So I know apple store connect are strict in term of your app screenshots, you cannot insert some promotional video and you cannot insert any screenshot that does not come from an iphone or official simulator. But I saw earleir someone's app with a screenshot that was like "MOCK" type, it has some 2 sentence description on top and below them the actual screenshot (on a phone simulation mockup lets say). This got me thinking that apple store connect actually tolerate images that are not PURE screenshots? You can actually take screenshots insert them to mockup and then insert that image in app store connect? How to do that and more importantly what to do to make sure it is done in a way apple store connect accepts it? What others things can be done, or best practices?

I've just submitted my first real monetisable app to the App Store review team. Once approved, I was planning to do a short little promotion campaign on social media. I'm no expert nor am I a big social media user myself but I know this is the way to get it in front of as many mobile users as possible. Do you fellow developers have any good tips on which platforms might be worthwhile or things you wish you knew before you put your hard earned cash into it?

so the app is free to download . the first use is free for two days . We want to send a reminder to them via email. some are installing (67%) but not returning to use the free credit. what is the policy on getting the apple id from apple. do we have to ask the user for the id at install and then disclose that its for tracking purposes and to inform about future promo's . the id will not be shared with third parties

I am trying to understand the 2 million download limit for access to PCC. It says that Analytics provides information about first time downloads, but the linked documentation explicitly says that Total Downloads in Analytics (which does not seem to exist anymore) includes first time downloads and redownloads. Can you clarify where this data currently exists? While I do not have any apps approaching 2 million right now, my app with the most downloads is entirely free and has been on the App Store since 2012. The app was intended as a Lite version for users to try out and decide whether they wanted the paid version. In modern apps, In-App Purchases accomplish something similar; as I move forward with new apps, I would like to avoid a situation where people increase my first time download count but don't end up using the app. It seems like any freemium model would be detrimental to staying eligible for PCC. Do you have any recommendations?

Hi, We've implemented age assurance logic in our app using the DeclaredAgeRange framework to comply with regulations in Brazil (Digital ECA, effective March 17, 2026) and Utah (App Store Accountability Act, effective May 6, 2026). Our implementation calls AgeRangeService.shared.isEligibleForAgeFeatures on app launch to determine whether the current user is subject to age assurance requirements, and proceeds to call requestAgeRange(ageGates:) accordingly. However, after monitoring in production since the Brazil enforcement date, we've consistently observed isEligibleForAgeFeatures returning false for users in regulated regions, with no age range data being returned. What we'd like to clarify: Is isEligibleForAgeFeatures currently returning true for users in Brazil in production (not sandbox)? For Utah — given that HB 498 pushed the developer compliance deadline to May 6, 2027, will isEligibleForAgeFeatures reflect the original May 6, 2026 activation date or the revised 2027 date? Is there a known rollout schedule or gradual activation plan for these regions that would explain why the flag remains false even after the legal enforcement dates have passed? We've seen similar reports from other developers on these forums, so it seems this may be a widespread issue rather than an implementation problem on our end. Any official guidance on the current status of the API in regulated regions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

We've been pulling daily download reports (First-time downloads + Redownloads) via ONGOING requests and noticed random missing days in our data — in April alone, we were missing the 11th, 14th, 23rd, and 27th. After debugging, here's what's actually happening: Apple sometimes publishes two consecutive ONGOING instances with identical content (same processingDate → same Date in the CSV) The day after a duplicate, the CSV skips a date entirely — that data is simply never published Those missing days are gone forever. There's no way to recover them via API Does this happen to anyone else? Do you know if there is a way to recover missing data?

We've been pulling daily download reports (First-time downloads + Redownloads) via ONGOING requests and noticed random missing days in our data — in April alone, we are missing the 11th, 14th, 23rd, and 27th. After debugging, here's what's actually happening: Apple sometimes publishes two consecutive ONGOING instances with identical content (same processingDate → same Date in the CSV) The day after a duplicate, the CSV skips a date entirely — that data is simply never published Those missing days are gone forever. There's no way to recover them via API Does anyone know if there is a way to fix this and recover lost days?

My app (Team ID: QD8Z9J4JZJ), despite the requested expedited review, has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” since Mar, 29 at 10:40 AM. Since this is causing us financial problems, I would greatly appreciate an update on its review status as soon as possible.

Hey everyone, I applied for the App Store Small Business Program on February 18th and I still haven't heard anything back, that's almost 20 days now. Is this normal? How long did it take for those of you who got approved? I'm starting to wonder if my application even went through correctly. Would really appreciate hearing your experiences — especially if you applied recently. Did anyone else wait this long? Thanks

What is everyone using to create awesome "Previews and Screenshots" images for your app? I tried Gemini AI and the art was great, but it's so stupid it just ignores the dimensions I tell it to use.

Hello, I am experiencing an issue with the Apple Developer Program. Yesterday, I enrolled in the Apple Developer Program and entered my Visa card details. However, later that night, I received a notification from my bank that the payment was charged but failed because my balance was insufficient. After that, I added funds to my bank account, withdrew/canceled my previous enrollment, and then enrolled again using the same Visa card. After re-enrolling, I received a notification from my bank and an email confirming that the payment was successful, with the order ID: “We're processing your order – D00****” However, when I try to track the order by clicking the link in the email or checking the order status, it shows the following message: Something went wrong. There was a problem with your request. Please try again. Could you please explain why this issue is happening and help me check the status of my Apple Developer Program enrollment?

I get a lot of downloads from outside USA but almost no conversion (subscription/IAP) from those countries. Apple App Store does the price conversion based on currency conversion and VAT but it does not take into account that $10 in India or Argentina is a much bigger portion of ones income compared to a US person. Converting all these prices (175 of them) manually is very cumbersome for each subscription tier and for each region.

Hey all, It's been now a few weeks since we started to help clients connect to their App Store Analytics API. I'm starting to notice that very often we'll see things like: Small data gaps. Eg. I have data on June 1, no data on June 2-4, and then data from June 5 to now Big data gaps. Eg. I'd have data on Jan 2024, but not on Feb-Mar 2024, then there's data again from April 2024 onwards. The actual files from Apple are like that we're not doing any treatments whatsoever. That's happening on both ONGOING and ONE_TIME_SNAPSHOT I also opened a Customer Support case and sent the files over 10 days ago, but no definitive answer so far. Are you also seeing gaps like this on your data? Any tips/recommendations?

Love the new web-based App Store that launched today! I’m really hoping Apple will eventually provide a JSON/REST API for search results. Google doesn’t officially offer one either, but because of how the Play Store works for Chrome and Android, developers can use a third-party library like google-play-scraper. For small independent developers like myself, it’s a bit of a disadvantage being priced out of expensive data brokers such as Sensor Tower, who are obviously scraping the App Store anyway. It’s also uncomfortable knowing those companies harvest data from App Store Connect while charging us to access analytics based on our own apps. Would it be too much to ask for an official—or even semi-official—way to retrieve country-specific keyword rankings for apps?

Hello fellow devs and Apple engineers, I want to discuss with everyone about App Preview videos on the App Store. My app NFC.cool is an NFC reading and writing app which interacts with NFC tags that need to be held to the top of device frame of an iPhone. As you can see, this is how my app works and I would like to show that to users on the App Store and present my app in the best way possible. However I keep fighting with app review about device frames and/or "real" hands in my app preview videos. Sometimes I get a reviewer that is ok with the video and sometimes not. In screenshots device frames are accepted and very common. Why are they not allowed in app previews? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And to be honest, I regularly see app previews with device frames on other AppStore pages. Here is the app preview that got rejected lately: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qTDBGecK0w0 I can easily agree with the hands (even though they are not real, they are a render). But the device frame helps the user to understand what my app does and how it works. Ideally I would like to have some Apple staff to see this post here and hopefully start a small wave that will change the guidelines in the future. Here the message from the reviewer: Product Page Optimization Guideline 2.3.4 - Performance - Accurate Metadata The app preview for NFC Read Write Socials Video includes content that does not sufficiently show the app in use. Specifically, the app preview: Includes device images and/or device frames. Displays real hands. App previews should allow users to see what the app does and how it will >appear on their device when the preview is played in full screen. My answer: Hello, these are not real hands. These are renders. The video is accurately showing what the real use of my app. Please keep in mind that an NFC tag has to be held from the outside to the device to interact with my app. The guidelines definitely support what I did in my video. Please take another look. Thank you. Following the guidelines: 2.3.4 …You can add narration and video or textual overlays to help explain anything that isn’t clear from the video alone. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#accurate-metadata Use graphics and transitions. If you need to demonstrate how interaction or navigation works within your app, you may add graphic elements, such as touch hotspots. We recommend capturing the native UI resolution rather than zooming in on the view. Ensure that any transitions between scenes don’t imply functionality that your app doesn’t include. Aim to use straightforward transitions, like dissolves and fades. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/app-previews/ What's your opinion on this topic?

Hello everyone, Ujjwal here, founder and CEO of a new iOS app in the mental wellness space. Our mission is to provide accessible, AI-driven support for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. From the very beginning, this has presented us with a unique and critical challenge: How do we effectively market an app to reach those who need it most, while upholding the absolute highest standards of user privacy? We've built our app, ThunDroid, with a "privacy-by-design" philosophy. We leverage on-device processing for our core AI features, utilize end-to-end encryption, and have proudly integrated 'Sign in with Apple' to maximize user anonymity. We believe these are not just features, but ethical obligations to our users, especially given the nature of the data they trust us with. The challenge, however, arises in marketing. This leads us to focus on mission-driven, organic marketing, but it's a slower path to reaching users who might be in immediate need of support. This brings me to my question for this knowledgeable community. What best practices or creative strategies have you found effective for marketing applications? I appreciate any insights or experiences you're willing to share as we continue to grow ThunDroid responsibly. Thank you for your time and consideration. App Store link: (would love to hear your reviews) [https://apps.apple.com/in/app/thundroid-ai-human-companion/id6746182736)

Hey everyone. First post, so apologies if I don't have the culture of the forums down yet. I have an app with the wrong keywords in the App Store. All I want to do is change my keywords and spruce up the marketing. I can't seem to find an option to do this without uploading a new build and it's driving me a bit nuts. ha ha. I feel like I'm missing something. How do you change your keywords or spruce up the marketing speak without doing a new build? Thanks!

Just trialing a new campaign for a newly launched app. Set the daily spend to $10. The spend shows $80 after one day. Why?

Apple ID: 1250312807 App: X‑VPN Date of Issue: July 16, 2025 On July 16, our app X‑VPN was inexplicably removed from the App Store search results for the high‑traffic keyword “VPN”. There was no prior notice, no reason given, and no policy violation cited. We consistently held a Top 3 ranking for “VPN” for several years, so this sudden disappearance is inconsistent with normal algorithmic fluctuations and strongly suggests manual suppression. Normally, App Store search displays five organic results before any editorial content. However, on July 16, the search for “VPN” showed only three apps, skipped positions #4 and #5, and jumped straight to editorial/promoted content—further evidence that our app has been intentionally hidden. We have already contacted the Apple Search team, but their responses insist that “everything looks normal.” Given that “VPN” generates over 200,000 searches per day, it is highly unlikely for a Top 3 app to vanish without cause. We are confident this is manual action. We have exhausted all known channels and don’t know where else to raise this issue. Could someone please investigate and provide a clear explanation?