Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to the developer community for help regarding an issue I encountered while submitting our app YouMiUM for review on the App Store. Our app was rejected due to 4.3(a) - Duplicate App, and we believe this might be a mistake. I would appreciate any insights or assistance in understanding the reasoning behind this decision.
Our App’s Independence and Originality First of all, I want to emphasize that YouMiUM is a fully independently designed and developed app. All of the UI, interactions, and functionality have been created by our team from scratch. We did not use any templates or clone any existing apps. We have registered software copyrights, received electronic copyright certification, have ICP filing information, and possess a business license to prove our app's independence.
Question: Why Is Our App Considered a Duplicate? During the review process, our app was flagged for 4.3(a) - Duplicate App, but we are left wondering why an entirely original app would be considered "duplicate"? YouMiUM is unique in its design, functionality, target user group, and more. Specifically, it is focused on game-loving players, offering game-related interactions, sharing game results, and forming teams to play together, which is not commonly found in other apps.
Why Did Previous Versions Pass, but This One Was Rejected? Additionally, we are confused about why several of our previous versions passed review without issue, but the 1.1.5 version we just submitted, which only includes small optimizations and bug fixes, was suddenly flagged as violating 4.3(a). There were no significant changes in the UI, functionality, or interactions. Why was this version singled out for rejection?
Seeking Further Help and Feedback We are hoping to get more clarification from Apple’s review team to understand why our app was flagged for 4.3(a) and whether there are any additional guidelines or criteria we were not made aware of. If any developers have encountered similar issues, or if you have insights into why this might have happened, we would greatly appreciate your feedback!
We have always worked diligently to comply with App Store guidelines, and our app has passed multiple reviews in the past. This recent rejection has left us confused, and we hope to get further clarification from Apple and a chance for re-review.
Thank you so much for your help and feedback!
Best regards, The YouMiUM Team
