An ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest rejection email looks as follows: ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest- Your app includes "<path/to/SDK>", which includes , an SDK that was identified in the documentation as a privacy-impacting third-party SDK. Starting February 12, 2025, if a new app includes a privacy-impacting SDK, or an app update adds a new privacy-impacting SDK, the SDK must include a privacy manifest file. Please contact the provider of the SDK that includes this file to get an updated SDK version with a privacy manifest. For more details about this policy, including a list of SDKs that are required to include signatures and manifests, visit: https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. Glossary ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest: An email that includes the name and path of privacy-impacting SDK(s) with no privacy manifest files in your app bundle. For more information, see https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. : The specified privacy-impacting SDK that doesn't include a privacy manifest file. If you are the developer of the rejected app, gather the name of the SDK from the email you received from Apple, then contact the SDK's provider for an updated version that includes a valid privacy manifest. After receiving an updated version of the SDK, verify the SDK includes a valid privacy manifest file at the expected location. For more information, see Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK. If your app includes a privacy manifest file, make sure the file only describes the privacy practices of your app. Do not add the privacy practices of the SDK to your app's privacy manifest. If the email lists multiple SDKs, repeat the above process for all of them. If you are the developer of an SDK listed in the email, publish an updated version of your SDK that includes a privacy manifest file with valid keys and values. Every privacy-impacting SDK must contain a privacy manifest file that only describes its privacy practices. To learn how to add a valid privacy manifest to your SDK, see the Additional resources section below. Additional resources Privacy manifest files Describing data use in privacy manifests Describing use of required reason API Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK TN3182: Adding privacy tracking keys to your privacy manifest TN3183: Adding required reason API entries to your privacy manifest TN3184: Adding data collection details to your privacy manifest TN3181: Debugging an invalid privacy manifest

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.

Our app — a screen-time / focus app — has had no App Review activity for two weeks, and we believe the trigger was an automated Guideline 2.5.1 check that froze an otherwise actively progressing review. (This forum account is linked to the developer account in question; we can provide the App ID, bundle IDs, submission IDs, and support case numbers through any private channel on request.) Context: Jul 2–5: Our first submission (Version 1.0.0) was under active review. We went through several ordinary metadata / paywall-related iterations, and the reviewer responded within roughly 24 hours each time. Nothing related to Screen Time was raised in these human reviews of builds 9 and 10. Jul 8: After we submitted build 11 — which addressed the remaining human-review feedback — we received an automated Guideline 2.5.1 (Performance: Software Requirements) message stating that the app uses the Screen Time API but has not been submitted with the Family Controls entitlement, and that review of the submission cannot proceed. All reviewer activity stopped at that point, and there has been none since. What we verified: The Family Controls (Distribution) entitlement is granted to our account and assigned to all four bundle IDs (the main app plus its DeviceActivityMonitor, ShieldAction, and ShieldConfiguration extensions). We verified with codesign that com.apple.developer.family-controls = true is present in the code signature and embedded provisioning profile of every one of the four executables in the submitted IPA — so the entitlement named in the automated message is present in the flagged build. For context: builds 9 and 10, with an identical Screen Time API surface and identical entitlements (verified at the binary level with nm against the submitted artifacts), had been human-reviewed on Jul 2–5 with no Screen Time-related objection. We recognize those builds may simply not have reached the automated analysis stage before being superseded, so we do not draw firm conclusions from that. What we did anyway (build 12, submitted Jul 9): In case the automated check actually concerns the separate com.apple.developer.family-controls.app-and-website-usage entitlement (which we do not request and do not need), we removed every reference from our main app to the APIs associated with it: AuthorizationStatus.approvedWithDataAccess, ManagedSettings.Application.bundleIdentifier, ManagedSettings.Application.localizedDisplayName, ManagedSettings.ActivityCategory.localizedDisplayName, and ManagedSettings.WebDomain.domain. We verified with nm that none of the four executables in the build 12 IPA reference these APIs. The app does not use FamilyActivityData, DeviceActivityReport, app usage events, web usage events, or App and Website Usage data access. No automated message has appeared for build 12. What has happened since: Jul 9–14: No reviewer activity on build 12. We filed an expedited review request and opened two Developer Support cases (Jul 8 and Jul 14). No response to any of them. Around Jul 15: Hoping to clear the frozen state, we cancelled and resubmitted the same Version 1.0.0 / build 12. Around Jul 17: Filed a second expedited review request for the new submission. Jul 22 (today): The new submission has been in "Waiting for Review" since Jul 15, with no reviewer activity and no reply to either support case or either expedite request. What we are asking: Could someone check whether the Jul 8 automated flag is still attached to the app record and blocking reviewer assignment, and help get the current submission assigned to a reviewer? If the automated check flags build 12 again, could the message specify which entitlement and which binary / API references triggered it, so we can address it precisely? We can provide codesign output, entitlement plists, provisioning profile dumps, and nm symbol listings on request. Thank you.

My app has now been waiting for review for 6 days, even though the submission email stated that the review would typically take up to 2 business days. App ID: 6793848581 I completely understand that App Review needs to be thorough, especially for submissions from individual developers or newly created accounts. User safety should always come first. However, our app is being submitted by a U.S. incorporated company with a team behind it. We have employees whose work depends on this launch, and every additional day of delay has a real financial impact. It makes me wonder whether there is any prioritization in the review process based on developer history or company status. Our application is ready to launch, but until it is approved we cannot publish it or generate any revenue. Meanwhile, the costs continue every day: server infrastructure, developer salaries, marketing campaigns that have to be postponed, and other operating expenses. We continue paying these expenses while having no opportunity to launch the product. I know the App Review team is busy, and I appreciate the work they do. But the growing number of developers reporting review times of several weeks is becoming very concerning. If someone from the Apple App Review team is reading this, I would sincerely appreciate it if you could review App ID 6793848581 as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I've been an Apple developer since the App Store opened. I don't develop for a living, I do this because I love it. That's it. That has always been enough. And right now, for the first time, it isn't. Waiting more than a month for a review, with no communication and no working way to reach anyone, does something to you. You stop wanting to open Xcode. You stop having ideas, because what's the point of an idea that sits in a queue for six weeks? The whole loop that makes this fun — build it, ship it, hear from users — is broken in the middle. So: thanks to the App Review team for that. You've taken the one thing that kept me building for this platform and made it feel like a waste of time. I know Apple sees review delays as a throughput problem. It isn't only that. It's a passion problem. The developers who stay through every policy change and every SDK rewrite are the ones who stay for love of the craft — and love is exactly the thing this process is grinding down. I hope someone at Apple reads this and understands what they're losing.

Hello, I'm experiencing a serious issue with my Apple Developer account. Every app I submit stays in "Waiting for Review" for more than a month. This is not happening with just one app—it affects every app I submit. Here are the details: Every submission remains in Waiting for Review for over a month. The status never changes to In Review. I have already contacted Apple Developer Support. I also submitted an Expedited Review request, but the apps are still waiting. The apps fully comply with the App Store Review Guidelines and are complete and functional. At this point, I'm trying to understand whether there could be an issue with my developer account or if there is another reason causing all of my submissions to remain stuck in the queue. Has anyone experienced the same issue recently? If an Apple engineer sees this post, I would greatly appreciate any guidance or if my account could be checked. Thank you.

Hello, My QueenBoard app update was submitted more than four days ago and is still awaiting a review decision. There are no messages in the Resolution Center and no requests for additional information. Details: App: QueenBoard - Logic Puzzle Games Apple ID: 6774414102 Platform: iOS Version: 1.2.4 Build: 26 Submitted: July 26, 2026 at 6:40 PM Current status: In Review Submission ID: 1d5aa681-6804-4aab-9a2c-50c411d856de This is an update to an existing app that has already been approved and published. All required app information has been completed, and I have not received any notice indicating that action is required from me. Could someone confirm whether the review is proceeding normally or whether there is anything I need to provide? Thank you for your help. Best regards, Tim Nguyen

Dear Review Team and fellow developers Our app has not been reviewed for more than 7 days despite requesting an expedite Is this normal? Has this happened to us too? I would like to ask the review team to help us with this. Best regards

Hello everyone, I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing a similar issue with App Review. We submitted our app for review on July 24, and its status is still Waiting for Review. Since it had been several days without any progress, we opened a support ticket on July 30, but we haven't received a response yet. Has anyone else experienced unusually long review times recently? If so, how long did it take before your app moved into review or you received a response from Apple Support? Thank you in advance for sharing your experience.

Submitted my app (universal iOS app with two auto-renewable subscriptions attached, first submission) for review on July 24 at 10:50 PM. It's now been 8 days and the version has never left "Ready for Review" in App Store Connect. No reviewer assigned, no message, nothing new in the History log since the submission itself. I opened a support case with Apple Developer Support (App Review Status topic) on July 29. Got the automated acknowledgment, no human reply since. Seeing several other threads posted here in just the last day describing the exact same thing (stuck in Ready for Review / Waiting for Review, first-time submissions, some with subscriptions attached too). Wondering if this is a wider backlog right now rather than something specific to any one submission. Has anyone actually gotten a reviewer assigned after being stuck like this, or found anything that helped? Thanks.

Hello App Review team - I am an iOS developer and my app(App ID: 6756242440) is stuck in 'Waiting for review'. Please help us resolve the issue. Thanks in advance!

I'm looking for advice because I've been facing the same issue with every app submission on my Apple Developer account. Every app I submit remains in "Waiting for Review" for more than one month. The status never changes to "In Review", regardless of the app. Here's what I've already done: Contacted Apple Developer Support. Submitted an Expedited Review request. Waited well beyond the normal review timeframe. Verified that my apps are complete, functional, and comply with the App Store Review Guidelines. The problem is not limited to a single app. It affects every new submission and every app update I send for review. At this point, I'm wondering if there could be an issue with my developer account that is preventing my submissions from entering the review process. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? If so, how was it resolved? If an Apple engineer or App Review team member sees this post, I would be very grateful if someone could check whether there is an issue with my developer account or advise me on what I should do next. Thank you very much for your time and any assistance.

I sincerely hope someone from Apple sees this. Every update for my apps takes at least 4–5 days to be reviewed, even when the update contains important fixes. This has become a constant source of stress and makes it extremely difficult to support my users properly. I fully understand the need for App Review, but such long review times for every update are very discouraging. I hope Apple can improve the review process or provide faster reviews for critical updates. Thank you.

An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us I can no longer submit iOS app for review. Always show this error. I am using Safari latest version - 16.4 MacOS Version - Ventura 13.3.1 Xcode - 14.2 Appreciate any leads. Thank You!

Hello, I'm reaching out because I haven't received any response from App Review for about a week, and I'm hoping someone can help me check on the status of my submission. App: Apple ID 6782845619, version 1.2 Submission ID: 2722eda8-9429-44d2-9971-092f4ed28ffb Rejection: Guideline 4.3(a) — Design (Spam) I have already taken the corrective steps suggested in the rejection message (I withdrew the duplicate prototype app from review and removed it from all 175 storefronts, so there is no overlap anymore), and I replied to App Review in App Store Connect with this information. However, it has now been about a week with no reply. I understand the review team is very busy, and I truly appreciate their time. I'm not trying to dispute the review process itself — I would simply be grateful if someone could check whether my reply has been received and is being looked at, or advise me on the best way to get a status update. Thank you very much for your help.

Hello, All of my submissions across my account have been stuck in review for many weeks, which is well outside my normal turnaround. These are apps that have historically been approved within 24 hours or 2-3 days. Those updates are time critical. Singapore MRT just updated on 12 July. We are losing installs and impressions largely because of this, especially no reason is given. App: Singapore MRT Map Route Apple ID: 536957287 / Version: 3.0.1 App: Singapore MRT Map Route(Pro) Apple ID: 475976737 / Version: 3.0.0 App: Epic Cards Battle Apple ID: 1003611640/ Version: 2.6.3 On my side everything appears complete: metadata, build, review notes, demo account credentials, and all agreements in Agreements, Tax, and Banking are accepted. There are no messages in Resolution Center and App Store Connect shows no action required from me. I have contacted Developer Support but have not received a actual response. Could someone please confirm whether these submissions are correctly queued, or whether something is blocking them that requires action on my side? Thank you.

8 days stuck on "Waiting For Review" - was submitted on 23/07/26. A combined 4 hours on hold awaiting to hear an actual human voice on the phone to no avail. My entire business is now on hold due to this. Anybody got any help??

We submitted our iOS app (Apple ID 6504717345) on 2026-07-24. The submission confirmation email says: On average, 50 percent of apps are reviewed in 24 hours and over 90 percent are reviewed in 48 hours. Once we've completed the review, your app's status will be updated and you will be notified. After 6 days, it's still Waiting for Review. Can Apple provide: A reasonable estimate of how long App Review actually takes? Update the E-Mails and/or Website and/or pin a thread here accordingly? If we've made some sort of mistake that's keeping our new update in some stuck state, please advise. Can we get a review, please? Any help is appreciated 🙏

My app was rejected July 16 under Guideline 2.1 (Information Needed) with four questions about the Clinical Health Records API. I replied in full the same day in the Resolution Center, and followed up in that thread on July 22. It has now been 12 days with no response from App Review. I have also contacted Developer Support (case 102942988807), which replied twice but could not provide status on the submission. I have not clicked Resubmit, since Apple's message asked me to reply, and I understand resubmitting closes the correspondence thread. Is there anything further I should be doing, or is a reply alone sufficient to return the submission to the review queue? Submission ID: bc855e56-3ef8-482d-96b0-4380d3fc4a68

We have an app that is updated regularly, and our submissions are typically reviewed within a few hours to one day. We recently submitted an urgent bug fix for a production issue affecting our customers. However, this submission has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for the past 10 days without any updates. We've opened multiple support tickets, but they've led nowhere. Phone support has also been ineffective, with scheduled callbacks resulting in hours on hold without any progress. What is the appropriate escalation path for a submission that appears to be stalled in the review queue?

Hello, My iOS app, Chef Library, version 1.2.0, has remained in “Waiting for Review” for several days. App Store Connect shows no unresolved issues, missing information, or messages from App Review. I contacted Apple Developer Support on July 28 and followed up again on July 30. Both messages appear under support case 20000121706395, but I have not received a response and the review has not started. The submission details are: App: Chef Library Platform: iOS Version: 1.2.0 Current status: Waiting for Review Support case: 20000121706395 Could an Apple representative please check whether this submission is progressing normally or whether it has become stuck in the review queue? If anything is required from me, I am ready to provide it immediately. Thank you, Bart

Hi all, Our latest submission has been sitting in "In Review" for 11 days with no movement, and I'm hoping someone here (or App Review staff) can advise. Details: App: utapp App ID: 6767597442 Bundle ID: com.bounced Status: In Review since July 10 What we've already tried: Expedited App Review Request submitted on July 17 (no response). App Review Status submitted on July 21 (no response). Is anyone else seeing 10+ day "In Review" times right now? And is there anything we should be doing on our side, or is this an internal processing delay? If any App Review staff sees this, could you please confirm whether any action is needed from us? Thanks in advance.