Dear Apple Developer Community and App Review Team,
I am writing to report a serious and extremely frustrating problem I have experienced with two different applications submitted to the App Store.
Both applications were rejected under App Review Guideline 1.3, requesting answers to four questions that I had already answered completely in the App Review Notes during the ORIGINAL submissions.
The information was not added after rejection. It was already provided before either application entered review.
I fully support Apple’s strict requirements for children’s applications. However, these repeated incidents raise serious concerns about how App Review Notes and supporting documents are handled.
**1. Kalimati - كلماتي
Apple App ID: 6812125263**
Kalimati is an educational application that helps children learn Arabic words and action verbs through interactive activities and animations.
When submitting Kalimati for the first time, I explicitly answered all four required questions in the App Review Notes:
- Third-party analytics.
- Third-party advertising.
- Sharing user or device data with third parties.
- Other collection or processing of user or device information.
Despite providing complete answers, Kalimati was rejected on October 11, 2026, requesting answers to those exact same questions.
These answers were already included in the original submission!
I responded again and resubmitted the application on October 11.
As of October 22, Kalimati remains in “Waiting for Review” status, 11 days after resubmission.
I contacted Apple Developer Support multiple times. Although I was informed that steps would be taken to expedite the review, the application remains in the queue.
This delay followed a request for information that had already been provided.
**2. HeroHop: Sky Adventure
Apple App ID: 6823625184**
After my experience with Kalimati, I took additional precautions before submitting HeroHop on October 20, 2026.
I provided the answers in TWO separate places:
First: Complete answers to all four questions in the App Review Notes.
Second: A detailed two-page PDF attachment titled “HeroHop-App-Review-Notes-Build-8.pdf”, addressing each question individually and explaining privacy practices, data handling, parental controls, and in-app purchases.
Nevertheless, HeroHop was rejected the following day with an automated message requesting answers to the exact same four questions!
I had answered every question in the designated field AND attached detailed supporting documentation.
Yet the application was rejected as though none of this information had been provided.
I repeated the answers and resubmitted HeroHop on October 21.
The Real Problem
The issue is not Apple’s requirement to answer privacy-related questions. Those questions are reasonable and important.
The issue is that Apple repeatedly requests information that developers have ALREADY provided in the designated submission fields.
With Kalimati, the answers were included in App Review Notes.
With HeroHop, the answers were included in App Review Notes AND a separate PDF.
Both applications received requests for the same information again.
This raises important questions:
- Are App Review Notes displayed correctly to reviewers?
- Are supporting documents properly accessible?
- Are automated requests generated without checking existing answers?
- Is there a procedural problem in reviewing Kids Category submissions?
I cannot determine the cause from outside Apple’s systems.
However, experiencing the same issue twice, despite taking additional precautions, strongly suggests that the submission or review workflow requires investigation.
The Consequences for Developers
Every unnecessary rejection can delay an application for days or weeks.
Kalimati has remained in “Waiting for Review” since October 11.
Developers spend considerable time preparing applications, testing them, documenting compliance, and answering Apple’s questions.
It is extremely frustrating to complete these requirements correctly, only to receive a rejection requesting information that was already provided.
This wastes developers’ time, disrupts release schedules, and undermines confidence in Apple’s review process.
I respectfully urge Apple’s App Review management and App Store Connect teams to investigate and improve the following:
1. Verify App Review Notes: Ensure submitted information is correctly stored, displayed, and examined before requesting additional answers.
2. Verify attachments: Ensure supporting PDFs and documents are clearly visible and accessible to reviewers.
3. Prevent repeated requests: Before issuing a rejection, verify whether the requested information already exists in the original submission.
4. Provide specific explanations: If an answer is insufficient, explain precisely what is missing instead of repeating the same questionnaire.
5. Investigate the Kids Category workflow: Examine why the same four Guideline 1.3 questions are repeatedly requested despite documented answers.
6. Establish an escalation channel: Allow developers to report recurring procedural problems beyond individual rejection decisions.
Concern About My Upcoming macOS Application
I am currently developing another application for macOS.
After these experiences, I am genuinely concerned that I may encounter another unnecessary rejection because information I carefully provide is overlooked.
Developers should not have to worry whether their App Review Notes will actually be considered.
A Direct Appeal to Apple
I am not requesting special treatment, exceptions to Apple’s guidelines, or approval without proper review.
I fully respect Apple’s responsibility to protect users, particularly children.
I am simply asking Apple to ensure that information developers provide is actually read and considered before applications are rejected for supposedly missing information.
Apple, please investigate this issue at both the management and technical levels.
If there is a technical problem, fix it. If there is a procedural problem, improve the procedure. If answers are insufficient, explain exactly what is missing.
This is a real and recurring problem that deserves serious attention.
I also invite fellow developers to share their experiences:
Have you received a Guideline 1.3 rejection requesting the four Kids Category answers even though you had already provided them in your original App Review Notes?
I sincerely hope Apple takes this issue seriously and investigates its underlying cause.
A Final Request to the Community
Please help bring this issue to Apple’s attention.
Salman Farhat