Hello everyone, I'm a developer who has been facing a significant issue with my Apple Developer account and the app submission process. I hope to get some guidance or assistance from the community or Apple support. Timeline of Events Four months ago: I prepared an app and submitted it to TestFlight for review. Initial rejection: The app was rejected due to technical issues such as screenshots, app description, and insufficient permission explanations for features like location, camera, and microphone. Resubmission after fixes: I carefully addressed all the issues mentioned by the Apple review team and resubmitted the app. Second rejection: This time, the app was rejected citing general policy violations related to copyright issues. The rejection was vague, and I couldn’t understand the exact problem. Further attempts: To resolve the issue, I removed all video, photo, and media content from the app and resubmitted it. However, it was still rejected for the same reason. I went through this process about 7-8 times, each time getting rejected without clarity on the root cause. Account deletion notice: Eventually, I received an email stating that my account was set to be deleted in 30 days. This was alarming because I had been diligently trying to comply with Apple’s policies for months. Deleting the app: To prevent any harm to my account, I decided to delete the app from my account within the 30-day period, effectively abandoning the project. Account still deleted: Despite deleting the app, my account was still deleted after 30 days. Discovery of similar app name: Later, I noticed that there was another app on the App Store with a name very similar to mine. For example, my app was named "ABcdefgh," and the existing app was "AB.cdefgh," with the only difference being the "." I believe this name similarity might have been the cause of the copyright issue, but it was too late as my account had already been deleted. Contact with Apple Turkey: I reached out to Apple Turkey, and they were very attentive, spending about 40 minutes trying to help me. However, they ultimately informed me that they couldn’t intervene and that the issue could only be resolved through Apple America. Attempts to contact Apple America: I tried filling out forms multiple times to contact Apple, but since I had deleted the app, I couldn’t see the responses from the team. Impact of the Issue This situation has been very distressing as I’ve lost my developer account and the ability to publish apps. My users are constantly inquiring about the iOS versions of my apps, and I’m unable to provide them due to this issue. Request for Assistance I’m seeking advice on how to resolve this issue. Specifically: Has anyone else experienced a similar issue with app name similarity leading to account deletion? Are there any specific steps I can take to appeal the account deletion? Is there a direct way to contact Apple America for developer account issues? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I appreciate any help or suggestions you can provide. Best regards.

I'm having trouble with the app review process. My app has been in "Pending Review" status for almost 30 days, when normally it would be completed within 12 hours. We have a big launch event coming up, and this delay is significantly impacting our plans. I recently deleted my old review request and resubmitted it and it's still in Waiting for review status I need help Has anyone else experienced similar delays recently? Any advice on how to speed up the process or report the issue to Apple would be appreciated.

My app has been waiting for final approval for 7 days. Can you guys look into this Date Submitted Nov 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM Submission ID 20fd8579-f5fc-4abb-ab36-b4d16fbd4a5a Submitted By Joel Cohen Last Updated By Apple

Started an ASO challenge on an older mother-baby app and began by analyzing competitors’ ranked keywords to uncover gaps, relevance, and high-intent phrases using tools like Appvector. By identifying core keyword roots and filtering by context and search intent, I narrowed down high-value opportunities to expand from 146 to over 1,000 relevant search terms for the next steps in the ASO strategy.

Hello everyone, my game update got rejected with the following violations : Guideline 2.3.1 - Performance The app contains hidden features. Specifically, this app contains a switch which causes it to behave differently during review via alternative web content presentation. It would be appropriate to remove this feature entirely before resubmitting for review. Guideline 4.2 - Design - Minimum Functionality Your app provides a limited user experience as it is not sufficiently different from a web browsing experience. As such, the experience it provides is similar to the general experience of using a web browser. Including features such as push notifications, Core Location, or sharing do not provide a robust enough experience to be appropriate for the App Store. My game is a crossword mobile game made with Unity, and I am using the following 3rd party Sdks: -Playfab server : used to fetch configs, leaderboards and pvp matches. -Applovin : diplaying Ads -Adjust : for marketing measurement -Firebase : analytics/crashlytics -Facebook sdk : analytics but stopped using it for that and I kept the initialization(FB.Init() and FB.ActivateApp()) After doing some research and analysing the xCode project using Claude Code, I realised the only web views references I have come from Ads (which should be compliant with apple's privacy manifest) and facebook sdk web views including Example code that comes with the Sdk. My current plan is to remove Facebook Sdk entirely. Does anyone had a similar experience with these violations, what can you suggest ?

Hi Apple Developer Community and Support Team, I'm reaching out for advice and potential escalation on a stalled organization enrollment that's blocking our app launch. Here's a quick timeline: Initial enrollment hit issues with D-U-N-S verification (now resolved) and email code delivery, leading to multiple failed attempts and temporary blocks. After unblocking via support, we resubmitted and were directed to higher department review. Submitted all required docs (company formation, passport/ID, etc.) on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. No updates since—it's now Day 6 with zero communication on ETA. This is critically urgent for our business: We have ~4,000 users pre-registered and waiting to download our personal development app (focused on habit-building and goal tracking). Projections show another 10,000 sign-ups in the next two weeks alone, pushing us to 15,000+ if resolved soon. These folks are already investing—our physical planners (promoting the app) are selling via Amazon and our website, http://www.freedommastery.com selling Life planners) and they're expecting seamless iOS access on launch day. Every day of delay risks churn, lost revenue, and momentum in a competitive space. I've followed up via phone/email multiple times, but frontline support can't provide timelines or status. Enrollment ID: [Redact or insert your anonymized ID here for tracking]. Has anyone navigated a similar higher-review holdup? Tips for bumping priority (e.g., additional proof of urgency like waitlist data)? Any rough ETAs from recent org approvals? Grateful for any insights—Apple's ecosystem is key to our growth, and we'd love to get these users onboard ASAP. Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone, I recently submitted my new app “Bitcoin Miner – Mining Pool” for App Review. The app was submitted under my Apple Developer account (Account Holder: Harshil Patel). However, the status has been “Waiting for Review” for over 2 days without any movement. Details: Submission platform: App Store Connect Metadata & screenshots uploaded correctly No compliance warnings or “Missing Information” alerts No previous rejections for this version I understand the review process time may vary, but I’m unsure whether this delay is normal or if there’s something more I should check on my side. Questions for the community / Apple Team Is there a typical timeline for apps currently showing “Waiting for Review”? My only goal is to ensure the submission process is moving correctly. Any guidance or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you! — Harshil Patel

Hello everyone, I am experiencing an unusually long review delay with my app Avanta (App ID: 6753948874) and would like to request guidance or escalation support if possible. 📌 Timeline & Issue Summary Our first submission was made on October 14, 2025. The app was initially reviewed and rejected once due to screenshot issues (nothing related to functionality or guideline violations). We immediately corrected the screenshots and resubmitted on November 3, 2025. Since then, the build has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for more than 25 days, and we have received no further updates, clarifications, or review activity in App Store Connect. 📌 Why I’m Concerned This delay is far beyond normal review processing times (typically 24–72 hours). Our app has no unresolved guideline issues — only screenshots were requested once, and the updated assets are fully compliant. The lack of any movement (no “In Review”, no communication) makes me unsure whether the submission is stuck due to a technical/system error. 📌 What We Have Already Tried Double-checked all metadata, screenshots, and compliance items. Verified export compliance and agreements. Contacted Apple support through App Store Connect → no response yet. Tried cancelling/resubmitting earlier versions, but the issue persists. 📌 Request Could someone from the App Review team please look into whether this submission is stuck? We would sincerely appreciate guidance or escalation if necessary, as we have been waiting over 45 days since the first submission and 25+ days since the last resubmission. We respect the review process and understand high workload periods, but this delay appears to be a technical issue rather than a standard queue wait. Thank you in advance for any support or clarification you can provide. Kind regards, Taha

​ My app has been rejected multiple times during the last few weeks because Apple reviewer is unable to complete the purchase on revenue cat paywall. They gave this error message: Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness We were still unable to purchase the subscription successfully. Review device details: Device type: iPad Air 11-inch (M2) OS version: iPadOS 26.1 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. Resources Note that in-app purchases do not need to have been previously approved to confirm they function correctly in review. Note that the Account Holder must accept the Paid Apps Agreement in the Business section of App Store Connect before paid in-app purchases will function. Learn how to set up and test in-app purchase products in the sandbox environment. Learn more about validating receipts with the App Store.   The offerings are fetched correctly but they are unable to complete the purchase. I tested on my physical iPhone with real account (not sandbox) and get the same exact error. I have provided screenshot of the paywall screen and my App Store Connect pages below. I think issue might be because my subscriptions on App Store are not approved but I’m not sure. I heard you are supposed to submit them same time when you submit your build. I submitted both but Apple also rejected my subscriptions saying the images were duplicate. Now they say “developer action needed” First of all, it says the images are optional so why does it matter what they are? Second of all, what image am I supposed to provide there then?  Guideline 2.3.2 - Performance - Accurate Metadata We noticed that your promotional image to be displayed on the App Store does not sufficiently represent the associated promoted in-app purchase and/or win back offer. Specifically, we found the following issue with your promotional image: – You submitted duplicate or identical promotional images for different promoted in-app purchase products and/or win back offers. Next Steps To resolve this issue, please revise your promotional image to ensure it is unique and accurately represents the associated promoted in-app purchase and/or win back offer. If you have no future plans on promoting this in-app purchase product, you can delete the associated promotional image in App Store Connect. Resources Learn how to view and edit in-app purchase information in App Store Connect. Discover more best practices for promoting your in-app purchases on the App Store.   Support Reply to this message in your preferred language if you need assistance. If you need additional support, use the Contact Us module. Consult with fellow developers and Apple engineers on the Apple Developer Forums. Request an App Review Appointment at Meet with Apple to discuss your app's review. Appointments subject to availability during your local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Provide feedback on this message and your review experience by completing a short survey.     ​

A short overview on how ASO tools calculate keyword difficulty differently and why no platform can claim an official score. The real evaluation lies in comparing competitive apps, understanding relevance, and reviewing metadata quality for each keyword.

Hello, I’m seeking help regarding an App Review situation that has become increasingly difficult to resolve. Our app has been in review since July 29, and despite multiple rounds of communication, detailed explanations, updated builds, and full implementation of all required changes, the review process continues to stall without clear feedback. Most recently, we received new review questions regarding the External Purchase entitlement and the “Notify Me When Open” feature. We provided a detailed explanation addressing each point, including clarification that: All digital purchases, including Online Groups, use the StoreKit External Purchase API. The External Purchase Modal Sheet appears before every purchase flow. The “Notify Me When Open” feature does not initiate or bypass a payment flow; it only notifies users when a time-scheduled course becomes available, after which the user proceeds through the standard StoreKit External Purchase Modal Sheet. After submitting these explanations, our app returned to the “In Review” state. However, it has now remained there for five consecutive days, again with no further questions or updates. When combined with the previous review cycles, the total delay is approaching five months. This extended review period is causing significant challenges for our service, as users have been unable to access essential updates and continue facing issues in the outdated version of the app. Has anyone experienced a similar situation where the review remains stuck even after addressing all feedback and providing the required materials? Is there any additional way to escalate or request deeper assistance beyond the standard channels? Any guidance or shared experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello, I’m developing an app that provides physical services such as equipment storage, maintenance, pickup, and delivery. The app does not provide any digital content, digital features, or any form of digital subscription. For payments, we are using an external payment gateway (similar to Stripe Billing or Braintree): iOS: Users are redirected to Safari to complete the payment. We also plan to support annual automatic renewal billing, using the payment gateway’s “billing key” or “recurring billing” feature. This is essentially a card auto-charge for a physical service, and it is not an in-app subscription. I want to ensure that our implementation is fully compliant with Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines, especially 3.1.5(a) regarding physical goods and services. I would appreciate guidance on the following: For apps providing physical services, is it acceptable to process payments through an external browser (Safari) instead of using In-App Purchase? Is recurring billing / automatic renewal with an external payment provider allowed, as long as the service being billed is physical and not digital? For apps offering only physical services, should we completely avoid using the Monetization → Subscriptions section in App Store Connect, since those subscription products apply only to digital content? Our goal is to ensure that the app follows Apple’s policies correctly and does not mistakenly fall under the category of digital subscriptions. Thank you very much for your help.

Getting early traction can be challenging for a retail app. Beyond running ads, work on improving your App Store and Play Store presence through better screenshots, descriptions and keyword choices. You can also promote the app directly to existing customers with in store QR codes, social media and small influencer partnerships to get your first new users.

Hello everyone, I recently submitted my new app “Bitcoin Miner – Mining Pool” for App Review. The app was submitted under my Apple Developer account (Account Holder: Harshil Patel). However, the status has been “Waiting for Review” for over 2 days without any movement. 📍 Details: Submission platform: App Store Connect Metadata & screenshots uploaded correctly No compliance warnings or “Missing Information” alerts No previous rejections for this version I understand the review process time may vary, but I’m unsure whether this delay is normal or if there’s something more I should check on my side. 👉 Questions for the community / Apple Team Is there a typical timeline for apps currently showing “Waiting for Review”? My only goal is to ensure the submission process is moving correctly. Any guidance or suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you! — Harshil Patel

Hi all, Our app has been in review since November 1st, and the process has been very slow. We often wait several days between responses, and we keep receiving questions we’ve already answered - even when we point this out in our replies. We’ve contacted Developer Support by email, but the only reply we received was that they’re sorry for the delay and will look into it. We’re unsure whether requesting a phone call might help or if it could pause or reset the review process, and since we’re hoping the next response will finally approve the app, we’ve hesitated to use that option. Has anyone experienced something similar, or does anyone know whether requesting a call has any impact on the current review status? Thanks for any guidance.

The review team rejected our application wrinting this : We have started our review, but we need additional information to continue. Specifically, it appears your app may access or include paid digital content or services, and we want to understand your business model before completing our review. Our app is free and doesn't include any payement package or page But we are coupled to another application for the login. And this other application has a trial period and effectively needs payment after. Do i need to explain in my app all the payment process of the other app ?

I submitted my app for review on November 12, but I still haven’t received any response. It’s now November 25, and the review is still pending. Android is much faster with reviews, it took them 2 days. Could someone from the App Review Team please check my submission? Thank you very much! 🙏 Apple Id: 6753878193

Hello, I’m contacting you for assistance regarding an App Review issue that our company is currently facing. Background Several months ago, a former employee submitted an early prototype of our app using his personal Apple Developer account. That submission was never approved, and after the employee left the company, he removed the app from his account. It is no longer available on the App Store and no longer listed under that account. Recently, we rebuilt the product completely — new UI, new codebase, and a fully updated design — and submitted it under our company’s official Apple Developer account. Issue Our recent submission was rejected with 4.3 – Spam, indicating that our app is considered a duplicate of another existing app. However, the only similar app is the old prototype submitted several months ago by the former employee, which was removed and never published. It seems likely that our submission is being linked to that previous prototype, even though it no longer exists and was submitted under a different personal account. Appeal Status We submitted an Appeal right after receiving the 4.3 rejection. It has now been one week, and we have not received any update or confirmation: No email response No status change in App Review The Appeal does not appear in the Resolution Center The app remains unable to move forward in the review process Request for Assistance Could you please help us with the following? Could you confirm whether our Appeal was successfully received? What is the typical response time for Appeals in cases like this? Is any additional information required from us to continue the review? If the previous submission under the former employee’s personal account is influencing the review, how can we resolve this issue permanently? Is there a recommended way to escalate this situation, given that this app is critical for our company? We sincerely appreciate your time and assistance. Thank you, and we look forward to your guidance.

Hello everyone, I’m looking for guidance regarding my app review timeline, as things seem unusually delayed compared to previous submissions. My iOS app was rejected on November 19th due to AI-related policy questions. I immediately responded to the reviewer with detailed explanations covering: Model used (Gemini Flash 2.0 / 2.5 Lite) How the AI only generates neutral, non-directive reflective questions How the system prevents any diagnosis, therapy-like behavior or recommendations Crisis-handling limitations Safety safeguards at generation and UI level Internal red-team testing and results Data retention, privacy, and non-use of data for model training After sending the requested information, I resubmitted the build on November 19th at 14:40. Since then: November 20th (7:30) → Status changed to In Review. November 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th → No movement, still In Review. My open case on App Store Connect is still pending without updates. Because of the previous rejection, I expected a short delay, but this is now 5 days total and 3 business days with no progress, which feels longer than usual for my past submissions. I’m not sure whether: My app is in a secondary review queue due to the AI-related rejection, The reviewer is waiting for internal clarification, Or if something is stuck and needs to be escalated. I don’t want to resubmit a new build unless necessary, since that would restart the queue. Could someone from the community (or Apple, if possible) confirm whether this waiting time is normal after an AI-policy rejection? And is there anything I should do besides waiting — for example, contacting Developer Support again or requesting a follow-up? Thank you very much for your help. I appreciate any insight from others who have experienced similar delays.

I have reached out to support and they simply tell me they are unable to help me, first redirecting me to generic Apple support, after following up they provided the explanation that they only handle administrative tasks and to post on the forums. I am unable to change my App Tracking Transparency it provides no real error, though network traffic shows a 409 HTTP response from the backend API when trying to save. Here is a screenshot of the result when trying to save. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get this resolved? I've commented back to the reviewers and they simply provided help documentation. I have a technical issue and am unable to get anyone to help resolve this.