Dear App Review & App Store policy team, I am writing as an independent macOS developer who has spent more than the last six months building TilesWM, a full‑featured window‑manager that rivals existing products such as Magnet, Divvy and BetterSnapTool. The app works exactly like those solutions: it uses the Accessibility (AX) API to move and resize arbitrary windows, registers global hot‑keys, and stores user preferences locally in ~/Library/Application Support/<bundle‑identifier>. When I attempt to submit TilesWM through App Store Connect the validation process failed with two errors, one of which was relatively easily solvable with the help of "ssmith_c" and "Quinn". The other, the hard blocker: Sandbox not enabled – the app does not contain the required com.apple.security.app-sandbox = true entitlement. but: The same accessibility entitlement is absent from the binaries of Magnet, Divvy, BetterSnapTool and other window‑manager apps that are already available on the Mac App Store. Those applications were on the Store before Apple introduced the mandatory sandbox requirement (≈ macOS 10.7.3-ish). Consequently, they continue to operate without a sandbox while new entrants are forced either to abandon the platform or to distribute outside the App Store. This situation creates an uneven playing field that contradicts Apple’s stated commitment to an open and competitive ecosystem. All developers pay the same $99 annual fee and should follow identical review guidelines; yet legacy window‑manager apps enjoy a privileged exemption that new developers cannot obtain, effectively granting them a perpetual non‑compete advantage. What I am asking for Clarification: Is a missing Sandbox entitlement truly unsupported for Mac App Store distribution or is there a way to "request" an exception? Policy action: Please evaluate an option to provide a concrete path forward so that TilesWM can be submitted without having to abandon the App Store. Point of contact – If this issue falls outside the scope of App Review, kindly direct me to the team or individual responsible for macOS sandbox policy decisions. I remain committed to distributing my app through the Mac App Store because it is the primary channel users trust and expect. I believe that a fair resolution will benefit developers, Apple, and end‑users alike by expanding the selection of high‑quality window‑management tools. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a constructive response and to working together toward an equitable solution. Respectfully, Denis Steinhorst Full‑Stack Engineer & macOS enthusiast Bundle ID: dev.steinhorst.tileswm

Hello Apple Developer Support, I’m writing with a mix of enthusiasm and frustration after more than six months of full‑time development on my macOS window‑manager TilesWM (a feature‑rich competitor to Magnet, Divvy, BetterSnapTool, etc.). I have completed the Application, the product page, a knowledge-base with 90+ entries, an in-app onboarding flow, preparing the feedback-hub for submissions, all required marketing assets and finally; signing up for the $99 Developer Program... I am now blocked at App Store Connect validation. What I’m trying to submit App name: TilesWM Bundle ID: dev.steinhorst.tileswm Core functionality: Detect window movement & resize windows, optional global hot‑keys, persistent user settings are stored in a SQLite-DB located at: ~/Library/Application Support/<bundle‑identifier> Privacy: No analytics, no data collection, no runtime downloads. Tested on: macOS 15.6.1 (Apple Silicon M1) & macOS 26.0.1 (M3‑Max). The app works exactly like the existing mainstream window managers: it runs non‑sandboxed and requests Accessibility (AX) permissions on demand to control other windows dimensions and positioning. Validation errors Validation failed Invalid Code Signing Entitlements. Your application bundle's signature contains code signing entitlements that are not supported on macOS. Specifically, key 'com.apple.security.accessibility' in 'dev.steinhorst.tileswm.pkg/Payload/TilesWM.app/Contents/MacOS/TilesWM' is not supported. (ID: 13b13813-edd6-4be6-b392-9db5bddd39a0) Validation failed App sandbox not enabled. The following executables must include the "com.apple.security.app-sandbox" entitlement with a Boolean value of true in the entitlements property list: [( "dev.steinhorst.tileswm.pkg/Payload/TilesWM.app/Contents/MacOS/TilesWM" )] Refer to App Sandbox page at https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/app_sandbox for more information on sandboxing your app. (ID: 28aa17e8-e7b2-4f3f-8def-15922c68ec8a) . In short, App Store Connect refuses to accept an app that uses the Accessibility API and is not sandboxed. Yet the same capability is openly used by Magnet, Divvy, BetterSnapTool and other competitors that are currently on the Mac App Store. Why this matters to me I am a full‑stack engineer with 15+ years of enterprise experience; side projects keep my skills sharp and give back to the macOS community. This would be my entry to the software-side of MacOS, the next product-ideas are scribbled already. Over the last six months I have designed, coded, documented, created marketing assets, purchased a domain, paid for hosting, and funded the Apple Developer Program, all in good faith that the app could be submitted. What I need help with Clarification – Is the com.apple.security.accessibility entitlement truly unsupported for macOS distribution, how can Magnet and other competitors exist in that case, shouldn't they be able to receive competition? Guidance – If sandboxing is mandatory (even though the competition doesn't use it either, looking at their entitlements with codesign -d --entitlements :-<path>). What is the recommended way to retain full window‑management functionality while remaining within Apple’s policies, I tried sandboxing it, but the only app I was able to "resize" was TilesWM (my App) itself. Additional resources A "basic"-demo video, feature comparisons, FAQ & knowledge-base as well as the feedback hub: https://www.tileswm.app I appreciate any insight you can provide. My goal is to bring a polished, useful tool to the Mac App Store while fully respecting Apple’s security requirements, without having to discard months of work or resort to an external distribution model. Thank you for your time and assistance. Best regards, Denis Steinhorst Full‑Stack Engineer – macOS enthusiast Bundle ID: dev.steinhorst.tileswm