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.

Here are some tips from App Review for a smooth review experience. We’ve split them into two categories: Before You Submit and After You Submit. We’ve also made an easy-to-follow Submission Guide you can save and reference at any point on your App Store journey. Before You Submit Tips Enable a complete review. Make sure you’ve provided demo accounts or implemented an account demonstration mode before you submit. We’ll need to review the entire app experience, both with and without an account. Provide up-to-date demo account login credentials in the App Review Information section on the app version page in App Store Connect. If your app has multiple account types (such as admin and general users), use the Notes field to provide additional demo account credentials for each account type. If your app requires an authentication code in addition to the login credentials, provide the code in advance in the Notes field. Otherwise, a call may be required to complete the review. Apps that handle sensitive user information, or operate in highly regulated industries, can implement demonstration modes that exhibit full features and functionality while using demonstration data. Use the Notes field in App Store Connect to provide information to App Review. The App Review Information section of App Store Connect includes a Notes field. Provide any information that could be relevant to your submission’s review: Submitting a new app? Tell us about your app's concept, business model, and if your app is designed to only operate in certain locations. Submitting an update? Tell us about what’s changed and where to locate significant new content or features. Connecting to hardware? Attach a video, not a screen recording, that shows both the hardware and the app running on a physical Apple device as they pair and interact. Test your app on physical devices before submitting for review. Use TestFlight to distribute your app for beta testing. App Review evaluates apps the way your users will use them: installed on real devices and connected to networks with real-world conditions. Make sure your pre-submission testing includes running the app on each device platform where it could be used. Users expect the app to function on all the devices where it’s available. TestFlight will help you do quality assurance and beta testing on real devices. Share your beta app with internal testers on your Apple Developer Program account or to external users via an email invite or public link. Configure In-App Purchases for review in the sandbox environment. App Review assesses In-App Purchases in the same sandbox environment Apple provides for testing them. The sandbox lets us use real product data and server-to-server transactions, without incurring any financial charges. Take these steps to prepare your In-App Purchases for review: Accept the Paid Applications Agreement in App Store Connect. Submit the In-App Purchases in App Store Connect that you’d like reviewed. Follow the steps in TN3186: Troubleshooting In-App Purchases availability in the sandbox if your app fails to display your In-App Purchases. Note: In-App Purchases don’t need prior approval from App Review to function in review. Join a Meet with Apple event if you need assistance before you submit for review. Request an App Review appointment through Meet with Apple to chat with an App Review expert about how to prepare for review, ask questions about specific guidelines, and discuss other topics related to the review process. Appointments are subject to availability during your local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After You Submit Tips Contact App Review if you need assistance with an ongoing submission. If your submission doesn’t pass review and you have questions, contact App Review directly by clicking Reply to App Review in App Store Connect. You’ll receive a reply from a review specialist who’s familiar with your app. You can also use the Reply to App Review message window to request a call with an Apple representative. Include your preferred time and language for the call and we’ll do our best to accommodate your requests. Use the Bug Fix Submissions process to quickly deliver bug fixes and resolve other issues on the next submission. If an update includes bug fixes and is rejected, you will be given the option to resolve the issues on your next submission, as long as there are no legal or safety concerns. App Review will let you know if your submission is eligible by including this note at the top of the rejection message: Bug Fix Submissions The issues we've identified below are eligible to be resolved on your next update. To accept this offer, simply reply to the rejection message in App Store Connect and let App Review know you’ll resolve the issues on the next submission. Share ideas with Apple about how to improve or clarify the App Review Guidelines by submitting guideline feedback. Just as the App Store is always changing and improving to keep up with the needs of customers, the App Review Guidelines may be revised to provide new and updated guidance. If you have ideas for improving or clarifying our requirements you can suggest guideline changes. If your submission was rejected but you believe it follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board. If your submission didn’t pass review but you have reason to believe it follows the App Review Guidelines, you can submit an appeal to the App Review Board. You can also file an appeal if you think we misunderstood your app or the review was unfair. The App Review Board will contact you as soon as they complete their investigation.

Apple platforms make it easy to distribute your app to a variety of compatible devices, so it’s important to maximize your app experience on each platform you support. Here are some tips from App Review to help you understand how device compatibility impacts your app’s distribution — and how to make sure your apps shine on every platform they’re on. Understand device compatibility There are many ways an app built for one Apple device can run on other Apple devices: Apps designed for iPhone can run on iPad devices in compatibility mode if there are no dependencies on iPhone device capabilities. Compatible iPhone and iPad apps can run unmodified on Macs with Apple Silicon. Compatible iPhone and iPad apps can run unmodified on Apple Vision Pro. Xcode provides options to configure settings for apps on multiple platforms. You can specify which platforms your app’s target supports in the Supported Destination field. However, it’s important to note: People may still be able to run your app on a device even if you remove it or don't include it as a Supported Destination in Xcode. For example, as long as an app designed for iPhone doesn’t depend on a capability that’s only available on iPhone, it can be downloaded from the App Store onto iPad. Adding or removing iPad as a Supported Destination in Xcode won’t change that app’s availability on iPad. To view examples of cases where it's appropriate to restrict availability, see Restrict device distribution below. Follow compatibility best practices 1. Plan and test for compatibility modes so your app works on every device where it can be downloaded. Do: Use Xcode simulators to verify basic functionality across different device types. Leverage TestFlight with external testers who have access to a wide range of Apple devices. Don't: Don’t submit for review without testing your app’s behavior in compatibility modes. Don’t assume removing a supported destination in Xcode prevents distribution to that device type. 2. Build adaptive interfaces that work across device variations. Do: Build interfaces that respond to different screen sizes and orientations. Adapt features based on available hardware, providing alternatives for a consistent experience. Don't: Don’t design rigid interfaces that assume only one type of device or input method. Don’t let your app crash or become unusable when optional hardware is unavailable. Restrict device distribution Wherever possible, it’s best to make your app available on multiple platforms to increase its reach and provide people with a consistent experience across devices. But there are cases where it does makes sense to restrict an app’s availability. For example: iPhone apps that rely on iPhone-specific hardware won’t function as expected on iPad. Use the UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key in the information property list file to specify hardware dependencies. Note: Apps should only use the UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key for genuine hardware dependencies, not to indicate distribution preferences. Navigation- or camera-based apps are not well suited for visionOS. Learn more about managing availability of iPhone and iPad apps on Apple Vision Pro. Apps that rely heavily on touch inputs that can’t be replicated on a keyboard are not well suited for macOS. Learn more about restricting distribution to Apple Silicon devices. Learn more about how to configure multiplatform apps in Xcode. Support If you need more assistance, explore these support options: 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 through Meet with Apple. Appointments are available during local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you believe your app follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board.

Hi, My app submission has been waiting for review for an unusually long time after submission. This update is very important for us because it is related to payments. At the moment, a payment-related issue is preventing us from properly collecting revenue, so this is becoming a critical problem for our business. I submitted a request for an expedited review, but so far I have not received any action or update. I do not use the expedited review option often - only when there is a genuinely critical issue that needs to be resolved quickly. Could someone from Apple advise whether this waiting time is normal, or if there is anything I should check or do on my side? I can provide the Submission ID privately if needed. Thank you.

Hello App Review Team, I am following up on my earlier post about our app (App ID: 6761247061), as our situation has unfortunately not improved. Our app was finally reviewed on May 22 and rejected under Guideline 2.1(a). We resolved the issue on the same day and resubmitted, but the resubmission has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" again for several business days with no progress. Due to these repeated delays, we have been unable to release a new version of our app to our users for nearly three weeks. If there is anything we are missing, or any issue with our submission that we should address, we sincerely ask for your guidance. We are fully committed to complying with the Review Guidelines and resolving any concerns you may have. Any guidance from your team would mean so much to us. Thank you so much for your time and patience.

Hello, My app was submitted for review last week, but it is still showing the status Waiting for Review and has not moved into the review process yet. App details: App ID: 6751946791 Current status: Waiting for Review Submission time: Last week Additional context: Due to a time-sensitive launch schedule, I have submitted several expedited review requests, but the app status has not changed. I would like to ask: Could submitting multiple expedited review requests affect the normal review queue or delay the review process? Does staying in Waiting for Review for this long indicate any possible issue with the submission, metadata, account status, or review queue? If further follow-up is needed, should I contact the App Review team through the App Review contact form? Any guidance from Apple or developers with similar experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello Apple App Review Team, I am writing to urgently request your assistance regarding our application 'Kavra'. We are facing a critical situation that is heavily impacting our entire launch roadmap and user base. To give you the timeline: we initially submitted the app for review on April 30th. After waiting for two full weeks without any updates or status changes, we assumed there might be a technical stall in the review pipeline. Consequently, we canceled the submission and resubmitted the app on May 14th. Today is May 27th, and the application has been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status for another 13 days. In total, we have been locked in the review queue for nearly a month. This prolonged delay has completely frozen our development cycle and disrupted our time-sensitive marketing plans. We have thoroughly audited our app against all App Store Review Guidelines and confirm 100% compliance. There should be no blockers from our end. If you require any additional information, test accounts, or documentation to move this forward, please let me know immediately. We kindly request you to look into our account for any technical glitches and expedite the review process. Thank you very much for your time, understanding, and support. Sincerely, [Bora Çoban]

My app "Fun Games - Mini Offline Games" (ID: 6761358642) has been in "Waiting for Review" for over a month. Apple Support told me on May 19 it was being expedited, but there's been no change for 8 days since. This is delaying our marketing campaign and causing financial loss. Could the App Review team please investigate or reach out? Thank you.

Hi everyone, We are experiencing a bizarre issue with one of our apps, BLOKX. Here is the quick timeline: March 26: First submission. No status change for 2 weeks. We canceled and resubmitted. April 27: Still zero movement. We updated our SDK and submitted again on May 15. On the exact same day, we submitted other app from our developer account. It got reviewed and approved. Only BLOKX gets completely ignored. May 20: Suspecting a technical glitch with the specific App ID, we created a brand new App ID and submitted BLOKX as a completely fresh app. Today (May 27): Still stuck in "Waiting for Review" with zero movement. The Support Loop: We have already contacted Apple Support multiple times regarding the old App ID (Case ID: 102871846091 and Case ID: 102875670447). The replies we are getting are incredibly frustrating and factually incorrect. Support keeps replying with a generic template stating that the app “was just submitted today” (matching the exact date of their email reply), completely ignoring the weeks it spent waiting. When we replied back with actual screenshots of our timeline and submission history proving otherwise, they simply copy-pasted the exact same response a few days later, just changing the date to the current day. • App name: BLOKX • Platform: iOS • Current status: Waiting for Review • Total waiting time: Almost 2 months (across both IDs) • Old App ID: 6761107868 • Current App ID: 6771268940 Has anyone faced something similar recently? How did you get Apple to notice? If any Apple engineering or forum moderator can check whether our submission is stuck in the review queue or if any action is required from our side, it would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

Hi all — looking for any escalation path for two production-impacting submissions currently stuck in WAITING_FOR_REVIEW. Both apps' live App Store versions are broken for 100% of users; the submissions contain minimal, scope-limited fixes (no new APIs, entitlements, data collection, or UI). The Android equivalents are already live and verified working. MeetingMind: AI Note Taker (Apple ID 6757317991) — v6.1.2 / build 49, submission ID f88195d3-6c35-4e6d-a7a9-6f34b44bf0e7. Waiting since 2026-05-24 (3+ days). Bug: outbound phone calls fail to relay audio from the called party to the caller. Fix: ~5 lines in VoipService.swift. ReadAloudAI: Voice Reader (Apple ID 6757346255) — v7.9.1 / build 38, submission ID 21f4510f-4690-4d15-b559-437f89e037ca. Waiting since 2026-05-26. Bug: backend Cloud Run URLs retired, text-to-speech (core feature) fails for all users on v7.9 and earlier. Fix: configuration-only URL migration to Fly.io. Already done: expedited review filed via the contact form earlier today (no acknowledgment), email to appreview apple.com, Notes for App Review updated with reproduction + verification steps. Has anyone had success with another escalation channel in similar situations? Any Apple staff who could take a look would be deeply appreciated.

Hi there, We are facing an unusually long review delay for our iOS app submission. Our app has been in “Waiting for Review” status for almost 1 week， without any update or movement. We have already request for Expedited Review

Hi App Review Team, I wanted to follow up on the review status of our app, pipp money. Our submission went in on May 15 and came back rejected on May 22 (after a week long). We worked through the feedback right away, applied the fixes, and sent the updated build back for review, where it's now waiting. I've reached out to support a few times about this already but haven't heard back, so I'm hoping to get some clarity through this channel. The main issue on our side is that we haven't been able to get a new version out to our users since May 9, and the ongoing delay keeps holding things up for us. If there's anything you need from us to move this along, I'm glad to send it over straight away, and I'm happy to clarify any part of the submission. Really appreciate your help. App Pipp Money, Apple ID 6766039759

What is the amount of time that the app review board takes to respond to an appeal? My app was rejected on May 4th and I submitted my appeal to the review board on May 12th. I am just curious if there is a general timeframe, if I need to reach out to support or what the best course of action should be?

Is it normal for an app to wait for review for more than a 7 days? Never happened to me before, but this is getting too frustrating now.

Hello Apple App Review Team, I am writing to urgently request your assistance. We have a strict, immovable launch deadline for our app on June 4. We initially submitted the app for review on May 15 and waited for 6 days without any response. Believing something might have gone wrong with the submission system, we self-rejected the binary, made a minor update, and resubmitted it on May 21. The app is currently still stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status. This launch is utterly important to us, and we absolutely cannot miss this deadline. If there is any additional information, documentation, or action required on our end to help expedite this process, please let me know immediately. Thank you very much for your time and support. Best regards, Pattaragorn (Phi) Xian Chiang

Hello everyone, I need help understanding what's happening with my app, Driving Theory UK Test 2026 (App ID: 6760669990). There's a concerning pattern in my submission history that I can't explain. Here's what happened: May 5 at 2:40 PM → Submitted → Sat in queue for 7 days → Made updates to app & metadata → Resubmitted on May 12 May 12 at 6:30 PM → Resubmitted → Sat in queue for 6 days → Made further updates to app & metadata → Resubmitted again on May 18 May 18 at 11:56 AM → Current submission → Now stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over a week with no change So each time it sat waiting, I made improvements based on potential issues I could identify. I updated the app code, refined metadata, improved descriptions, adjusted screenshots—essentially addressing anything that could have been problematic. But now the current submission has been in "Waiting for Review" for over a week with no progress, no feedback, no indication of what might be wrong. I'm genuinely confused: Why does each submission sit for days before requiring resubmission? What's causing the delays if there's no rejection message or warning? Is there a hidden issue in the guidelines I'm missing? Is there something specific about this app that's preventing it from entering actual review? Will the current submission follow the same pattern? What I've verified: App meets all App Store Review Guidelines No metadata errors or warnings in App Store Connect Screenshots, descriptions, and assets all properly formatted App functionality tested thoroughly Contacted Apple Support (still awaiting response) This is an educational app for UK learner drivers preparing for their theory tests. The repeated delays are affecting our launch timeline significantly. Has anyone experienced this before? Any insights or advice would be genuinely appreciated. Thanks,

I'm a solo developer and fairly new to the App Store process.

Hi Apple, I hope you are doing well. I am posting here regarding our app, [Poker Reflex] (6761329446: [6761329446]), which has been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” state since [Friday 22th 2026]. We fully understand that App Review times can vary depending on workload and internal processes. However, in our case, the app has remained in this status for several days without any visible progress, update, rejection, metadata issue, or request for additional information. At the moment: No rejection message has been received No metadata issue is shown in App Store Connect No compliance or permission request appears to be pending No additional information has been requested from our side The app simply remains in “Waiting for Review” This is becoming a real concern for us because the delay is now significantly affecting our release planning and business timeline. We have carefully prepared the submission, reviewed the App Store Review Guidelines, and ensured that all required assets, metadata, permissions, and compliance information were provided. What concerns us most is that there seems to be no action or movement at all, which makes us wonder whether the submission may be stuck in the review queue or blocked by an unseen issue. We would sincerely appreciate any guidance from Apple or the developer community regarding: Whether this type of delay is currently common Whether there is any way to confirm that the app is properly queued for review Whether there may be an invisible issue preventing the review from starting Whether this can be escalated or checked by the App Review team We are fully available to provide any additional information or make immediate changes if something is required from our side. Any help, advice, or update would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. [Alexis / Poker Reflex Team]

Hi everyone, We are facing an unusually long review delay for our iOS app submission. Our app has been in “Waiting for Review” status for almost 2 weeks now, with no update or movement. We had planned our official launch for 21 May 2026, but the launch date has already passed because the app is still not reviewed/approved. We have already contacted Apple Developer Support and requested assistance, but the status has not changed so far. For context: • App name: SuperWomen • Platform: iOS • Current status: Waiting for Review • Waiting time: Almost 2 weeks • Planned launch date affected: 21 May 2026 • Apple ID: 6759612459 • Case ID: 102898811179 Is anyone else still experiencing unusually long “Waiting for Review” times recently? Also, if Apple Staff can check whether our submission is stuck in the review queue or if any action is required from our side, it would be very helpful. Thank you.

My organization is planning to distribute an application as an Unlisted App, the app is a rebranded Enterprise ServiceNow Mobile. Since this is a PROD version our organization can't provide Test Account and ServiceNow Mobile don't have built-in demo mode. I can't send the current application for AppReview without Test Account and Demo Mode. Do you have any suggestion, how to solve our roadblock.

Hi, My iOS app (MatchLogr) version 1.0 has been approved and is currently in “Pending Developer Release”. Before submitting the app version for review, I created a subscription group and one auto-renewable subscription. I then selected the subscription from the app version’s “In-App Purchases and Subscriptions” section before submitting the app version to App Review. The app version has now been approved, but the subscription and subscription group localizations are still showing “Waiting for Review” almost 12 hours later. Since this is the first subscription for the app, my understanding is that it must be submitted with a new app version, which I believe I did. I’m holding the app release until the subscription is approved, because it is required for the app’s Pro features. Is this delay/status combination normal, or is there any additional action required on my side? Thank you.

Hello, my app have been waiting for review for 7 days. I'd appreciate if anyone can help Please. App ID: 6768517065

Hi, Hi have released a new app on May 12th, that got reviewed and approved fairly fast (3 days after a single iteration for meta data content). On May 15th, I uploaded an update on the app, improving some feedback and user experience on one of the key features of it. I was expecting a similar delay (1-3 days) but it has been 10 already, and I have not had any contact from apple. My app is related with the World Cup, starting in 15 days, and this delay is working against it ... as I cannot market the app properly until it has the desired update. The submission id is 54d8dd83-8988-499e-964f-222ce9bb4cd3 Is there anyway of getting an answer from Apple on the reason why the review is taking so long?