as shown from the quote: "The 5.5-inch iPhone, 4.7-inch iPhone, 4-inch iPhone, and 3.5-inch iPhone screenshots do not show the current version of the app in use. Screenshots should highlight the app's core concept to help users understand the app’s functionality and value. " According to Google the last 3.5 inch iPhone was retired in 2017. Do I really need to provide screenshots or was this a cut/paste mistake?

Hello, I submitted an app for review 4 days ago and requested an expedited review for the first time in ten years because I need the app to be released by the 30th for a hackathon. There’s been no progress - it is still stuck waiting for review, yet I can see numerous friends that submitted after me have had theirs reviewed multiple times. Is there anything that can be done to speed this up? I’ll be gutted if I can’t make the deadline because of this.

Hello, my call blocking app was incorrectly rejected under Guideline 2.5.12 for using "SMS Fraud Extension," but my app is a call blocker that only uses CallKit framework exclusively for blocking unwanted phone calls. There's no SMS functionality or SMS/Message frameworks at all and no pre-made spam lists. I've submitted an appeal, but this is a time-sensitive update that needs to be released as soon as possible (used an Expedited Review request already). I had a previous appeal for another app that was delayed for 11 days, and it was only resolved after posting here. I cannot afford another 11-day delay for this time-sensitive update. Any suggestions to make the process faster? Thank you.

Guideline 2.3.1 - Performance The app contains hidden features. Specifically, we still noticed that your app includes code which causes it to behave differently during the review process regarding web game presentation and payment. It would be appropriate to ensure that all features and functions in the app are visible and fully accessible during review. Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase The app allows users to purchase digital content natively or via a web view in the app using payment mechanisms other than in-app purchase. Apps cannot include in-app payment mechanisms other than in-app purchase. Apps on the United States storefront may also include buttons, external links, or other calls to action to direct users to payment mechanisms other than in-app purchase. We have been rejected three times due to hidden functions and issues with web payment and web games. However, in the last package we submitted for review, it was confirmed that the code related to web games was removed, and the code related to web interaction JS bridging payment calls was also removed Dear experts, we sincerely invite you to offer your valuable suggestions. If you have any experience of meeting us, please share with us. We would be extremely grateful

Hello, I have a question regarding the Mac App Store deployment and App Review process. Our macOS app will also be distributed on the Steam platform. In our current build setup, the App Store build output (inside Contents/MacOS/) may still contain Steam-related dynamic libraries (e.g., libsteam_api.dylib) and metadata/configuration files (such as .txt files used only by Steam) These files are not used in the App Store version. Users will not see any Steam-related information, functionality, or UI when the app is running. Their presence is simply a byproduct of the current packaging process. My concern is whether including such unused Steam-related files in the App Store submission could be considered a violation of App Store Review Guideline 2.3.10, or otherwise lead to rejection during review. Would Apple recommend that we strictly separate the build targets so that the App Store submission does not contain any Steam-related files, even if they are unused and invisible to the user? Thank you very much for your guidance.

Hello, We’re experiencing a blocking production issue with our new in-app subscriptions and would appreciate guidance. Our latest app version was approved and is live on the App Store, but the new subscriptions we submitted with it are still stuck in “Waiting for Review”. They’ve been in this state for about two months, and purchases in production fail with an error. I already sent an email, but I haven’t received any response. Yesterday,I uploaded a new version of our app and was approved. I had hoped that submitting another version might resolve the issue, but unfortunately the subscriptions are still not active. This is extremely frustrating since users cannot purchase or upgrade. Has anyone experienced this before? What should we do next to get these subscriptions approved? Thanks in advance.

Even the best apps struggle to get noticed—over 5 million apps compete in stores, and most never hit 1,000 downloads. Visibility, not quality, is the real challenge. App Store Optimization (ASO) is the key to breaking through. Optimizing your app’s title, keywords, visuals, and description, combined with ongoing testing and competitor analysis, can drastically improve discoverability and downloads in 2025.

Hello everyone, Our app, NumberBox, was rejected due to Guideline 5.1.1, with the review team saying it “collects information from public sources to build individual profiles.” We want to clarify: All data is 100% user-reported. Users voluntarily submit phone numbers (spam, scam, or telemarketing) and assign tags through the “Add Tag” feature. No data is collected from public sources or user contacts. No profiles are built automatically. All user submissions are reviewed by our support team before being displayed. The sole purpose of NumberBox is to help users avoid unwanted or scam calls, not to collect personal data. Our updated Privacy Policy is here: https://numberbox.app/privacypolicy Has anyone encountered a similar issue with Guideline 5.1.1? Any guidance on how to clearly communicate this to App Review would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello, I would like to ask for your opinion on whether the following in-app purchase (IAP) specifications would comply with the App Store Review Guidelines. ■ App Overview ・The app allows users to create a “Family Group” by inviting other family members to join. ・The app provides brain-training games. The game itself is displayed via WebView. ・All purchases use in-app purchase (IAP) only. No external payments or links are provided. ■ Purchase Types (2 models) ① Group Unlimited Plan ・If one member of a family group purchases this plan, all members of the same group can play the games without limits for a certain period. ・This is based on the app’s own group-sharing mechanism, not Apple’s “Family Sharing.” We will clearly state this in the UI to avoid confusion. ② Ticket System (Consumable) ・One user in the group purchases game-play tickets. ・Other members of the same group can also consume those tickets to play. ・Tickets are only shared and consumed within the app’s family group. They cannot be transferred, resold, or moved outside the app. ■ Points to Confirm A. For model ①: Is it acceptable under the guidelines to grant access to the entire group when one member purchases the plan (via the app’s own group logic)? B. For model ②: Is it acceptable to allow consumable tickets to be shared and consumed within the group? (I understand that Apple’s official “Family Sharing” does not allow sharing of consumables. This would be strictly our own in-app sharing logic.) If anyone has experience or insights regarding whether such designs are allowed under the guidelines, I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Hello, I have a question. What exactly is bothering Apple? The app doesn't sell anything, nor does it allow users to download games; it's purely an informational app. Thank you.

Hello, I would like to ask for your opinion on whether the following in-app purchase (IAP) specifications would comply with the App Store Review Guidelines. ■ App Overview ・The app allows users to create a “Family Group” by inviting other family members to join. ・The app provides brain-training games. The game itself is displayed via WebView. ・All purchases use in-app purchase (IAP) only. No external payments or links are provided. ■ Purchase Types (2 models) ① Group Unlimited Plan ・If one member of a family group purchases this plan, all members of the same group can play the games without limits for a certain period. ・This is based on the app’s own group-sharing mechanism, not Apple’s “Family Sharing.” We will clearly state this in the UI to avoid confusion. ② Ticket System (Consumable) ・One user in the group purchases game-play tickets. ・Other members of the same group can also consume those tickets to play. ・Tickets are only shared and consumed within the app’s family group. They cannot be transferred, resold, or moved outside the app. ■ Points to Confirm A. For model ①: Is it acceptable under the guidelines to grant access to the entire group when one member purchases the plan (via the app’s own group logic)? B. For model ②: Is it acceptable to allow consumable tickets to be shared and consumed within the group? (I understand that Apple’s official “Family Sharing” does not allow sharing of consumables. This would be strictly our own in-app sharing logic.) If anyone has experience or insights regarding whether such designs are allowed under the guidelines, I would greatly appreciate your advice.

I’ve been building iOS apps since 2011 and have worked on hundreds along the way. Recently, I started a series on App Store Optimization (ASO) to share tips, strategies, and lessons learned. In this first post, I dive into how responding to customer reviews can directly influence ASO performance and App Store ranking - covering timing, response style, and best practices to turn negative reviews into positive ones.

I don't know I keep getting rejected for the same thing. My guy won't tell me what's wrong with it. He just keeps sending me the same screenshot and I just don't see what's wrong with it so here I am can somebody please look at this and tell me what you see do you see what's wrong with this so that I can correct it and submit it for the fifth time and hoping I get rejected.

Our VPN app on the Apple App Store has seen a slowdown in installs lately. I’d appreciate any suggestions on effective strategies or new tactics to drive growth

Hello, I've submitted a detailed appeal for my app update rejection on September 11th and haven't received any response yet. Is 11+ days normal for appeal responses or should I follow up somehow? Any insights would be appreciated as this is blocking my app update. Thank you.

Hello, Our auto-renewable subscription products are currently showing as “In Review” in App Store Connect. However, they are not visible in the “In-App Purchases” section of the app version submission, so we cannot confirm or re-attach them to this app version. At the same time, we cannot delete or edit these products while they are in this state. This has left us in a situation where: The IAPs are stuck in “In Review” status, We cannot re-submit or re-attach them, And your review team cannot complete testing because the subscriptions are not yet approved. According to Apple’s own documentation, IAPs that are released with an app version only move from In Review to Approved when the app itself is approved. This means they must be reviewed together. Could you please: Confirm that our IAPs are correctly attached to this app version and will be reviewed together, or Reset their status back to “Ready to Submit” so that we can re-attach them properly to this app version? We want to make sure we are not stuck in a loop where the IAPs cannot be approved until the app is approved, but the app cannot be approved because the IAPs are stuck. Thank you for your help in resolving this situation. Best regards,

I want to know if App Store Connect provides daily breakdowns of new 1–5 star ratings rather than just cumulative totals. This would help me track the impact of remotely enabling a feature, but I haven’t found such an option.

Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage The app does not meet all requirements for apps that offer highly regulated services or handle sensitive user data. Specifically: The account that submits the app must be enrolled in the Apple Developer Program as an organization, and not as an individual. The guideline 5.1.1(ix) requirements give users confidence that apps operating in highly regulated fields or that require sensitive user information are qualified to provide these services and will responsibly manage their data. Next Steps To resolve this issue, it would be appropriate to take the following steps: The app must be submitted through an Apple Developer Program account enrolled as an organization. You may either enroll in a new Apple Developer Program account as an organization, or request that your individual account be converted to an organization account by contacting Apple Developer Support. Please note that you cannot resolve this issue with documentation showing permission to publish this app on behalf of the content owner or institution.

Hello everyone, I uploaded my first app to the App Store for TestFlight. Since I read that TestFlight reviews are usually completed within a few hours, I am a bit unsure whether I might have done something wrong in the review process. I submitted the app to TestFlight on September 10, and after some back and forth, I received a message on September 13 saying: “Your submission is still in review but is requiring additional time. We will provide further status updates as soon as we are able.” On Tuesday, September 16, I sent an email to Support asking if I had done something wrong and mentioning that I uploaded a new build. Apple then put the new build into review, and on the same day I received another message that the review would take some more time. Since then, I haven’t heard anything further. The older build is still shown as “In Review” (since September 12). Is there anything I can do at this point?

Hello everyone, I’ve uploaded my first app to the App Store for TestFlight. Since I’ve read that TestFlight reviews are usually completed within a few hours, I’m a bit unsure if I might have done something wrong during the review process. I submitted a build on September 10th, and after some back-and-forth I received a message on September 13th saying: “Your submission is still in review but is requiring additional time. We will provide further status updates as soon as we are able.” On Tuesday, September 16th, I sent an email to Support asking if I had done something wrong and mentioning that I had uploaded a new build. Apple then put the new build into review, and on the same day I got another message saying the review would take some more time. Since then, I haven’t heard anything further. The older build has also been stuck in “In Review” since September 12th. Is there anything I can do at this point?