Title: App stuck in Kids Category review loop — never intentionally published as Kids
Our education app has been on the App Store since 2020 under the Education category. We recently submitted an update and it keeps getting rejected under Guideline 1.3 - Kids Category.
The problem: we have never intentionally published our app under the Kids Category. Our current App Store Connect configuration is:
- Age Categories and Override: Not Applicable
- Calculated Age Rating: 4+
- Primary Category: Education
- Secondary Category: Games
No "Made for Kids" designation is selected anywhere.
Here is the timeline:
- Feb 13: Rejected — "You have selected the Kids Category for your app" — asked us to add parental gates for links, purchases, etc.
- Feb 18: Rejected again — "Your app does not appear to be designed for kids aged 11 and under" — told us to resubmit without Kids Category designation.
- We replied with screenshots showing "Not Applicable" is selected and asked what else needs to change.
- Feb 19: Rejected again — "Your app was previously approved for the Kids category" — told us to resubmit under a new App ID.
- We replied explaining that we never published under Kids Category and that creating a new App ID would mean losing years of reviews, ratings, and user history.
- Feb 20: Same rejection, same template response about Kids Category.
We have scheduled a Meet with Apple appointment but it is not available soon. Meanwhile our update is blocked.
Our questions:
- Has anyone experienced a similar situation where their app was flagged as "previously approved for Kids" when it was never intentionally submitted under that category?
- Is there a way to verify which version (if any) was approved with the Kids designation? We cannot find this information in App Store Connect.
- Has anyone successfully had this flag removed without creating a new App ID?
- If we did have to comply with Kids Category guidelines, would that remain a permanent requirement even though "Not Applicable" is now selected?
Any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated. We have been going back and forth with the review team for over a week and the responses do not address our specific situation.