Rejected for Guideline 4.1(c) Copycats

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Created 22h

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Hello everyone,

I’m looking for some clarification and advice regarding an unexpected App Review rejection under Guideline 4.1 – Copycats.

My app has been live on the App Store since May 2024, and during that time, it has maintained the same core flow, structure, UI, and feature set. There have been no major redesigns or attempts to imitate any other app.

Recently, I submitted a new version (v3.2) with only minor changes related to ad logic implementation (no UI/UX changes, no branding changes, no metadata changes). However, this update was rejected with the following reason:

“This app or its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game…”

This has left me quite confused for a few reasons:

The app has been approved and publicly available for nearly 2 years There were no significant design or branding changes in this submission The rejection seems unrelated to the actual changes made in this version My questions: Has anyone experienced a situation where an app was flagged as a copycat after being live for a long time? Is it possible that Apple updated their internal policies or comparisons, causing older apps to be re-evaluated? Could this be triggered by similar metadata (keywords, screenshots, descriptions) rather than the app itself? What would be the best way to respond in App Store Connect Resolution Center in this case?

I fully respect Apple’s guidelines and have no intention of copying or misleading users. I’d really appreciate any insights or suggestions on how to resolve this properly.

Thank you!

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Answer 1

Tomato OP

13h

Has anyone experienced a situation where an app was flagged as a copycat after being live for a long time?

I think I have once or twice only after forgetting to remove older versions. Also, I have read similar topics in the past two to three weeks. See what you can find with the search function if you want to know if there are other copycats out there.

Is it possible that Apple updated their internal policies or comparisons, causing older apps to be re-evaluated?

Anything is possible. Reviewers make a lot of mistakes. So do I, sometimes. I repeated two silly mistakes in setting the subtitle of the last submission.

What would be the best way to respond in App Store Connect Resolution Center in this case?

How would you quantify and measure the quality of your reply? Yet, I would make it as concise as possible to make the point so that it will be hard for them to dismiss. At last, I wouldn't take it to the Appeal Board if I were you unless you have good Plan B and C.

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Answer 2

App Review OP

Apple

9h

Thank you for your post. There are several factors that may contribute to an app not following App Review Guideline 4.1. Visit Preventing Copycat and Impersonation Rejections to learn best practices that will help you submit original apps that follow this guideline.

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