Very long review time and no significant feedback

I'm having the same issue. Before it took only 24 hours to review my app. This time it's been over a week. What can possibly take that long to review a set of stickers I don't know. I wonder if it's worth removing it and re-submitting it? Ugh.

Same here. After 30 days and numers emails, calls, appeals and posting in various places we finally got an answer today, a reject no less which makes no sense. It claims all our apps are similar in content when that isn't at all the case. Will appear.

Apple review used to be very smooth and quick. Now it is a nightmare.

Hello,

I finally got an answer from the review team. My app got rejected and the words they used were very harsh and impolite

They say that I offended apple rules and that they delayed my review on purpose due to that. I can't believe that. They treat me like a child, no respect to my person, my time and effort. Just nothing. I'm so upset about all that stuff, I don't know what to say...

All the reasons they mention are just not true. I can't believe, that they did not get in contact with me earlier to clarify all that stuff. I think we could have clared all that very easily. I wrote them so many times, and even applied for an expedited review, since I attended a big convention where I wanted to show this new app. They just ignored everything and did not try to talk to me. WHY ???

This is my second app, so I'm kind of a newbie which shall be no excuse. I did my best and tried to be as clear as possible with everything. That they don't let me know, what they don't like or think what is wrong is very weired. If I would have done weired stuff for a couple of times in the past I could understand their behavior - but not in this case.

The message sounded as if I'm a criminal, they talk about terminating my account and removing all of my apps from the app-store. As I said, this is my second app and my first app which got rejected, for a reason which I can't follow. I have send them and expalanation message with my thoughts but until now no feedback... :-(

Martin

Can you show the reply you got from apple. I would like to know what kind of wording did they use.

As I believe what you are saying, I don't think Apple would stand behind that message. With that being said, I still think it's rude that Apple doesn't clarify why it is taking so long, but I think it should have something to do with the major changes on the app store from iOS 11. My app is still in-review since two weeks now and also send some (frustrated) messages to the review team as well and got that same reply. I think we can only wait for it to get the feedback as they say that there is isn't any action I have to do.

From Apple:

We have received your revised submission and noticed that your app's metadata contains misleading content or content that is intended to deceive users.

...
You will experience a delayed review process if you deliberately disregard the App Store Review Guidelines, ignore previous rejection feedback in future app submissions, or use your app to mislead or deceive users.
...
As a result of violating this guideline, your app’s review has been delayed. Future submissions of this app, and other apps associated with your Apple Developer account, will also experience a delayed review.

...

Continuing to violate the Terms & Conditions of the Apple Developer Program will result in the termination of your account, as well as any related or linked accounts, and the removal of all your associated apps from the App Store.

...

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As mentioned above I can't understand why they wrote that. Because none of it is true (at least in my opinion). I can't understand why they did not contact me beforehand and spoke with me about these issues so that I could explain and let me instead wait for more than 3 weeks! How can you make serious business that way? I'm absolutely speechless...

"Because none of it is true (at least in my opinion)."

If you can you see where the reviewer might have a different opinion you can begin to address the reviewer's issue. Is there something in the metadata that could be considered, albeit incorrectly in your opinion, "misleading content or content that is intended to deceive"? If so, respond to the reviewer explaining why the content is not, in fact, misleading nor intended to decieve - but how one might (incorrectly) perceive it as such. Ask the reviewer to reconsider in light of your explanation.

It is an app which is intended to be used by magicians, but could also be used by others. I explain in great detail what the app does and what not. (It is for free with an Unlock-in-app-purchase, so that you can try it out and then buy it if you like. So there are no open questions, whatsoever. My last sentence of the Description is: "This App is intended to be used by magicians for entertaining purposes only!". I actually added this only to be "safe".

And this seems to be the problem. They accuse me, that I mention it only briefly, that the app is intended to be used by magicians in the last sentence of the description. This could deceive users!? If this is really the problem, I can put this sentence to the beginning of the description, no problem. But I haven't gotten anybody on the phone who was able to explain me what they want me to change. I just got the information, that Apple does not like magic apps..!?

I spoke to lady and she listened to me and will transfer this information to the internal Review-Team and then gets back to me. It seems to me, that this can take another few weeks if I can't talk to the person who makes the decisions. Having several other people in the line does not help. I really hope to get somebody on the phone soon who can help...

This is really annoying. I'm in week 6 by now. I have planned to start selling the app one month ago. I have the webpage up and running and now I'm caught in an endless loop. I can't understand why the communication is that hard.

your app sounds very legitimate to me.

Our product is delayed, i think i should change a company. I feel sorry to my company. It's time to code some else. I don't why no reply, i called the supporter, they said review team can only send email. I asked a "Request an Expedited App Review", but also no reply. It just seems like that i shout loudly "help, help...", but they walked away.

I got the same issue . look like apple hiring unprofressional guy, they cannot understand how to help people , they ignore they responsibility because of they know only copy/ paste message like a robot. the most important thing is they are lazy. I want to make them understand that we are your hard core customer not developer . we buy their macbook / iMac /iphone / iPad to develope the application also we have to buy developer account. all of that is not free , and we got service like this , we should deserve better service better people not just the people who does not even know how to use the word to help people & don't have knowledge about what they did.

Same issue. I think Apple is closing the door to indie developers now. People have to switch to Google Play. Betting all effort on App Store seems unreasonable.

I think Apple has changed all the review processes and the decade that they review apps in short times is finished. If an app uses in-app features and some purchasing screens for users to try some free-trial stuffs, are rejected generally. On the first review or later, developers encounters that. This unreliable case that your multiusered, lovely app on AppStore could be removed from sale because of your other app on your/related account is rejected, can be removed immediately. This new approach of Apple and their "mold" review sentences, not enough explanations, I think, make developers discourage developing apps to AppStore.

I love always Apple, iOS or many things belongs to Apple, and defend many iOS things to its other opponents, but these times are "a bit" annoying.