Hello everyone,
I’ll be honest with you, the kind of honesty that comes when you’ve run out of places to turn. My name is Donovan, I’m a French student, and I’m writing here because at this point, I truly don’t know what else to do
Two years ago, I started a small project to learn mobile development. Nothing ambitious at first just a personal exercise, a way to grow. But after countless late nights, weekends sacrificed, and lines of code no one will ever see… that small project became a real application.
I finished it. Refined it. Carried it like something that genuinely mattered.
And for the past two months, I’ve been fighting with App Review. Always for the same reason: Guideline 4.3(b) – Design – Spam.
Each time, I respond. Each time, I explain. But each time, the door closes with the same cold, impersonal message:
“We encourage you to reconsider your app concept and submit a new app that provides a unique experience not already found on the App Store.”
Unique. Such an easy word to use… especially when no one seems willing to look closely at what’s actually in front of them.
My application is a dating app, yes. I know there are many on the App Store. But I implemented a feature that no other dating app currently provides, and more importantly: the app is 100% free, no paywallsno mandatory subscription. As far as I know, there is no completely free dating application on the App Store.
I even added features that were never planned, just to avoid being dismissed as “spam.” But nothing has changed.
Two years of work. Two years of progressing 4–5 hours per week, between classes, exams, and everything else life throws your way. And now, it feels like all of that can be wiped away by a single generic sentence.
So here I am, turning to you, the developer community, the only people who truly understand what it means to run into an invisible wall.
I need your help. Your advice, your experiences, your strategies. How can I get Apple to finally accept my app? How can I avoid throwing away two year of work because of a vague, unexplained guideline?
Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply
Thank you for your post and appeal. We're investigating and will contact you in App Store Connect to provide further assistance. If you continue to experience issues during review, please contact us.
