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.
App Review
RSS for tagApp review is the process of evaluating apps and app updates submitted to the App Store to ensure they are reliable, perform as expected, and follow Apple guidelines.
Posts under App Review tag
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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?
hey everyone, recently we noticed an issue on AppStoreConnect
here is brief , understandable, short description.
when we upgraded our app from 2.1.8 to 2.4.9 we noticed something is not adding up, then we find out that the number of devices have been increased in AppStoreConnect - iPad/ Apple watch have been added. we checked the source code - the supported devices were just iPhone (which is what we want) -pls check XCODE.png
we doubt something is not correct.
in AppStoreConnect we checked previous release which was 2.1.8 - it was showing correct device just iPhone. pls check AppStoreConnect-previous.png
in the most recent submission which was ready to submit
2.4.9 - the number of devices have been increased to 3. pls check AppStoreConnect-latest.png
here is the screenshot:
screenshot from XCODE.png
screenshot from AppStoreConnect-latest.png (we believe its wrong)
screenshot from AppStoreConnect-previous.png (correct one)
it turns out that App Review team came with idea that our app is not correctly working on iPad (obviously appreciate their effort they found 2 more issues on the app besides with that) , but our App is not intended to work on iPad.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags:
App Review
App Store Connect
App Submission
Hi everyone,
I am developing a mobile application designed for rug cleaning businesses. The app allows businesses to register, subscribe, and use various tools to manage their daily operations — such as job tracking, rug status updates, and team coordination.
Essentially, our platform provides a SaaS solution specifically for professional rug cleaning companies, not for general consumers.
I have a couple of questions:
Since the app is meant only for registered businesses, and users must have a valid business account to access the core features — what are the chances of the app being rejected during App Store review?
If I integrate Apple In-App Purchase (IAP) for subscription instead of using an external payment method (like Stripe), would that reduce the chances of rejection, or could there still be issues since it’s a B2B app?
Any guidance or real experiences with similar business-use apps would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Dinesh
Hi Apple Review Team,
The app I submitted last week thursday has been in "waiting for review" for several days, but there has been no result yet.
Could you please help with the progress of the review?
App Name: Garcia Sports Shop
Bundle ID: garciasports.shop.app
Hello,
I have a new app with one in-app purchase and App Store Connect says I need to submit an app for review to get the in-app purchase reviewed and approved. But, my review always gets rejected, because obviously the in-app purchase doesn't work, as the product can't be found. So I already answered this, but it still got rejected a second time. So how can I have the in-app purchase approved, before the app gets reviewed?
Thank you in advance.
ASO often feels like a constant uphill battle for indie iOS devs - the rules keep shifting, results are unpredictable, and competing with big-budget apps can be discouraging.
Has anyone here actually figured out what truly works for indie apps, or is ASO just a never-ending grind we all face?
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags:
App Store
App Review
App Store Connect
Hello,
My app (App ID: 1616628950) has been in the “In Review” state for quite some time.
I first submitted it on October 14, and it stayed in review for over 7 days without any update. I then resubmitted the same build on October 21, but it’s still in review as of now.
Normally, my app reviews are completed within 1–2 days, so this delay seems unusual. There were no policy-related updates in this version.
I just wanted to share this here in case someone from the review team could take a quick look or check if the submission might be stuck.
Thank you very much for your time and understanding!
Hi Apple Review Team,
The app I submitted last week has been in review for several days, but there has been no result yet. Could you please help with the progress of the review? App Name:BackYouUp Bundle ID:com.teacherscheduler.myapp
Apple review says , my app displayed an error when we attempted to purchase subscriptions. Please review the details and resources below and complete the next steps.
Device type: iPad Air (5th generation)
OS version: iPadOS 26.0.1
Next Steps
When validating receipts on your server, your server needs to be able to handle a production-signed app getting its receipts from Apple’s test environment. The recommended approach is for your production server to always validate receipts against the production App Store first. If validation fails with the error code "Sandbox receipt used in production," you should validate against the test environment instead.
Question: Is it due to Device being used by reviewer or is it really from my code. As my code relies on Apple infrastructure for purchases and all things.
Initially i did had subscription reporting api for receipt handling and all.When i went through with ChatGPT it did say that issue is due to half baked subscription module on my server. So i decided not to send any Subscription related things to backend, now it's Apple only and on App side.
Is it correct fix ? Or do i need to fix backend even though i have no use for it ?
My team did test in sandbox env via internal testing that time we had no issues. And all was tested using Mobile devices, that's why i still have question just to be sure these errors are due to devices or not?
Screenshot shared by Apple team did show they got a error popup saying Something went wrong : Unable to complete request. I am trying to reproduce in development but can't.
Anyone had got same issue before and has information on how to resolve and test for it will be helpful.
Thanks
Shikhar Sahu
I’ve been working on marketing my iOS app, but it’s been quite frustrating so far. ASO hasn’t brought the results I expected, and I’m not sure what to try next. I’d like to learn more about indie app marketing beyond keyword tweaks-any blogs, courses, books, or communities you’d recommend for understanding effective strategies and improving app visibility?
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags:
App Store
App Review
App Store Connect
We have a VPN application and we were required by the review team to change the text in the "Add VPN Configuration" dialog due to guideline 5.4.0 Legal: VPN Apps:
make it clear to the user what data is being collected and how it will be used in the permission request.
It appears that showing that information in the view preceding the VPN configuration adding attempt is no longer enough.
However we haven't found any changes in the API allowing to change the text in the mentioned dialog.
Is there a technical possibility to change the text in the add VPN configuration dialog?
Thank you
Hello,
Our app (App ID: 6753726496), submitted on October 15, 2025, at 10:19 PM, is still waiting for review with no status change in App Store Connect.
We have also requested an expedited review and have an open support case regarding this submission (Case ID: 102728891684).
Could someone from the App Review team please check if this app might be stuck in the review queue or let us know if any action is required from our side?
Thank you for your time and assistance.
Hi, Since last week, I’ve been trying to publish the new version of my Voxel game, which aims to fix many bugs and significantly optimize the game. This update is very important for improving the overall quality of the game.
Unfortunately, this version is not being accepted on the App Store due to a Design - Copycats issue related to guideline 4.1. I’ve tried everything to resolve the problem by changing the screenshots, app preview, description, game name, icons, and even all metadata that could cause issues in the build. But nothing seems to work.
I keep receiving the same rejection just a few minutes after submitting my build for review.
Here is the full warning message:
—————— “Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats
This app or its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game already available on the App Store, from a developer's website or distribution source, or from a third-party platform.
Apps should be unique and should not attempt to deceive users into thinking they are downloading something they are not.”
Next Steps
Learn more about requirements to prevent apps from impersonating other apps or services in guideline 4.1.
Revise the app to comply with these requirements.
Once the app is fully compliant, resubmit the app for review.
——————
Also I've already tried contaction the Apple Developer team but I got no answer. I don't know what to do.
Thanks
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Review
Tags:
Design
App Review
App Store Connect
Hi Everyone,I am a bit confused. Apple got back to me regarding to my app with an "Information Needed" mark asking about the advertisements (why did not it showed up during their review phase). Reviewer also did not find the In App Purchase Restore button, so the binary got rejected.I am confused what to now, as they were asking me to reply regarding to the Ads (which I did, and also explained where is the Restore button). However, do I also need to appeal the rejection? How long it takes until they read my answer and review it accordingly?Thanks,Tamas
Hello,
My app (App ID: 6753706741) has been waiting for review since October 10, 2025, it’s now been over 4 days without any change in status.
I submitted another app around the same time, and that one was already reviewed and published, so it seems there may be an issue or bug affecting this specific submission.
I’ve also requested an expedited review, but there’s been no update yet.
Could someone from the App Review team please check if this app might be stuck in the queue or if any additional action is required on my side?
Thank you for your help.
Dear App Review Team,
Our app – Apple ID 6749515097 has been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” status for over 5 days (since October 14, 2025).
Normally, reviews begin within a few days, but in our case, it seems unusually delayed.
Could you please clarify:
• Is there a specific reason for this extended hold?
• Is any action required from our side?
• When can we expect the review to proceed?
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
I’m stuck in a loop where my in-app purchase (IAP) product cannot be reviewed because my app version is in “Rejected” status.
In order to submit the IAP for review, I need to submit a new app version and select the IAP product. But since the current version is rejected, I can't select the IAP during submission.
As a result, RevenueCat can't fetch the IAP products, and the app appears to not use in-app purchases, which leads to another rejection.
I’d like to know the correct steps to break this cycle and properly submit both the app and the IAP for review.
Any guidance is appreciated!
Hi All, Today I have got one mail from Apple as follows
We are writing to inform you that your company is not in compliance with the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (PLA).
Section 11.2 (Termination) states:
(g) if You engage, or encourage others to engage, in any misleading, fraudulent, improper, unlawful or dishonest act relating to this Agreement, including, but not limited to, misrepresenting the nature of Your Application (e.g., hiding or trying to hide functionality from Apple’s review, falsifying consumer reviews for Your Application, engaging in payment fraud, etc.).
Be aware that manipulating App Store chart rankings, user reviews or search index may result in the loss of your developer program membership.
Please address this issue promptly.
Here, what steps should I take to resolve the issue?
If anyone has faced this type of issue earlier, please guide me to the solution
Apple’s documentation indicates that iOS now supports A/B testing for app icons, but I haven’t been able to get it working.
My app already includes alternate icons within the same binary, yet when I try to set up an A/B test in App Store Connect, there’s no option to change the icon-only screenshots can be updated in a new treatment.
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags:
App Store
App Review
App Store Connect