Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

Repeated Guideline 5.6 rejection ("features appear intentionally hidden") with no specifics from App Review — looking for advice
Hi all — hoping someone here has run into this and can point me in the right direction. I'm a solo, independent developer (not a company) submitting my first app, a directory app connecting coaches with vendors for sports equipment/services. I've been rejected three times now under Guideline 5.6 (Developer Code of Conduct), with the exact same wording each time: "We've identified a pattern of unusual behavior with the app that is commonly associated with fraudulent activity. Specifically, the app contains features that appear to have been intentionally hidden during the review process." Here's what I've done in response to each rejection: 1st rejection: I realized I hadn't shown an optional "Upgrade to Pro" feature (an external Stripe checkout link for vendors) in my review demo video, and Apple flagged it as hidden. To comply with Guideline 3.1.1, I removed that feature from the iOS app only, using a flag that checked which platform loaded the page, while leaving it on the website. 2nd rejection: Same 5.6 language again. My best guess was that showing different behavior between the app and the website (based on that platform flag) was itself what looked like "hidden/manipulative" behavior to review, even though my intent was just 3.1.1 compliance. So I removed the feature completely and identically everywhere — no platform-specific code at all anymore, on the app or the website. 3rd rejection: Same exact wording again, even after that fix. I also separately found and fixed an unrelated issue — a footer "Admin" link that was visible to all users (including signed-out visitors) but non-functional unless the account was flagged as admin — in case that was contributing, and hid it for all non-admin accounts. I've replied in the Resolution Center each time explaining my fixes, and on the most recent reply I directly asked the review team to tell me specifically what feature they're seeing as hidden, since I no longer have anything left in the app that I can identify as behaving inconsistently. I got the same templated rejection language back, with no specifics. I'm currently waiting on a callback from Apple Support, but wanted to ask here in the meantime: has anyone dealt with a 5.6 rejection that kept repeating with no specifics, and found a way to get an actual answer on what's being flagged? Is there a more effective way to word a Resolution Center reply, or a different channel (App Review Board appeal, etc.) that actually gets a specific response instead of the same boilerplate? Any advice from anyone who's been through this would be a huge help. Thanks in advance.
0
0
43
8h
Repeated Guideline 5.6 rejection ("features appear intentionally hidden") with no specifics from App Review — looking for advice
Hi all — hoping someone here has run into this and can point me in the right direction. I'm a solo, independent developer (not a company) submitting my first app, a directory app connecting coaches with vendors for sports equipment/services. I've been rejected three times now under Guideline 5.6 (Developer Code of Conduct), with the exact same wording each time: "We've identified a pattern of unusual behavior with the app that is commonly associated with fraudulent activity. Specifically, the app contains features that appear to have been intentionally hidden during the review process." Here's what I've done in response to each rejection: 1st rejection: I realized I hadn't shown an optional "Upgrade to Pro" feature (an external Stripe checkout link for vendors) in my review demo video, and Apple flagged it as hidden. To comply with Guideline 3.1.1, I removed that feature from the iOS app only, using a flag that checked which platform loaded the page, while leaving it on the website. 2nd rejection: Same 5.6 language again. My best guess was that showing different behavior between the app and the website (based on that platform flag) was itself what looked like "hidden/manipulative" behavior to review, even though my intent was just 3.1.1 compliance. So I removed the feature completely and identically everywhere — no platform-specific code at all anymore, on the app or the website. 3rd rejection: Same exact wording again, even after that fix. I also separately found and fixed an unrelated issue — a footer "Admin" link that was visible to all users (including signed-out visitors) but non-functional unless the account was flagged as admin — in case that was contributing, and hid it for all non-admin accounts. I've replied in the Resolution Center each time explaining my fixes, and on the most recent reply I directly asked the review team to tell me specifically what feature they're seeing as hidden, since I no longer have anything left in the app that I can identify as behaving inconsistently. I got the same templated rejection language back, with no specifics. I'm currently waiting on a callback from Apple Support, but wanted to ask here in the meantime: has anyone dealt with a 5.6 rejection that kept repeating with no specifics, and found a way to get an actual answer on what's being flagged? Is there a more effective way to word a Resolution Center reply, or a different channel (App Review Board appeal, etc.) that actually gets a specific response instead of the same boilerplate? Any advice from anyone who's been through this would be a huge help. Thanks in advance.
Replies
0
Boosts
0
Views
43
Activity
8h