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.

I'm currently working on an OSX app that requires a user to have Spotify installed. (If the user doesn't have Spotify, the app will still run–it will just be useless) It seems like this sort of thing is allowed because I see plenty of apps in the Mac App Store that use Spotify, but do I need to make any special notes of this in my app submission to make sure it's approved?

Hello, My new app has remained in the "Waiting for Review" status for an extended period. I initially submitted it on January 23, 2026. After several days without any progress, I submitted an inquiry on January 27 but have not yet received a response. On February 1, I canceled and resubmitted the app, wondering if there might have been an issue with the review queue, but it still remains in the "Waiting for Review" state. I had scheduled my marketing activities based on the typical review timeframe, but since the review has not started and there is no indication of how much longer the wait will be, it has been difficult to adjust my plans accordingly. If anyone has experienced a similar issue and managed to resolve it, I would greatly appreciate any insights you could share. Thank you for your time, and I hope you have a great day.

Hi, Apple developer community We’re launching our first app and we’re really excited (and honestly a bit anxious) about the review process. From the start, we used the Notes section to proactively answer any questions we could think of — including how the app works and complete test credentials. The first review took 3 days, and then we were asked for additional documentation. We provided everything within a couple of hours, and we also re-shared the same key information from Notes to make it easier for the reviewer. Then another 3 days passed (which feels very long to us), and we received the exact same rejection again. It really seems like the reviewer isn’t reading our response or the Notes section. We can also see that they aren’t logging into the test account for some reason. We’ve replied again with a detailed explanation, but it feels like we’re stuck in a strange loop of rejections. What would you do in this situation? Why might a reviewer be overlooking the information even when it’s clearly provided both in Notes and in our reply? We’re building a genuinely useful product and we’re very concerned about what’s happening here.

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?

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?

Dear App Review Team, Our app – Apple ID 6756967338, has been stuck in the “In Review” status for over 10 days (Jan, 19 at 1:33 PM). Normally, reviews begin within a few days, but in our case, it seems unusually delayed. Could you please clarify: • Is there a specific reason for this hold? • Is any action required from our side? • When can we expect the review to finish? Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

I have an app that is stuck in "Waiting for review" since January 2nd. This will be one month tomorrow as I'm writing this. It's a totally new app, which I guess could take longer than an update to an existing app, but a month seems a bit much. What can I do about this? It seems weird that there isn't some kind of alarm inside the app review team that will catch some app being stuck for this long...

Hi everyone, are you experiencing this issue as well? My app has been stuck in “waiting for review” for about 5 days, and I’m not getting any responses to my tickets. We’ve prepared all our ad campaigns and advertising budgets, but Apple is not responding to the ticket, not pulling the app into review, and not approving it. It’s just stuck like this. Is there no Apple developer employee on the forum who can help?

Hello everyone Hoping for some insights with an issue we're having with our app store review process. Note that this is not a new app, and we've had many successful reviews in the past. We submitted the app for review just over a week ago. We received a timely review about 24 hours later, citing an issue with Apple Pay. We make use of PassKit, but the reviewer could not find where we use Apple Pay in our app. I replied within a few hours with screenshots and videos, as it is quite easy to find where we use Apple Pay. Since then, we haven't received any feedback at all. I tried resubmitting a new build after 4 day,s and that is also sitting unreviewed for a while now. We've got features and bug fixes that were supposed to go out in this release, but we are now blocked on them. Is there anything we can do?

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some guidance regarding the App Store review process. We submitted our app Desteno (iOS version 1.0.1) for review for the fifth time on Tuesday, and as of Saturday, it has been more than four days. The app is still not live on the App Store, and we haven’t received any update, rejection, or message from the App Review team. We understand that review times can vary, but this delay after multiple submissions is a bit unclear for us. There are no pending messages or requests visible in App Store Connect. Has anyone else experienced a similar delay recently? Is there any recommended next step—such as contacting App Review through Resolution Center or waiting longer? Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. — Kartikey (Desteno)

Hi everyone, Just wanted to ask if anyone else has noticed longer-than-normal review times recently. Our latest app has been sitting in “In Review” for more than a week now. Normally our apps get reviewed much faster, so we’re unsure if this is just a backlog or something else. Currently: No communication from Apple No visible issues in metadata Review status hasn’t changed Curious to know: • Are others seeing similar delays? • Does this usually mean a deeper/manual review? • When should we reach out to Apple? • How do you usually contact App Review for status checks? Would love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

Dear App Review Team, Our app – Apple ID 6754872058 has been stuck in the “In Review” status for over 7 days (since Jan, 15 at 10:44 PM). Normally, reviews begin within a few days, but in our case, it seems unusually delayed. Could you please clarify: • Is there a specific reason for this hold? • Is any action required from our side? • When can we expect the review to finish? Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

I received this message "Your app provides a limited user experience as it is not sufficiently different from a web browsing experience." It needs to be more robust and native. When submitting this the app had: Push Notifications Core Location Phone Contact access So now I am adding: Haptic feedback Quick touch actions A more robust add to calendar function. (the app does scheduling) But is this enough for resubmission? I am not really sure what is considered "robust" and "more native".... that is vague.

Hello! I have a web extension I've written to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. It's made up of simple files. The extension (content.js) A manifest (manifest.json) file which explains the extension The icon (icon.png) Apple has developed App Store Connect / Xcode Cloud specifically for this. I upload those three files as a zip. I move it over to TestFlight for testing and then select Distribution to put it through Apple Review. This is my entire process. I have been doing this for 4+ months and Apple reviewed my application and put it up. I have then gone through 13 subsequent reviews (ALL POSITIVE) and have gone through version upgrades for months, no issue. On the 15th review, they want me to change the name of my application. I have done that in the content.js, the manifest.json, and anywhere that allows me to change it in App Store Connect. There is apparently one more place they want it changed. This is on the App Information / General Information tab, specifically the "BundleID". The tip on that field says: The bundle ID must match the one you used in Xcode. It can't be changed after you upload your first build. Or, I am not understanding what their issue is or what else I can change. I was told by Review team I must use XCODE to change this. I tell them I don't use XCode (they demand now I use Xcode, which seems completely irrelevant here and a red herring The tooltip itself says I can't change it anyway? Has anyone been told after they released their application they have to change their name later on in life?

Hello Apple Developer Community, It's been almost a week since I submitted an update to an existing In-App Purchase and specifically a text change to the "Display Name" field. All my new localized strings are stuck in "Waiting for Review" status, and the IAP itself shows "Updates Pending Review" (although its status is "Approved"). Do I need to submit a new app version for these metadata changes to be reviewed, even though the IAP was previously approved? Thanks in advance for any insight.

Hey, everyone! I've been trying to publish a new version of my app but it's been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over 2 weeks now. Previous review processes were really swift (even during the holiday season). Has anyone experienced this issue? I've seen a couple of similar posts here. Any help or guidance will be much appreciated. Best, Wadi

Hello everyone, I wanted to check if anyone else has experienced longer App Review delays recently. Our recent app submission has been in the “In Review” status for more than 7 days (since Jan 15, 10:44 PM). In our previous submissions, reviews usually started or completed within a few days, so this delay feels unusual. Current situation: No messages or rejection notes from Apple No metadata or compliance issues flagged Status remains “In Review” without updates I’d appreciate guidance from the community: • Is this type of delay normal these days? • Could this indicate a manual or extended review? • At what point should we contact App Review directly? • What is the best way to contact App Store / App Review support regarding a stuck review? If anyone has faced a similar delay and can share their experience or advice, it would be very helpful. Thank you in advance for your help.

Hello, I’m posting here in hopes of getting some help or advice regarding our app submission, which has now been stuck in “Waiting for Review” status for 45 days. We submitted our iOS app on Dec 12, 2025, and since then there has been no movement in the review process. This app is important for our business. The delay is now starting to affect our plans significantly. We called Developer Support, hoping to get some clarity or assistance. Unfortunately, the responses we received were generic and didn’t provide any concrete solutions or timelines. We understand the review process can take time, but 45 days with no progress or transparency feels excessive—especially considering the app was submitted under a developer account that has had previous successful submissions without issue. Here’s a quick summary: • Initial submission: Dec 12, 2025 • Current status: “Waiting for Review” If anyone from the App Review team happens to see this, or if any fellow developers have deal with a similar issue recently and have advice, we would greatly appreciate your insights. This delay is putting real pressure on our timeline, and we’re doing everything we can to resolve it. Thank you for your time and support.

We aim to enable virtual goods payment on WeChat Mini Program. Now that we have learned that iOS has opened the "Mini Apps Partner Program", I would like to know how to invoke the iOS payment API on the Mini Program, and what actions we need to take.

Hello everyone, I’m a developer working for a client company, and I’m trying to publish an iOS app from their Apple Developer account. The app is 100% original and fully developed by me and my team (no templates, no third-party source code reuse, no republished app). During development, I previously uploaded internal test builds of the same project to my personal Apple Developer account for testing purposes, using a different Bundle ID. Now that we are ready to release, we submitted the app from the client's account, and the submission appears to be blocked/rejected due to similarity/duplicate detection (Design Spam: 4.3.0). My questions: What is the recommended Apple process in this situation? Is App Transfer required/expected even if the previous builds on my account were only for internal testing and never publicly released? If App Transfer is not applicable, what is the best way to document that this is the same original app, now being published under the client’s account (authorization/ownership)? Does removing/deleting the test app/builds from my personal account help at all, or is it better to leave history as-is and only provide an explanation to App Review? Any guidance from developers who faced a similar issue (or from Apple engineers) would be really appreciated. Thank you.