One of the biggest ongoing frustrations with Apple’s App Review process is inconsistency across builds of the same app version.
We regularly encounter the following situation:
- A build of a new version is reviewed and approved.
- Shortly after, we submit another build of the same version, often containing only a minor bug fix.
- This second build is suddenly rejected for an issue that was never mentioned in the previously approved build.
- After explaining the situation and resubmitting, the build is usually approved.
While this may seem manageable on paper, in practice it causes unnecessary delays, especially for time-critical patches and hotfixes that need to reach users quickly.
The core issue is predictability:
- If a guideline violation exists, it should be identified consistently across all builds of that version.
- If functionality is effectively unchanged, review outcomes should not vary based on reviewer interpretation.
- Developers should not have to lose hours—or days—explaining why a nearly identical build suddenly fails review.
Apple’s review process is essential for platform quality, but lack of continuity between reviews creates avoidable friction for teams shipping live products. Consistent enforcement of guidelines across builds would significantly improve trust, efficiency, and developer experience—without lowering App Store standards.
This is not about bypassing rules. It’s about clarity, consistency, and respecting the urgency of real-world software development.
