Whatsapp Sticker Apps Getting Rejected

And as assumed, it got rejected:

"From Apple

4. 3 Design: Spam

Guideline 4.3 - Design

We noticed that your app provides the same feature set as other apps submitted to the App Store; it simply varies in content or language, which is considered a form of spam.

The next submission of this app may require a longer review time, and this app will not be eligible for an expedited review until this issue is resolved."

Would really like to know how to pass the 4.3 designs. Why do we need to create a creative apps to distribute stickers? If it need to be creative please let me know how do we create stickers apps for iMessages?

Today iMessage Sticker app got rejected as well with same reason: 4.3 Design: Spam. It doesn't have any design, it's a sticker app from default Xcode project. It has original content from original artist. These app reviews are getting weirder.

I had the same reason for rejection. And this is my opinion. This looks like following the book rigidly without looking at the bigger picture. Sticker packs benefit from a template to ensure easy and foolproof delivery to its platform. And why force every developer to invent the wheel for a sticker pack if there's a perfectly fine template available? Not only is this how Whatsapp prefers for it to work (they make the template available), but it (a template) is also something Apple should embrace. Just as it has embraced templates for iMessage stickers. Because the template makes it easy for non-developers to publish their art. A sticker app is not a conventional app. It is a vehicle for the content, to deliver artwork into a platform. The content is what counts in a sticker pack. Not the way it is packaged. After installation you won’t even interact with the actual app anymore either. The (look of and functionality of the) app itself is not the focus; the stickers are. That’s why there are already multiple apps with this interface. And that doesn’t look weird or spammy because it helps you spot WhatsApp Stickers easily in the app store if you are looking for them. It is a help for users. Also if you follow this to its logical conclusion you should stop accepting iMessage stickers as well. Because they also look exactly look alike, functionality and UI wise. But that is to be expected because they also use a template. Don’t they? The interface is the same just the content is different. So iMesssage sticker apps are allowed to use a template but Whatsapp sticker apps are not allowed to use a template? That feels arbitrary. And not right. In the light of the above I think these specific guidelines (4.3.0) should be changed when it comes to sticker apps. The rules are the rules. But I think this rule should not apply or be applied differently to sticker packs because they work different from regular apps.

Wait. You had an iMessage sticker app rejected? Using Apple’s own template from XCode? So they are rejecting iMessage sticker packs now too?

I just had my app rejected for the same 4. 3 Design: Spam reason. Apparently the app store doesnt accept any whatsapp sticker apps. They dont want the app store to be flooded with them. They said if the app concept is something completely different and the sticker pack is offered as a complete side product they may let it through

Hi.

I have submitted a sticker app recently and today I have got an error "4.2 Minimum Functionality". In a sticker app how can I build a User Interfacing having minimun one page? I beleive you have solved out this 4.2 Minimum Functionality" issue. I would be very gradeful if you can help me out.
Thanks.
Soumen Ghosh.