In this post, we'll share tips to help you submit apps that deliver original ideas to your users. When working on your app, focus on creating interesting, unique experiences that aren't already available. Apps that actively try to copy other apps won't pass review, and accounts that repeatedly submit copycat apps or attempt to impersonate a service will be closed. The rules that prevent copycat and impersonator apps from being distributed on the App Store are described in App Review Guideline 4.1: 4.1 Copycats (a) Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers. (b) Submitting apps which impersonate other apps or services is considered a violation of the Developer Code of Conduct and may result in removal from the Apple Developer Program.(c) You cannot use another developer’s icon, brand, or product name in your app’s icon or name, without approval from the developer. These requirements help make the App Store both a safe place for people to discover apps and a platform for all developers to be successful. Best Practices Here are three best practices that will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1: 1. Submit apps with unique content and features. People want apps that provide unique experiences. Find areas that aren't currently being served and build compelling apps for those audiences. Do: Create apps that provide a new experience or a unique spin on an existing concept. Design original, delightful interfaces that elegantly meet your user's needs. Don't: Don’t imitate the features and functionality of other apps. Don’t copy the look and feel of other apps, such as using an identical user interface design. 2. Make sure App Store metadata only contains relevant information and content you either own or have permission to use. The metadata provided in App Store Connect is used to populate your app's product page on the App Store. People rely on this metadata to learn about your app and what it has to offer. Leveraging the popularity of another brand or app, either by including irrelevant references or protected content, is misleading and won't help your app succeed. Do: Use engaging, descriptive language to describe your unique app. Create original content that best represents your app, such as screenshots showing the actual app in use. Don't: Don't use protected material you do not have the necessary permission to use, such as app icons that are similar to icons of a popular app. Don’t include irrelevant references, such as popular app names or trademarked terms, in any metadata fields. 3. Provide information that is authentic and verifiable. People want to know the developers behind their favorite apps are who they say they are. It's important to continually review and provide up-to-date information, including the developer or company name listed on your Apple Developer Program account, the Support URL listed on your app's product page, and other helpful information. This will enable your users to contact you when they need help and it will also hinder people who may try to impersonate you, your app, or your service. Do: Make sure all information, resources, and documentation related to your account and apps are current and accurate. Don't: Don’t provide inaccurate information or resources, such as directing people to outdated support pages. Don’t provide fraudulent documentation. Accounts that submit fraudulent documentation will be removed from the Apple Developer Program. Support Incorporating these best practices into your app's development will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1. If you need additional assistance, consider taking advantage of one of the following support options available from App Review: If your submission has been rejected, reply to the message from App Review in App Store Connect and request clarification. Request an App Review Appointment to discuss the results of our review. Appointments are subject to availability, and take place during local business hours in your region on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you believe your app follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board. Resources Learn about foundational design principles from Apple designers and the developer community. Learn how to create engaging App Store product pages. Note that apps that violate intellectual property rights are subject to removal through the App Store Content Dispute process. If you believe an app on the App Store violates your intellectual property rights, you can submit a claim.

Hello, I’m contacting you for assistance regarding an App Review issue that our company is currently facing. Background Several months ago, a former employee submitted an early prototype of our app using his personal Apple Developer account. That submission was never approved, and after the employee left the company, he removed the app from his account. It is no longer available on the App Store and no longer listed under that account. Recently, we rebuilt the product completely — new UI, new codebase, and a fully updated design — and submitted it under our company’s official Apple Developer account. Issue Our recent submission was rejected with 4.3 – Spam, indicating that our app is considered a duplicate of another existing app. However, the only similar app is the old prototype submitted several months ago by the former employee, which was removed and never published. It seems likely that our submission is being linked to that previous prototype, even though it no longer exists and was submitted under a different personal account. Appeal Status We submitted an Appeal right after receiving the 4.3 rejection. It has now been one week, and we have not received any update or confirmation: No email response No status change in App Review The Appeal does not appear in the Resolution Center The app remains unable to move forward in the review process Request for Assistance Could you please help us with the following? Could you confirm whether our Appeal was successfully received? What is the typical response time for Appeals in cases like this? Is any additional information required from us to continue the review? If the previous submission under the former employee’s personal account is influencing the review, how can we resolve this issue permanently? Is there a recommended way to escalate this situation, given that this app is critical for our company? We sincerely appreciate your time and assistance. Thank you, and we look forward to your guidance.

I have invested significant money building a proximity application that shows hotspots for nightlife, and also if there are other single people in the same vicinity. I have labeled it under Social Networking, but the app reviews have labeled me as a dating app and hit me with the 4.3 spam tag. My app has many unique features that don't exist with other apps, but because of the matching part of the app, I am SOL. I am waiting on an appeal, but based on what I have read, I will most likely be doomed. Talk about killing the American Dream and stifling innovation! What are my options? If I get 10K users testing it on Test Flight, will I have a better chance of getting approved? Has anyone been successful by offering an app through a developer's website?

I developed a mobile game which is a shooter/endless waves type of game. I submitted a few months ago and got rejected under guideline 4.3.0 -design spam. I went and redesigned the while thing, ADDED A COMPLETE MULTIPLAYER functionality where you can battle other real players. Submitted it again last Friday, week ago. Got the same rejection reason 4.3.0 - design spam. After explaining the features I added they wrote me back saying that the issue is resolved and then rejected due to some technical error I did when filling out the age rating settings. Fixed that and AGAIN they rejected under guideline 4.3.0 - design spam!! Even after attaching them a screenshot of the message that CLEARLY shows they resolved that issue, they keep on rejecting under 4.3.0 it’s like they are not even looking at the screenshot, or even looking in the message history. Does this make any sense to anyone? That 2 days ago they said 4.3.0 was resolved, then not? the app was developed entirely from scratch, no free assets, no templates, I have adobe files to prove it. please advise, I am loosing my mind.

Can multiple apps be published under the same organization that use the same logo and the same app name, but are intended for different regions? Each app will target a specific country or region, and the core functionality will be similar. I could not find any specific App Store Review Guideline stating whether it is allowed to have the same app name and branding for different regional versions. Is it necessary to differentiate the branding or name for each regional version to get approval during App Review?

Hi everyone, On Monday, November 17, our company submitted an app to the App Store, and it has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” ever since. From what I’ve read, the usual review time is around 24–48 hours, so we’re a bit worried that the review hasn’t even started yet. Has anyone else seen similar delays recently? Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Its been 4 days now and apparently it is unusual for it to take more than 48 hour? Any advice on who to contact to get this looked at?

Need Clarification on Pending Termination Notice for “Ethereum Cloud Miner Sim” App Hello Apple Developer Community, My developer account recently received a Pending Termination Notice, stating that my account may have been used for dishonest or fraudulent activity. I am very concerned and would like clear guidance on how to properly resolve this situation. My app is “Ethereum Cloud Miner Sim”, which is a simulation-only app, not real mining. To avoid misunderstanding, I clearly included: “Sim” in the app name A full disclaimer in the description No external payments, no misleading claims, no incentives, and no financial functionality Despite this, the app was removed and my account received the termination warning. I want to understand: What specific part of my app or metadata was interpreted as dishonest or fraudulent? How can I correct the issue so my account is not terminated? Is there any additional clarification or documentation I should provide? Does Apple consider simulation apps (non-functional mining simulations) as violating Guideline 5.6? My intention has always been to follow Apple's guidelines carefully, and I am ready to make any changes required. I kindly request direction from Apple or anyone in the community who has experienced a similar issue. Thank you for your time and guidance.

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I’m opening this discussion because we’ve encountered a repeated Guideline 4.3 rejection for an update, despite having previously addressed the same concern with the App Review team and reaching a resolution. Several weeks ago, we went through a detailed review process regarding Guideline 4.3. We provided full technical explanations, clarified our development structure, redesigned parts of the UI, and made all adjustments requested by the App Review team. That update was ultimately approved, and the app has been live on the App Store since then without any issues. However, our new submission—which includes only a critical bug fix—is now being rejected again for the same 4.3 reason. No changes have been made to the concept, design, or core functionality since the previously approved version. The update is not introducing new features or new UI; it simply resolves a performance bug affecting downloads and uploads, which users are already experiencing in the live version. We operate a single developer account, and our apps are entirely built in-house. Although we use open-source VPN cores (such as Xray-core and Clash), these frameworks are publicly available on GitHub and are commonly used by many developers. Our implementations, configurations, and UI are fully custom and not shared with any other apps. This was already reviewed and confirmed in our previous submission. We have already sent clear and detailed technical explanations through the Resolution Center—similar to what was accepted in our earlier approval—but unfortunately, it hasn’t resolved the issue this time. This situation is becoming difficult for us because: The current live version has a performance bug that users are already affected by. We are in the middle of ongoing campaigns, meaning delays can lead to financial impact. Negative user feedback due to this unresolved bug could permanently damage the app’s reputation. Since this exact concern was previously reviewed, discussed, and resolved with App Review, we are unsure why the same guideline is suddenly being applied to a simple bug-fix update. So I wanted to ask the community: Has anyone faced a similar situation where a previously resolved 4.3 issue resurfaced on later updates? Are there any specific details or approaches that helped clarify the situation for the review team? Is there anything additional we should highlight to prevent misunderstanding on automated or manual review? Any insights or shared experiences from other developers would be extremely valuable. Thank you in advance for your time and support.

Hello everyone The application we developed is for pet medical care and is aimed at veterinarians The main function of the app is an AI conversation app, where the user talks to the AI. The AI answer content may involve disease diagnosis and treatment suggestions for pets. When we submitted it to the apple store for review, we received a 1.4.1 rejection notice (the app must clearly disclose data and methods to support accuracy claims related to health measurements) Our solutions Before entering the app, we have added a pop-up window (the pop-up window introduces that the output content of our app is generated by AI and cannot replace the malicious veterinary consultation and diagnosis. If you have health problems, please consult offline certified veterinarians and other content to ensure the safety of pets in a timely manner). Users must agree before proceeding to the next step of using the app. Our AI model has been registered with the algorithm (and we have also uploaded screenshots of the algorithm registration) Each AI reply message in our app has displayed content (this answer is generated by AI, the content is for reference only, please check carefully) to remind users that these answers are generated by AI and allow users to check carefully. Even though we made all the above obvious reminders, we still received rejection from the app review our problem For a large language model, the content is implemented by a deep learning algorithm. It is impossible to accurately know the source and link of the generated content every time the AI replies to the content. If this review logic is followed, then the reply content of AI apps with language models such as chatgpt will also include medical-related diagnostic suggestions. How to solve this scenario? Our model is a diagnostic recommendation for pets. Does clause 1.4.1 refer to humans or animals?

Hi everyone, I submitted an appeal to the App Review Board over 14 days ago, but I still haven’t received any update or acknowledgment. I’m now at a standstill, as this delay is blocking my app release and preventing me from moving forward. Is there a typical timeframe for ARB responses? And is there any recommended way to follow up or get the appeal looked at? Any insight from others who’ve been through the process would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hello, everyone! I encountered problems during the application review process. My app has been in the "Waiting for Review" state for over one week, while usually the review process is completed within 12 hours. And currently, there is no update of any information, and it is unknown what kind of problem has hindered it. Has anyone else experienced such a delay recently? Any suggestions on how to speed up the process or upgrade issues with Apple would be greatly appreciated.

After uploading the build to Test Flight, we are successfully able to download the ODR tags. Submitting that same build for an App Review, they are having issues. After further investigation, they are not able to resolve the hostname when trying to download the tag. This failure on the app is causing our app to be rejected. It would be great to get some guidance on how best to resolve this situation for the App Review team. Thanks!

Hi! My app was rejected on Nov 4 due to 4.3 Design Spam. After communicating with the App Review team on Nov 4, the decision was still the same, so I submitted an appeal to the App Review Board that day. They mentioned there are apps that are providing the same functionalities but I have done my research on App Store and reached out to potential users in London to gauge the interest. I believe my app and its direction is unique. I still haven’t received any update and I totally understand that the appeals process can take some time. It's just that I am really passionate about getting this app into the public to get people on it and I have no idea on what is wrong and how I can help make it right. Does anyone know how long it usually takes to get a response from the App Review Board? Thank you for any help!

Hello everyone, quick question. I have an app with subscriptions that limit some functionality until you subscribe. The app detects if you have an active subscription and if you do not, when choosing a functionality that is behind the paywall, you get redirected to the upgrade screen where the subscriptions are located. The reviewer replied "We have started the review of your app, but we are not able to continue because we cannot locate the in-app purchases. To help us proceed with the review of your app, please reply to this message providing the steps for locating the in-app purchases in your app." I think the issue is that the app was tested before by the review team with a sandbox account, and now the app is not displaying that upgrade screen anymore because it detects that sandbox account as having an active subscription. And now the reviewer can't get to that screen anymore. Has anyone encountered this type of issue in the past? If you erase purchase history from that particular sandbox account, you log out and log back into the sandbox account it works, but I'm not sure if the reviewers do that.

Hello everyone, I’m currently going through the account verification process, and Apple asked me to provide “proof of website domain ownership.” However, the meaning of this requirement is unclear. In a previous review I suggested adding an official badge / mention of my app on the website, but I was told that this does NOT count as proof. I would like to avoid further misunderstanding or delays, so I need to understand exactly what Apple considers valid documentation. Could anyone please clarify: What types of documents or evidence Apple accepts as proof of domain ownership? If someone here has successfully completed this requirement, what specific format or document did you submit that was approved? Apple’s support advised me to ask here since there is no official public guideline or example. Thank you very much — I just want to provide the correct documents so the review can continue smoothly.

Hi, I uploaded my app to TestFlight and released but mistakenly enabled support for iPads. However, the app does not support iPads, and whenever I submit it for approval, the App Store rejects it due to design issues. When I disable iPad support and re-upload it to TestFlight, I get an error stating that it does not support the previously uploaded platforms. Can anyone please guide me how can i disable it any way around?

I have an application that I have been attempting to remove from my Apple developer account just to clear it out, unfortunately the latest update was not accepted by apple and was abandoned. I desire to remove the app from my account permanently. I have ensured that all of the requirements at Remove and App have been met, the app was "removed from the app store" more than a year ago. Any advice for actually removing the app would be helpful.

Our Unity-built macOS application (developed with Unity 2020.3.36f1) was rejected from App Store Connect with reason ITMS-91061. The Apple Review Team specifically stated that the issue is that the SDK provider, "Unity Technologies," has not signed the required privacy agreement with Apple. We are now seeking guidance from the Apple community or official sources: Confirmation of Agreement Status: Is there an official channel for developers to check the privacy agreement status of a specific SDK provider like Unity Technologies? Recommended Path for Developers: What is the official recommended course of action for developers facing this issue? Must we wait indefinitely for the SDK provider to complete the signing process, or is there a compliant path forward for us? Community Experience: Have any other developers using legacy versions of Unity successfully resolved this? Could you share your experience? Any guidance on how to proceed would be immensely helpful. Thank you for your support!

I can't pass rule 4.3b. I'm practicing horoscope. How do you think I should proceed? Is it possible to publish this application?

Dear App Review Team, Our app – Apple ID 6749515097 has been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” status for more than 1 month (since October 14, 2025). Normally, reviews begin within a few days, but in our case, it seems unusually delayed. Could you please investigate and help with this. Thank you very much for your time and assistance.