App Rejected – Guideline 5.1.1(iv) – Location Permission Pre-Prompt With “Not Now” Button

Issue from App Review: My app shows a custom explanation screen before triggering the system location permission dialog. This screen explains why location access is needed. It includes: A “Continue” button → triggers the system permission dialog A “Not Now” button → dismisses the explanation and delays the permission request

Apple states that: “The user should always proceed to the permission request after the message.” They are asking me to remove the exit button from the pre-permission message.

My Questions

Is it now against policy to include a “Not Now” option in a pre-permission explainer screen? Are we required to immediately show the system permission dialog after any pre-permission explanation? What is the recommended UX pattern if the feature depends on location but I don’t want to force the permission immediately at launch? Would it be compliant to: Remove the “Not Now” button, OR Remove the custom pre-prompt entirely and rely only on the system dialog? The feature in question requires location to function properly, but I want to implement it in a user-friendly way that respects user choice and avoids unnecessary denial rates.

If anyone has recently resolved a similar 5.1.1(iv) issue, I’d really appreciate hearing how you handled it. Thank you in advance for your help!

I don't see why you need the button. How does the user benefit from seeing or tapping the button?

App Rejected – Guideline 5.1.1(iv) – Location Permission Pre-Prompt With “Not Now” Button
 
 
Q