Hey lifeofjer,
I'm really glad you shared this, because we’re going through a very similar situation right now with our app Cloose.
Although Cloose isn’t a dating app, Apple keeps interpreting it as one and rejecting us under 4.3(b) – Spam. Our concept is a social map, built around real-time location and spontaneous proximity, where users can connect if they happen to be nearby and active on the map — no swipe mechanics, no auto-matching, no profiles sorted like in dating apps. We even removed all “dating-like” terminology and visuals, including hearts, swipes, and the word “match.”
Still, we keep getting the same general response from Apple: that the app doesn’t provide a unique enough experience.
To really demonstrate how different our app is, we even created a full walkthrough video showing all the redesigned functionalities, safety mechanics, merge-based interaction logic, delayed/obfuscated location, and more. But honestly, we’re not sure if the review team has watched it.
Here’s the video, in case anyone is curious or in the same boat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghpW62isR_Q
It’s clear you're trying to solve real user problems, and we are too — by rethinking how social proximity should work in mobile interactions, without replicating what the saturated dating space has done.
Thanks again for sharing, and best of luck with Rove. If I learn anything new about navigating this kind of rejection, I’ll come back and share.
— Carlos
Topic:
App Store Distribution & Marketing
SubTopic:
App Store Connect
Tags: