I have spent the last few months working on a new app, "Jelly Music — by JellyLabs", which is a music client for Apple Music users. It has 100+ TestFlight users who are using it daily and sharing great feedback. The app does not include any template code and is not overly similar to any existing apps on the App Store, as far as I know. It includes lots of unique features, like a personal dj (like Spotify), radio stations from playlists (with different station discovery modes), custom app themes, lots of view options for your playlists/songs/artists/albums, "bump song to top of library" option, Sonos speaker controls, Mac Bridge Sync which allows you to view/edit your song metadata from your iPhone/iPad while your Mac writes the changes to your library, etc. See video here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleMusic/comments/1vwkp0n/jelly_music_a_new_apple_music_client_with_full/ The app did previously include one third party open source dependency, FluidAudio (a voice model that powered a live dj feature), so my latest version removed that in case that was causing a binary/metadata flag. That version is "waiting for review" now, but I fear it will just be auto-rejected again because the app listing now has a spam flag on it. The app's first rejection came after a 5 min review (measured by the "in review" to "rejected" email timestamps), but each rejection review since then has been <60 seconds. Yesterday I tried calling App Review twice just to get more info, both times I waited on hold for 3 hours before the system transferred me to consumer support who of course coud not help or transfer me to anyone. I have also emailed App Review a few times, submitted an appeal, replied to App Review messages in App Store Connect seeking more information... nobody will tell me anything. Does anyone have any advice or ideas as to what I should change next? App Listing Info: TestFlight Link: https://testflight.apple.com/join/ZKQwDMN7 Promo Text: Rediscover your music. Explore your music library in new ways, with a built-in DJ, smart playlists, tuneable radio stations, comments, and much more. Keywords: apple music,player,library,playlists,smart playlist,radio,dj,discover,albums,artists,spotify,songs Description: Jelly Music gives your music library a fresh start. Built for Apple Music listeners who want more control over their collection, Jelly combines a beautiful music player with powerful library organization, smart discovery, personalized radio, and features designed to help you rediscover the music you already love. YOUR LIBRARY, REIMAGINED Browse your songs, albums, artists, playlists, genres, and more through a fast, thoughtfully designed interface. Jelly makes even large music libraries feel approachable again. SMART FILTERS & PLAYLISTS Find exactly what you want to hear. Create powerful filters using your music's metadata, organize your collection your way, and turn the results into playlists. REDISCOVER YOUR MUSIC Jelly helps surface music that's been hiding in your library — from forgotten favorites to albums and artists you haven't visited in years. JELLY DJ Start a personalized radio session built around your listening history, favorites, throwbacks, and discoveries. Let Jelly DJ guide the session, or mute the DJ and simply enjoy the mix. DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW Explore personalized recommendations, new releases, stations, music videos, and more without losing sight of the library you've spent years building. MADE FOR MUSIC NERDS Jelly includes the details and controls serious music-library users love, while keeping the experience simple enough for everyday listening. APPLE MUSIC, STILL YOUR MUSIC Jelly works alongside Apple Music rather than replacing your library. Sign in with your Apple Music account and explore your existing music through an entirely new experience. And with Jelly Music on Mac, you can take even greater control of your library and keep your Jelly experience in sync across devices. Jelly Music requires an Apple Music subscription for Apple Music catalog playback and certain features. Availability of Apple Music content and features may vary by region. Note on Pricing: a Paid Unlock (yearly or lifetime purchase) is required to use the Pro features of this app. This provides access and tailored experiences on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Terms and Conditions: [link] Privacy Policy: [link] Review Notes: To test this app, allow access to your Apple Music library and test Jelly Music as you would your typical music app. Play songs, skip/seek, modify queue, etc. See video overview explainer here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nI0BOuxWxpdNuFlvU3nkMo-3IIYiOkPl/view Jelly Music already has 100+ users on TestFlight and there are 100+ more users on the waiting list! People are excited for this new way to browse and manage their Apple Music library. Users can browse playlists/songs/artists/albums with numerous different view options on each screen. Get organized with playlist folders and smart playlists. Listen to DJ Radio which combines music from their library with other Apple Music they might like. Start radio stations from playlists or songs, with controls for how "exploratory" those stations should be. View and edit song metadata and comments/ratings right from their iPhone or iPad if they enable Mac Sync. Bump songs to the top of their library, while retaining the original date added. Control Sonos speakers right from Jelly. Style their experience with custom themes. And a lot more! Terms and Privacy links are listed in app description. Including below for reference: Terms and Conditions: xxx Privacy Policy: xxx In-App Purchases should be working. They work for me when testing with Xcode StoreKit and with my Apple Sandbox user. Purchases also work for TestFlight users. Please note, in-app purchases and downloadable Asset Packs are attached to this iOS version for review. The asset packs are for the dj voices, 1 pack per voice. Pro mode unlocks in-app extra features (folders, smart playlists, and mac sync) and does not relate to Apple Music content. If you have questions or concerns please feel free to call me at xxx App Store Screenshots: (Here are 3 of the 6 screenshots. They use fake artwork / metadata to avoid copyright issues)

I see many others have been stuck for way longer than the 24-48 hours. I am wondering if there is a bug with their submission queue. I am hoping my post will be seen by apple and someone can reply with an update. I believe my APP ID is 6795997159 Thanks in advance

My app is a retro game emulator. It was approved, ran on the App Store through several updates, and then got rejected as design spam. Why? Good question. Resolution Center answers with a template listing every possible cause: maybe the metadata, maybe an embedded binary, maybe I bought an app template, maybe the concept already exists on the App Store. Pick whichever one you like best. When I got that list, I assumed I needed to defend the concept. I recorded ten minutes of video showing myself using the app by hand, added test materials, descriptions, and a letter explaining everything. I got the same list back. Later I thought the cause might be the PSP emulation core — I was using an existing one, because my own wasn't finished yet. I rebuilt, resubmitted, explained. Waited two weeks, requested an expedited review. No email, no confirmation, no denial. Nothing. A week after that, I received a message from review saying the app appears to hide functionality during review. It does not. There are no feature flags, nothing of the kind. There are no dark patterns in the monetization either — no close buttons you can't hit, no trial tricks, nothing of that sort. What exactly they believed was hidden — guess for yourself. Resubmitted again. Design spam again, with the same list of possible causes. But you can't keep guessing forever. So I wrote to support — there is a dedicated form for requesting the specific reason for a rejection. I have been waiting for weeks. No confirmation that my request was received, no denial, no explanation. Nothing. I filed a separate appeal. Again: no confirmation, no denial, nothing at all. Weeks of silence. Meanwhile the app is still live on the App Store, getting thousands of downloads, people are paying for it, and it has bugs I cannot fix because I cannot ship an update. Users hit those bugs, leave bad reviews and low ratings over them, and the rating keeps dropping. I also want to talk about the "concept" item in the design spam list. Where is the line between an app that copies an existing feature on the App Store, and one that improves on what exists? Are there emulators on the App Store? Of course. Are they good? Not really. In my most recent testing, my own core reduced CPU/GPU load by up to 40% compared to emulators still running third-party code. I won't even get into UI quality, because the user reviews speak for themselves. People point out bugs and still leave five stars because of the UX. Does that mean I copied something, or that I improved on it? And on top of that, I didn't copy anything — the emulation core is my own. I know App Review has a huge amount of work right now. But why should that affect support this badly? As a paying member of this program for years, this looks like a completely broken process with no transparency at all. People on these forums say that after a design spam rejection your app goes into some different review queue. But even if that's true — why is that my problem? I have no alert about it, no notification of any kind, and no reason to be ignored for months. Let's be honest. Design spam is bad, no question. But it is a rejection like any other. You tell me what's wrong, I fix it, you re-check. Please don't turn "design spam" into a mark that makes developers want to give up and stop trying entirely. App ID: 6790321094 Submission ID: 883d7004-33a3-4fd7-b229-756a15b51cb9

Hello, Could App Review please confirm the submission is still progressing? App: GrapeMap: Winelands Guide Apple ID: 6802603098 Submission ID: 43018af6-1ff8-43c7-9831-d10f95837a1f 18 Aug - Submitted (v1.0, new app); received Guideline 2.1 Information Needed same day 19 Aug - Replied with all seven requested items, including a screen recording from a physical device; demo credentials are in App Review Information 26 Aug - Sent a follow-up; no response or status change since 19 Aug Free travel guide app, no purchases or regulated activity. Thank you, Riaan Theron

Submission ID: 4f64fd8d-529d-4829-9f29-07bbc53b3afb · Review date: August 26, 2026 · Version 1.0 (47) I never wanted to build a dating app. I wanted to build the thing I couldn't find: a place where you say what you're actually looking for, a partner, a friend, someone to travel with, people for a Tuesday-night board game, and see the people who are looking for the same thing. Not a deck of strangers dealt to me by an algorithm that profits from dealing slowly. My name is Gleb and for the past 13 months, in Barcelona, with my partner, who did the art direction, I built Tekero. No investors. No revenue. Nothing to monetize. I haven't built a paywall, because the first thing I'd have to sell is the thing every other app sells: your loneliness, rationed back to you. Here's what's different, and why it's different: Every mechanic in Tekero is aimed at a specific thing that hurts people. Ghosting: if you're sitting on a pile of likes you haven't answered, you drop out of the feed. Why should you be shown to more people when you're not responding to the ones you have? Inbox overload: your active chats are capped. Want a new conversation? Finish an old one, or keep it deliberately by adding that person as a friend. The app only unlocks that once you've built up friendship progress, a separate feature that measures how much two people (or more, in a group chat) have actually said to each other. Pay-to-reveal-likes: gone. Every like arrives openly, immediately, free. No slot machine. Both sides filter each other, the person who posted the announcement and the person browsing. So anything you see in the feed is someone who was also looking for you. Couples and friends can browse together and post together, because meeting people doesn't stop being useful once you've met someone. There's a trust score that costs you points for treating people badly: ignoring them, being toxic, attempting screenshots of private data (chat messages or private photos). It gives you points for treating people well, for communicating, for making friends. Screenshotting a private photo isn't a clever move here: it saves a black frame, sends a notification to the person you betrayed, and raises a ticket on the reports desk, which can lead to a block if the trust score is already low. The blank first message: most apps hand you a stranger and a cursor. Tekero gives you openers, including one called Game, where you both answer three psychological questions and start from something real instead of "hey". The first exchange is designed to be worth having, not to be survived. The dropdown that doesn't fit you: most apps give you two options and call it a profile. Tekero gives you 72 non-binary gender identities alongside the binary ones, the full range of orientations rather than the four everyone ships, and gender expression as a separate field: feminine, masculine or androgynous. How you present isn't the same question as who you are. This isn't a diversity checkbox. The whole app runs on both sides filtering each other honestly, and filtering can only be as true as the vocabulary people are given to describe themselves. Precision here isn't decoration, it's what makes the matching real. In Tekero, we want everyone to be themselves. I gave it to testers. It's hard to recruit them while the app is TestFlight-only, people aren't keen on multi-step installs. Still, apart from minor improvement requests that I resolved as they came in, testers were genuinely excited about the mechanics. The two things I heard most often: Tekero reinvents dating and It's not just dating AppStore Connect Submission Last week Apple rejected it under Guideline 4.3(b): my app "primarily includes dating features that duplicate the content and functionality of similar apps that are already widely available," and "there are already enough of these apps on the App Store." The same letter also states that my app "may include features or characteristics that distinguish it." Taken together, those two statements suggest the distinguishing features weren't assessed against the standard, and that assessment is what I'm asking for. In June, Apple rewrote that guideline to name dating outright: no new submissions unless they offer a "meaningfully different or improved experience." That test has two limbs, and the second one is "improved". Tekero isn't a variant of what's already there. Every mechanic above exists because something in the current experience is failing the people using it. I'm not asking for an exemption from the rule. I'm asking for the half of it that says "improved." What's next The appeal is with the Review Board. Get familiar with Tekero here, if interested: tekero.io, there's a walkthrough video on the site (posting the address as plain text, since external links aren't permitted here). If you've gotten out from under 4.3(b) — I'd really like to know how.

Hello Apple Team, We are seeking assistance regarding our app 健康行動go (App ID: 1437488996, Case ID: 20000146721382). Timeline: August 14: We received feedback regarding Guideline 4.3(a). August 21: We resolved the issues by providing detailed business differentiation, UI comparison documentation, and submitting an updated build. Status: The submission has remained in "Waiting for Review" since August 21. Today, August 27, 2026, is our scheduled public release date with external commitments. Could an Apple representative please check if our submission is held in a specialized queue and assist in escalating it to the App Review team for review? Thank you very much for your time and support.

I specifically requested a Developer Support callback for an active App Review rejection, not general Apple Support. My issue wasn’t with my Apple ID, billing, or my account—it was about an App Review clarification that appears to be stuck in a loop. The rejection itself wasn’t because of a crash or missing functionality. It was another request for information that I had already provided in previous App Review responses. It genuinely felt like the reviewer was only looking at the latest message instead of the full review history and previous attachments. To try to resolve it, I called Developer Support and selected the App Review option. I waited on hold for over 3 hours. When someone finally answered, instead of helping with App Review or escalating the case, they transferred me to Apple Account Support. The representative there immediately told me they couldn’t help because my issue had nothing to do with Apple accounts, and they also couldn’t transfer me back to the App Review queue. So after waiting more than three hours, I was effectively back at square one and had to start over. Has anyone else experienced: Reviewers seemingly not seeing previous App Review responses or attachments? Being stuck in repeated clarification requests for information you’ve already provided? Being transferred from Developer Support to the wrong department after waiting hours? I’m trying to figure out whether this is an isolated incident or whether the App Review support process has been breaking down recently.

I first submitted my app for App Review on 16 July 2026 and the review process has now been ongoing for more than 5 weeks. During that time, the submission has gone through multiple review cycles. I have made every requested change and answered every question from App Review immediately. The problem is that after waiting several days, I am repeatedly asked a very basic question about how the app works. I answer immediately, but then it takes several more days for the review process to move forward again. I have also: Contacted Developer Support multiple times Opened support case 20000135457439 Had the submission added to the expedited review queue Been told by Developer Support that review times are currently “extremely extended” At this point the submission does not appear to be progressing toward a final decision. Each basic information request seems to result in another lengthy delay before anything happens. Submission ID: 27e289bf-307a-44e9-a285-d8ad94f82be1 Could an Apple App Review staff member please check whether this submission is stuck and escalate it if necessary?

Urgent: App Store review pending with event starting in 2 days — expedited review form shows “No App Information” I am the developer/admin of an existing iOS app for an upcoming college festival at IIT Guwahati. I have submitted a new version of the app for App Store review. This is an update to an already-published version, and the new build has been successfully tested through both internal and external TestFlight testing. The festival starts in approximately 2 days, and the app contains critical festival functionality such as digital entry passes and attendee access. Therefore, having the updated version available before the event is important. I currently have Admin access to App Store Connect, but I do not have access to the Apple Developer account/team's Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles section. Current situation: Existing app is already live on the App Store New version is submitted for review New version has passed internal/external TestFlight testing Festival starts in ~2 days Critical functionality includes digital entry passes Expedited Review form shows “No App Information” What is the correct way to request an Expedited App Review in this situation? Is there another Apple support channel I should use when the expedited review form cannot associate the app with my account? Any guidance on the correct escalation process would be greatly appreciated.

I’m looking for some guidance on my first public iOS submission, which is currently in Waiting for Review. I submitted the app two weeks ago, and this is now my fifth round of back and forth with the App Review team solving one concern at a time. The previous reviews were responded to in a couple days, but this one has already taken about twice as long. What’s confusing is that I expected this review to be fairly straightforward. The previous issue was a 5.6 guideline related to a feature of the paywall, and rather than modify it and potentially going through another round of review, I decided to remove that paywall feature entirely. I also included a video with the submission showing that the feature is removed. Submission ID: 20261ce3-65a0-41c8-8e2f-db622795a475 Apple ID: 6762278821 I also submitted an expedited review request about two days ago using Apple’s official form. The timing is important because I planned the app’s launch with the start of the school year, and each additional day in review pushes it further past that window. Is there a way to confirm whether the expedited review request is actually on file? I was under the impression that expedited reviews normally required some kind of justification, so I’m not sure if my request went through correctly. I’ve also tried reaching out to Apple by both phone and email regarding the submission, but so far I haven’t been able to get any assistance. If someone from the App Review team is able to take a look at the submission, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you.

I paid the $99 annual Apple Developer Program membership fee and submitted my first iOS game, Pippin Plaza, for App Store review on July 21, 2026 at 9:54 PM. Apple publicly states that most app submissions are reviewed within approximately 24 to 48 hours. It has now been nearly 12 days, and my submission is still sitting in “Waiting for Review.” It has never entered “In Review.” There has been no request for additional information, no message from App Review, no explanation for the delay, and no indication that anyone has looked at the submission. I understand that review times can vary and that a first release may sometimes require additional time. However, nearly 12 days without even entering review is far beyond Apple’s publicly stated review timeframe and does not appear to be a normal delay. I contacted Apple Developer Support on July 29, 2026 through the App Review Status support category. Case ID: 20000122288868 Despite contacting support, I have still received no reply, no explanation, and no update regarding the submission. Developers are required to pay Apple $99 annually before they are allowed to distribute apps through the App Store. It is therefore reasonable to expect that a completed submission will at least enter the review process within a reasonable period, or that Apple will communicate when there is a significant delay. Is this currently considered normal for first-time app submissions? At what point should a developer conclude that a submission is stuck rather than merely delayed? Why has there been no response from Apple Developer Support since July 29, despite the submission already being delayed far beyond the stated review timeframe? I am not asking for special treatment, guaranteed approval, or an expedited review. I am asking for my completed submission to enter the review process, or for Apple to explain why it has remained untouched for nearly 12 days.

Hi all, Like others my app submission has been stuck in “waiting for review” for weeks. I know initial app reviews take longer than updates, but this has been delayed far too long and makes me concerned about repeating the process in the future. I submitted this app for review back on Feb 10. It was initially rejected for a minor issue, which I resolved and resubmitted the same day. After that, the build remained in “Waiting for Review” for about two weeks with no further communication. At that point I canceled the submission and resubmitted the build, thinking it may have been stuck in the queue (I now know not to do this next time). Unfortunately the new submission has also been waiting for review for another 9 days now with no messages or updates. I’ve contacted app review support as well (case ID- 102826632729). I understand review times can vary, but delays like this make it difficult for developers to plan launches or push updates when the review process is the only path to distributing apps. As paying members of the Apple Developer Program, we rely heavily on this pipeline functioning reliably. Hoping this post will reach someone from Apple who can help move the process along. If any other devs have suggestions/tips that have worked for them, please share so others in this position can become unblocked. Thanks in advance.

Hello, I’m experiencing a delay with the App Store review process and wanted to check if this is normal. My app was initially approved very quickly (within a few hours after submission). However, shortly after that I noticed a few minor UI bugs, so I fixed them and submitted a new build. The new version has now been waiting for review for about 5 days, and there has been no update since submission. I also want to mention that I have already contacted Apple Developer Support twice about this issue but have not yet received any response. Previously the review happened very quickly, so I’m wondering if something might be wrong with the submission or if this delay is expected.

Hello everyone, I submitted an app to App Store Connect on August 18th, and it has been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status ever since. Normally, my submissions are reviewed and resolved within about 2 days, but this time it is approaching the 3-day mark without any status change. Is it normal to wait this long in the current queue? Has anyone else noticed a recent slowdown in review times, or should I consider rejecting and resubmitting the binary? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Hello, My iOS app, Vagus Fit, has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” since August 12, 2026 at approximately 3:46 PM. It has now been about 9 days and the submission has still never entered “In Review.” App: Vagus Fit Version: 1.3.0 Platform: iOS Submitted: August 12, 2026 at approximately 3:46 PM Current status: Waiting for Review Developer Support Case ID: 20000142078727 I already contacted Apple Developer Support through the App Review Status contact form several days ago, but I have not received a response or any update. I have also checked App Store Connect and I do not see any messages, missing information, rejection, or action required from my side. I understand that review times can vary, but this delay is significantly longer than the normal review timeframe. Could someone from Apple please check whether my submission and existing Developer Support case are progressing normally, or escalate the case if necessary? Thank you.

Hello App Review team, I am requesting urgent assistance with my app review. Our previous build was approved around 5 weeks after our expected launch date, and last week we had to resubmit with a couple bugs that were fixed during the last review process. It has been 6 days since that submission, with an expedited review, and we are now 6 weeks past our launch date which has resulted in financial losses and dozens of media outlets notified weekly of delays. We would really appreciate if our latest build can be approved, as there are only minor bug fixes since the last one. Apple ID: 6748958042 Original Submission Date: 06/30/2026 Latest Submission Date: 08/14/2026 Current Status: Waiting for Review Support Case #: 20000141845140 Given the previous approval and minor changes since that build, we would greatly appreciate any escalation or update on the status of this review as we are incurring daily losses due to the review delay. Thank you!

Hello, My iOS app, CheckMe, has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” since July 28, 2026. App: CheckMe Version: 1.0 Build: 1.0.4 (25) Platform: iOS Submitted: July 28, 2026 Current status: Waiting for Review The submission has now been waiting for approximately 20 days and has never moved to “In Review”. I contacted Apple Developer Support on August 10 regarding the review status. I received an automatic confirmation that my support request was received, but I have not received a response from the App Review team. I have now also sent a follow-up requesting that the case be escalated. There are no messages or requests for additional information visible in App Store Connect, and I am not aware of anything currently required from my side. Could someone from Apple please check whether the submission may be stuck in the review queue, or whether there is anything preventing it from entering review? I can provide the Support Case ID and Submission ID privately if needed. Thank you.

I removed version 21.0 (build 23.0/25) from the review queue 3 days ago because I needed to submit an updated build. Since then, every attempt to resubmit gives this error: "You've reached the maximum number of submissions allowed in review for this platform. To submit another, wait until one of your existing submissions has been reviewed or remove one from review." The App Review page still shows the submission as stuck/processing, and it hasn't cleared after 3 days. I already opened a support ticket but haven't heard back yet. Has anyone else run into a submission stuck in a "cancellation in progress" state for this long? Is there anything else I can do besides wait for support to manually clear it? App: Nexora AI Version: 21.0 Build: 25.0 Any guidance appreciated, this is blocking a time-sensitive release. #App Store Connect, #AppSubmission, #AppReview

My new app version 1.0 has bee in waiting fore review status for 7 days. I already updated my other old app version and it took only 2 days, so there is nothing wrong with my account. I have to release my new app in time, so is there anything I can do.

My New app version 1.0 stuck at waiting for review for 7 days. I know it takes long for new app but it takes too much this time. Since this is new app, I need to release it in time, so, is there anything I can do. But, update version of my old app took only 2 days which is submitted later than the new app. Is there anything I can do?