Hello, I am looking for a better understanding of Guideline 1.4.2, which states that "Drug dosage calculators" must be developed by drug manufacturers, hospitals, universities, or other approved entities. My main question is: What is Apple’s exact definition of a "Drug Dosage Calculator"? - Does the term exclusively refer to apps that calculate dosage (dose, interval, and treatment duration)? - Are apps that do not make clinical decisions, but only display bibliographic references based on user-entered data, also considered Drug Dosage Calculators? - If an app only performs basic mathematical operations on a dose value entered by the user, without suggesting medications or treatments, does it still fall under this restriction? I would like to better understand how Apple differentiates a medical support app (which only presents data) from a dosage calculator (which makes clinical decisions). I appreciate any insights from the community!

Hi, Since last week, I’ve been trying to publish the new version of my Voxel game, which aims to fix many bugs and significantly optimize the game. This update is very important for improving the overall quality of the game. Unfortunately, this version is not being accepted on the App Store due to a Design - Copycats issue related to guideline 4.1. I’ve tried everything to resolve the problem by changing the screenshots, app preview, description, game name, icons, and even all metadata that could cause issues in the build. But nothing seems to work. I keep receiving the same rejection just a few minutes after submitting my build for review. Here is the full warning message: —————— “Guideline 4.1 - Design - Copycats This app or its metadata appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app or game already available on the App Store, from a developer's website or distribution source, or from a third-party platform. Apps should be unique and should not attempt to deceive users into thinking they are downloading something they are not.” Next Steps Learn more about requirements to prevent apps from impersonating other apps or services in guideline 4.1. Revise the app to comply with these requirements. Once the app is fully compliant, resubmit the app for review. —————— Also I've already tried contaction the Apple Developer team but I got no answer. I don't know what to do. Thanks

I'm hoping that others may be able to assist with my first app submission. **Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness Issue Description** The app still exhibited one or more bugs that would negatively impact App Store users. Bug description: The app did not load its content. Review device details: Device type: iPad Air (5th generation) OS version: iPadOS 18.3.1 The app pulls in a website embedded to allow them to login to their accounts/place orders. I've tested it on multiple physical devices and using the simulator. It works fine and loads without any issues. The review team would not give me any other information or support to help get this app approved. Any help would be appreciated.

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?

Recently, my app was deactivated due to guideline 3.2f, and not only the app but also my account is at risk of being deactivated. After reading the guidelines, we disagree with the pre-judgment made by Apple. During the review process, we addressed EVERY point requested by the review team by correcting the issues. We submitted a new bundle to fix the problems we had with app distribution and ad performance. The first bundle sent was removed after being published on the store for a few months; this was our MVP—a simple and unattractive app that was meant to be improved in the future. Then we launched two other bundles; one of them was canceled and we continued with another bundle to adjust problems we had with Firebase and some libraries. In the screenshot below, it is possible to see the other apps that were supposed to be "deleted," since Apple itself does not allow the deletion of these apps—I do not know why. After we submitted the third bundle to address Apple’s requests and attempted to publish our app, it was approved but exactly 4 days later it was denied and removed from the store, and our developer account was threatened with deletion. We did not commit any fraud in any step of the Apple process; all the steps for an app to be inserted into the store were followed. Our app is a social network that requires location access and permissions—all of which have been configured, implemented, and are requested when the app is opened. We have ads; however, they are completely valid because they are real companies that pay to advertise in our app, and all we do is direct the user to a company’s page when they click on an ad. Our social network includes reporting tools, blocking, unblocking, encryption with locations, among several other best security practices—even our login is SSO. I tried to file an appeal, but Apple’s website itself is broken and the provided link does not allow any kind of appeal. Our app was called Find-u until we secured the patent, and we have the legal right to use this name in Brazil. We also have a company and have started the process of migrating the account from an individual to a corporate account. I would like a response, some guidance. We can prove in many ways that we have done nothing fraudulent, and we are prepared to take legal action for all the trouble that the review team is putting us through. The first version of our app had more than 200 users in the database, and this third version, which resulted in our account being canceled, has infinitely better features and prettier screens than the MVP. It simply does not make sense to cancel our account; if the app presents any defect, we will fix it just as we did before so that it can be approved. CNPJ: 52.070.419/0001-13

Hi everyone, I’m an indie developer and recently published our first app on the App Store. It was an exciting milestone, but on April 4, 2025, after the app had been live for about 1–2 weeks and one update had been pushed, we received a notice from Apple stating that our app had been removed from the store and that our developer account is scheduled for termination within a month. Understandably, this was incredibly alarming—but we stayed calm, carefully read through the allegations, and tried to handle the situation with patience and professionalism. The reason given was: App submissions from your account have engaged in concept or feature switch schemes to evade the review process, such as dynamically populating different app content after review, submitting apps with hidden features, repeatedly submitting misleading apps, and/or submitting apps with concrete references to content that you are not authorized to provide or is otherwise not appropriate for the App Store. This was cited as a violation of Section 3.2(f) of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. We were accused of dynamically changing game content after review, but we do not have the capability to do anything like that. The game has stayed exactly as it was when submitted, and the single update we pushed included only the changes listed in the “What’s New” section. They also mentioned hidden features. While we don’t hide anything, our game does include progression-based unlocks (such as new upgrade cards or mechanics unlocked as you play). We believe this is standard for many games, and we’ve explained this in our appeal. We also addressed another possible issue—some light pop culture jokes in push notifications—which we are more than happy to remove immediately if they were deemed inappropriate. We’re not here to argue or avoid accountability. If we’ve made any mistakes, we’re more than willing to correct them. But terminating the entire account for a first-time submission, without any discussion or specific feedback, feels incredibly harsh—especially for a small team trying to break into the industry. We submitted an appeal to the App Review Board over a week ago but have not received any response or update since then. So I’m posting here in the hopes of catching someone’s attention—whether that’s Apple or anyone in the community who’s been through something similar and can advise. I know the $99 annual fee might not be a huge deal for many developers, but for someone just starting out, it represents more than money—it’s a foot in the door. I’m not looking for sympathy, just a chance to make things right, follow the rules properly, and keep building on the platform I admire. Thank you for reading, and I truly hope someone can help guide us on the next steps. Best, Veekshith Kolanupaka

Hi everyone, I’m using StoreKit 2 with .storeButton(.visible, for: .policies) inside my SubscriptionStoreView. The buttons appear correctly, but when tapped, a sheet opens that says “Terms of Service Unavailable” or “Something went wrong. Try again.” I’ve already added the required URLs (Privacy Policy and Terms of Use) in App Store Connect under App Information, but they still don’t show in the sheet. Does anyone know how this is supposed to work? • Are the URLs pulled directly from App Store Connect? • Do they only appear correctly in production? • Or do we need to manually set them in code for testing/TestFlight? Any insight would be greatly appreciated — just want to make sure everything is in place before submitting for review. Thanks!

Hello Developer Community, I'm encountering a persistent issue with app rejections related to iPad compatibility, even after explicitly removing iPad as a supported device family in my Xcode project for the latest submission (Version 1.0.1, Build 11). The Apple Review team continues to test on iPad devices (specifically an iPad Air 5th generation running iPadOS 18.4.1) and rejects the build under Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness, citing a login issue with demo credentials that leaves the app stuck on the login page. In my previous submission and subsequent resubmission, I clearly targeted only iPhone in the Xcode project settings (Target -> General -> Deployment Info -> Devices: iPhone). I also confirmed that the "Targeted Device Families" setting reflects only iPhone. Despite these changes, the review team's feedback indicates they are still evaluating the app on an iPad and encountering the same bug. Their response to my clarification about removing iPad support was: "Regarding 2.1, as we mentioned in our previous correspondence, users expect apps they download to function on all the devices where they are available. Since your app may be downloaded onto iPad devices, it is important that it also function as expected for iPad users." This response is confusing, as my intention with the latest build was to explicitly limit availability to iPhones due to unresolved issues on iPads. ** My Questions are: ** 1: Is there any other setting or configuration in Xcode beyond "Targeted Device Families" that I might be missing to ensure the app is only intended for and tested on iPhones for this specific build? 2: Has anyone else experienced a similar situation where the App Review team seems to be testing on devices explicitly excluded in the build settings? If so, how did you resolve it? 3: What are the potential reasons why the app might still be installable or visible on iPads in the App Store despite the Xcode configuration?

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.

I submitted for the first time my app and in app subscription together. do the subscriptions get approved separately? it seems like a loop. in the paywall of my app only for apple its failing to load payments/subscription info which im assuming to be the fact that my in app subscription didn't get approved yet, its currently waiting for review (first time submitting subscription). Meanwhile the app gets rejected multiple times because the reviewer can't seem to go beyond the paywall due to failure to load payments. Is this the similar experience anyone had? Do you have info that'd be helpful to give to the reviewers?

Title: App Rejected (4.3.0 Design Spam) Hi everyone, I need help understanding why my app was rejected with the reason 4.3.0 Design Spam. The explanation from Apple was very generic, and it doesn't really help me figure out how to resolve the issue. It’s a puzzle game we’ve been working on for about 3 years, with completely hand-drawn graphics and 250 manually designed levels created using a custom editor built specifically for Mac. We haven’t used any automatically generated assets or recycled content from other apps. This is an Alpha version but fully playable—we’re using it to test retention and gameplay, not monetization. We’ve already tried contacting Apple’s support team, but we haven’t received any response so far. The same thing happened about a month ago with a penalty kick game we developed using SpriteKit specifically for Apple Watch. That game was also rejected with the same reason, and again, we weren’t able to understand why or get in touch with support for clarification. In that case, I wondered if the problem was either the simplicity of the game (even though it was fully coded from scratch and had hand-drawn graphics by our designer), or because that game was initially uploaded by an external freelancer to his account for testing purposes on TestFlight (but he never actually published the app). Has anyone experienced something similar or has any advice on how to clarify this situation with Apple? Is it possible to request a more detailed review or get in touch with someone at Apple to understand where the real issue might be? Thanks so much to anyone who can help me out!

My app / subscription gets rejected with the following: Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness We have returned your in-app purchase products to you as the required binary was not submitted. When you are ready to submit the binary, please resubmit the in-app purchase products with the binary. and Your first subscription must be submitted with a new app version. Create your subscription, then select it from the app’s In-App Purchases and Subscriptions section on the version page before submitting the version to App Review. Once your binary has been uploaded and your first subscription has been submitted for review, additional subscriptions can be submitted from the Subscriptions section. Learn More ...ive tried all kinds. I archive a new build, upload it, update the app information top show new build so it ties in...and still nothing works. it is incredible frustrating. Can anyone help please. Ive wasted days on this

I have been spending countless amounts of time making sure my application abides by the rules laid out by Apple App Guidelines. Most recently I got this rejection from App Review: _**Guideline 3.1.1 - Business - Payments - In-App Purchase ** The app includes an account registration feature for businesses and organizations, which is considered access to external mechanisms for purchases or subscriptions to be used in the app. **Next Steps ** Remove the account registration features for business and organizations._ After asking for the review to clarify what they mean they said: _"Regarding guideline 3.1.1, users were still able to create an entirely independent business account, when they create a new account without the invite code. To resolve this issue, it would be appropriate to remove the account registration features for business and organizations."_ But the problem is that There are no different account types in our app. ALL users create company accounts - there is no individual vs business distinction. Users either join existing companies (with invite codes) or create new companies (without invite codes), but the account type is identical in both cases. I think the App Review has a problem that I am using the word "Company" during registration but users do not sign up business accounts. they are all the same. there are MANAGER users and MEMBER users. Managers can upgrade and they MUST use Apple's IAP to upgrade (I have it set up so there's no other way they can upgrade without using Apple's IAP). Members are just assigned to Manager teams/company/organization (what ever you want to call the group). I think they are getting completely hung up on the word when in reality it's fine. Any help here? Please this has been going on for weeks. I am happy to meet with Support too.

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 Apple Review： I submitted my app on May 15th, and two weeks later, the app was still in the pending review status. So on May 28th, I deleted the app and resubmitted it. I resubmitted my app on May 29th, and as of today, June 21st, the app is still in the pending review status. I submitted another app in June, which has already been reviewed and is now live on the store, but this particular app remains in the pending review status.During the review period, I also emailed multiple times for inquiries, but I have not received any feedback yet. I would greatly appreciate it if you could look into the status of my submision and provide any updates or guidance regarding the next steps. Thank you for your time and supportl Best regards.

Dear Apple Developer Community, I'm reaching out in desperation after 50+ days of inexplicable delays for my app "JPG to PDF: Smallpdf Drive". Here's my timeline: April 24: Entered "In Review" (14 days) May 16: Canceled/re-submitted after no progress May 29: New build submitted → "Ready for Review" (18+ days and counting) June 5 & June 12: Apple Support confirmed delays (Cases #102582876314, #102614832873) but took no action Critical facts: • Violates Apple's stated 24-48hr review policy • Contains urgent bug fixes for paying users • Support now threatening to ignore future expedite requests Has anyone else faced 2+ month delays? Any advice beyond: ✓ 5+ support tickets ✓ 3 "escalations" ✓ Countless hours wasted? This is destroying my indie developer business. @AppleEmployees - please advise.

Dear Apple Review Team, Greetings! We are a growing development team, and our recently submitted app “VIVA LIVE” (App ID: 6450330971) has been in “Waiting for Review” status for more than 13 days. As a small business, this application is crucial to our current operational goals and represents the collective effort and expectations of our entire team. We fully understand and respect the rigorous and complex nature of Apple’s review process, and we are ready to cooperate with any required changes or improvements. However, the extended review time has begun to impact our launch schedule and has put significant pressure on our developers. We therefore kindly ask whether there might be any questions or issues with our submission that we could address or clarify to help move the review forward. We sincerely hope you can give our request some attention so that we may bring our product to users as soon as possible and showcase the hard work we have invested. We greatly appreciate your time and look forward to your feedback. Thank you very much. Best regards, Entity Name: NEXTORN PTE. LTD Team ID: QJGHYXFBCL App Name: VIVA LIVE App ID: 6450330971

Its been over a month for 3 of my Apps still waiting for review (2 of them are already listed on App Store and the other 1 is new). I wrote to the support the situation and asked for the reason, but still no response. What could be the reason and what should I do ?

Hello everyone, My app Survey Cash was recently rejected from the App Store during a new update submission, based on Guideline 5.1.2(i) - Legal - Privacy - Data Use and Sharing. The reason given was that the primary purpose of the app is to encourage users to perform digital tasks in exchange for compensation, watch ads, and/or engage in other marketing-oriented activities — which, according to the reviewer, is not appropriate. However, the app has been published on the App Store for nearly a year, and no significant changes have been made to its concept or core functionality since it was initially approved. In addition, there are many other apps currently available on the App Store with the exact same concept and mechanics, which makes this rejection even more confusing. I’d like to know if anyone in the community has experienced a similar situation and was able to resolve it. Are there any practical suggestions on how to reframe or present the app's purpose in a way that aligns with this guideline? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

An update to my app has been rejected under Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness, citing that only a blank screen appeared on launch. I cannot recreate this bug. I have, on this exact device and iOS version that the reviewer used (iPhone 13 mini, iOS 18.5): Downloaded the app from TestFlight and successfully launched Launched in release mode Launched as a new install AND as an upgrade Launched with no internet, good internet and slow internet I have asked the reviewer for any crash logs and more detail about the testing setup that led to this blank screen on launch, and no extra information was provided at all, just another screenshot of the launch screen. Where do I go from here? Any advice would be hugely appreciated.