as proven by the screenshot from the old, approved, live, video. I've submitted my app update but you seem to be just sitting on it now. I'm guessing because I'm black marked as not fixing an issue and constantly resubmitting unfixed. Please don't punish me for your mistakes....

have successfully created subscription with all metaData: Localization(inside subscription and also for subscription group), logo, description and also screenshots but subscription shows missing metadata instead of ready to submit causing flutter app package inAppPurchase to not found the subscription id or product it. Flutter code level : Future<void> _loadSubscriptions() async { Set<String> kSubscriptionIds = {'monthly_689'}; ProductDetailsResponse response = await _inAppPurchase.queryProductDetails(kSubscriptionIds); if (response.notFoundIDs.isNotEmpty) { kLog("Subscription IDs not found: ${response.notFoundIDs}"); } print("God it works seriously"); print(response.notFoundIDs); print(response.productDetails); print(response.error); subscriptions.value = response.productDetails; } Says: Subscription IDs not found is been logged I try with storekit it works!!! but as apple asking me we test on sandbox environment and it's not working I also created sandbox account login with same credentials and test it not works. Point is package I used in flutter not finding the above product_id I successfully added subscription group, localization, image and all still why my subscription not found ?

Hi everyone, I'm reaching out to this community for advice and hoping to get some insights from anyone who has faced similar issues. Our social casino app has been rejected twice under Guideline 4.3 (Spam), and we're struggling to understand the specific reasons. App Details App ID: 6753935757 Submission ID: fbb70e69-c91f-49fd-82d7-43c02bbdca4e Category: Social Casino Game (Slots) Our team has been developing social casino games for 7 years. We've had both successful launches and products that didn't work out - we understand this market well. For this new product, we conducted extensive market research and identified a specific gap: modern, high-impact themed slots targeting young male players.focused on modern male-oriented content including sports, beast taming, competitive gaming, and other high-energy themes. We created specifically for these intense, modern themes - not reused from previous projects. Yes, we did reuse some foundational technical components like:RNG algorithms, basic framework structure, standard SDK integrations. But isn't this standard practice? Just like every app uses the same Apple SDKs, social casino games need proven RNG systems. These are foundational elements, not what defines our product. How much code/framework reuse is considered acceptable by App Review? For those who develop multiple games in the same genre, how do you demonstrate sufficient differentiation? After the first rejection, we've already emphasized our unique modern male-oriented theme direction and Explained the necessity of foundational code reuse. But we got rejected again with the same 4.3 reason, with no additional details. If anyone has experience with this or knows how to better communicate with App Review about differentiation in competitive categories, I'd really appreciate your insights. Also, if any Apple reviewers happen to see this post, we'd be grateful for any guidance on how to better demonstrate our app's uniqueness or what specific aspects need to be addressed. Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi everyone, I’m currently stuck in a review loop related to in-app subscriptions and would really appreciate some advice. Here’s what’s happening: My app uses Apple’s in-app subscription system (auto-renewable). When I submit the app, it gets rejected because there are no active/approved subscription plans available for purchase. But the subscription plans themselves are also rejected or kept under review because the app isn’t approved yet. So I’m in a loop where: The app approval depends on the subscription approval, and the subscription approval depends on the app approval. I’ve been stuck in this situation for about a month now, and I can’t move forward. Here’s what I’ve tried so far: Displayed a message on the subscriptions screen saying that “No plans are available right now.” Displayed the plans as UI only, and when users try to subscribe, it shows a message like “Plans are currently under review, please try again later.” Despite these attempts, the app still gets rejected with the same reason — that the in-app purchases are not available or not functioning properly. My question is: How can I break out of this loop? 1-Hide all subscription plans until approval? 2-Allow users to access a plan for free (without using Apple’s in-app purchases)? 3-Or take some other action? Thanks in advance!

I submitted my app for review on October 22, but I still haven’t received any response. It’s now October 31, and the review is still pending. Could someone from the App Review Team please check my submission? Thank you very much! 🙏 Apple Id: 6753878193

Hi, I have an application published in the Marketplace. I made certain updates to the app. I did my tests.No problem. I did my tests via Testflight. There is no problem I encountered. But my app update request was returned by app review. The answer i got from them ;  "Specifically, our login attempt displayed loading indefinitely; we were unable to access the app features and functionality." Here are the ways that I tried and the app worked successfully. Connect from America using VPN.No problem, it works. I connected from using IPV6.No problem, it works. I tried with simulator.No problem, it works. I tried real device.No problem , it works. I tried testflight.No problem, it works. I tired version 15.2 and earlier.No problem , it works. I have no idea why apple staff are getting this error. Has anyone encountered such a problem before? What solutions would you suggest? I'm waiting for your help.

Hi all, I have two apps stuck in "In Review" status with no response from Apple: Future Kid App Apple ID: 6754333416 In Review since: October 15th, resubmitted on October 21st, still in review as of October 22nd, 12:12 AM. Trade AI Apple ID: 6753766459 In Review since: October 27th, 9:31 PM, still no update. Team ID: CQNXC8J5R4 Both apps have been stuck for a long time with no feedback. Has anyone faced similar delays or know how to resolve this? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Hi we tried submitting our app , but the reviewer keeps rejecting the app multiple times stating that "your app was still loading indefinitely after we had tapped on the “LOGIN” button" after this we have inspected on our backend, we found that there were no request on our server. My testers didn't run into errors when testing our app with Testflight. Below is the URL of my server https://mobile.shcilservices.net/Mobile_1/Hello.html It should give response as : "Hello World !" I have been rejected multiple times,I wonder if anyone has same experience and the way to resolve it. Thank you.

I have been spending countless amounts of time making sure my application abides by the rules laid out by Apple App Guidelines. Most recently I got this rejection from App Review: _**Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase ** The app includes an account registration feature for businesses and organizations, which is considered access to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app. **Next Steps ** Remove the account registration features for business and organizations._ After asking for the review to clarify what they mean they said: _"Regarding guideline 3.1.1, users were still able to create an entirely independent business account, when they create a new account without the invite code. To resolve this issue, it would be appropriate to remove the account registration features for business and organizations."_ But the problem is that There are no different account types in our app. ALL users create company accounts - there is no individual vs business distinction. Users either join existing companies (with invite codes) or create new companies (without invite codes), but the account type is identical in both cases. I think the App Review has a problem that I am using the word "Company" during registration but users do not sign up business accounts. they are all the same. there are MANAGER users and MEMBER users. Managers can upgrade and they MUST use Apple's IAP to upgrade (I have it set up so there's no other way they can upgrade without using Apple's IAP). Members are just assigned to Manager teams/company/organization (what ever you want to call the group). I think they are getting completely hung up on the word when in reality it's fine. Any help here? Please this has been going on for weeks. I am happy to meet with Support too.

Title: Mistaken 4.3(a) “Spam/Copycat” Flag → 3.2(f) Termination — Seeking Guidance on Reinstatement Hi everyone, I’m an independent developer and I believe my account was escalated to termination because of a misunderstanding around Guideline 4.3(a) – Design – Spam and 4.1 – Design – Copycats. I want to explain the full timeline so I can get advice on how to present this correctly in the “Re-instate a terminated membership” request. 1. What I submitted I submitted an app called “Anime Jigsaw: Waifu Puzzles.” The idea was simple: it’s a jigsaw puzzle app, but I wanted to make it more relaxing by combining anime/waifu themed puzzle images with built-in lo‑fi music. So the concept I was aiming for was: puzzle + themed art + calming music, not just another generic jigsaw clone. 2. First rejection Apple rejected it under 4.3(a) – Design – Spam and also mentioned 4.1 – Copycats. The exact wording in App Store Connect said my app’s binary, metadata and/or concept was similar to apps that were previously submitted by a terminated Apple Developer Program account. They also reminded me that resubmitting similar or repackaged apps makes it harder for users to discover new apps. At this point I was confused, because I do not own or control any terminated developer account. I wrote the code myself. So my first answer inside App Store Connect tried to clarify the unique part: anime‑style jigsaw + lo‑fi music to create a “relaxing puzzle session.” 3. Where the problem started When I replied, I accidentally selected the same build (1.0.2) again. I thought I was only replying to the reviewer in the same thread. But from Apple’s side it now looked like: the app was warned for spam/repackaged → developer sends the same binary and concept again → violation not fixed. Because of that, the system can easily read this as “attempt to bypass or evade review.” 4. Second message from Apple Apple repeated 4.3(a) with exactly the same explanation: they still saw a similar binary/metadata/concept to a previously terminated account. So even though my text explanation was different, my actual uploaded build was not different. This is on me — I understand now that for 4.3/4.1 cases, textual explanation is not enough. You must show the difference in the binary, assets, screenshots, name and description. 5. Escalation to 3.2(f) After these repeated submissions, I received the more serious mail: my developer membership (or an account associated with me) had been used for dishonest or fraudulent activity under Section 3.2(f). The reason they gave was basically: “after multiple resubmissions, the guideline violations remain unresolved.” From their point of view this is a pattern similar to re‑packaging or circulating a template that had already been rejected. 6. Why I believe this was not dishonest I am a single indie dev. There is no group of accounts behind me. I did not try to resubmit for a banned seller. My mistake was operational: I replied with the same build, so it kept triggering the spam signal. I really thought clarifying “this is a puzzle app + lo‑fi music” would be enough, but that doesn’t prove originality in their system. 7. What I plan to tell Apple in the reinstatement form I acknowledge that re‑submitting the same build in the same thread made it look like spam. I will upload a completely new binary (or even a new bundle ID) so the reviewer can actually see a changed app. I will replace or document all puzzle assets to show they are original / licensed / generated and not taken from a terminated account. I will rewrite the App Store metadata so it doesn’t look like another anime puzzle clone and so it highlights the “relaxing session” feature. I will not re‑submit small incremental changes to a previously rejected build. I will only submit again when the violation is actually fixed. 8. What I’m asking the community Has anyone been flagged as “similar to a terminated account” even though they had only one account? Is choosing the same build during the reply flow enough to make it look like 4.3(a) spam? What level of asset/source proof did you send to convince App Review that the app is fully your own work? I respect Apple’s need to keep the App Store clean, but in this case I believe the escalation happened because my resubmission did not show the changes they were asking for, not because I was trying to cheat the system. Any guidance or examples from people who successfully explained this would be really helpful. Thanks.

I've got rejected 3 times because of this: Guideline 1.2 - Safety - User-Generated Content We found in our review that your app includes user-generated content but does not have all the required precautions. Apps with user-generated content must take specific steps to moderate content and prevent abusive behavior. To resolve this issue, please revise your app to implement the following precautions: A mechanism for users to block abusive users My app already includes a full blocking mechanism. Users can block others at any time — once blocked, both users are restricted from viewing each other’s content, profiles, and interactions within the app. Additionally, administrators (marked with a verified checkmark) cannot be blocked, as they are responsible for moderating user-generated content and maintaining community safety. This is an intentional design choice to ensure compliance with moderation and safety requirements. Any ideas if I'm doing anything wrong?

Hello, I submitted a detailed appeal for our app on October 22nd but haven’t received any response or follow-up yet. Could someone from the App Review team please confirm whether the appeal is being evaluated or advise on typical response times? The delay is significantly impacting our operations. Thank you for your help - any update 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! 🚀

Hi everyone, I’m looking for clarification regarding App Store Review Guideline 4.3 (Spam) and how it applies to unlisted apps. The guideline mentions that “Apps that are duplicates of others, or that spam the App Store with similar content, may be removed from the App Store or from the Apple Developer Program.” In my case, I’m considering distributing several unlisted apps that share a similar codebase but are customized for different clients (for example, with distinct branding and configurations). These apps would not be searchable or publicly listed on the App Store — they would only be accessible through direct links. Could anyone confirm whether Guideline 4.3 still applies to unlisted apps in the same way it does to publicly listed apps? If not, what is the recommended approach for distributing such client-specific builds while remaining compliant with Apple’s policies? Thanks in advance for any clarification.

I submitted a puzzle app called “Anime Jigsaw” to App Store Connect. The App Store Connect team initially rejected the app due to minor errors. I then fixed the errors and resubmitted it, but this time they said it violated “Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats” and that I didn't write the code. I responded that I wrote the code and could prove it. They rejected it again, citing "Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats,“ and I explained that my app was different from other puzzle apps because you solve puzzles while listening to Lo-Fi music. But this time, they issued a ”Pending Termination Notice“ and started saying ”Evidence of Dishonest or Fraudulent Activity." I am definitely not a scammer. I am trying to communicate with the App Store Connect team, but they are trying to close my account and label it as “Fraudulent Activity.” Why are you doing this? How can I resolve this? My account will be closed in 30 days, and I can't communicate with anyone. Team ID: 93LGGK4LG4 Apple ID: 6751961511 Please Apple Team Help Me.

I have two apps on my account. Both apps are older than 3-4 months, and I have published a few updates as well. However, since last week, I've tried to update both apps, and they've been showing "Waiting for Review." Since this was happening for both apps, I resubmitted them and requested an expedited review. Now only one has been accepted for expedited review and its status changed to "In Review," but it's still not ready for sale. I've been trying to update both of my apps for two weeks now, but there's been no progress from "Waiting for Review." Has anybody else faced this issue? Can anyone help?