After 18 years, App Review has finally killed my passion

Question

Created 2d

Replies 5

Boosts 4

Participants 5

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.

Answer 1

Mohammad Alhasson OP

1d

Full support to Eng.Tarek. BTW Tarek and his website iPhoneIslam were the reasons for me to learn iOS development since Swift 3 days in the first place. It’s heartbreaking to see this friction drain the passion of creators like you. I truly hope someone at Apple listens and takes action soon

Answer 2

ibrahim32 OP

1d

I couldn't agree more.

I've also been waiting far longer than what used to be considered normal, and the lack of communication is the most frustrating part. Delays happen, but when developers have no visibility into what's happening or any meaningful way to get an update, it becomes incredibly discouraging.

What resonates most with me is your point about passion. Many of us build apps because we genuinely enjoy creating great experiences for Apple users. The long, unpredictable review process breaks that momentum and makes it much harder to stay motivated.

I really hope Apple recognizes that this isn't just about review times—it's about maintaining the trust and enthusiasm of the developer community that has supported the platform for so many years.

Answer 3

iTarek OP

1d

I guess no one at Apple sees these posts—we’re just talking to ourselves.

Answer 4

KieranO95 OP

1d

Yeah I feel your pain pal im 11 days into waiting for review. Been on hold for a combined 18 hours on the call and still not spoke to a human lmao. Its a joke.

Answer 5

Hussain1982 OP

3h

Hi Tarek,

I’m an app developer, and I was genuinely surprised to read about what you’re going through, especially given that you are a well-known developer who has contributed a great deal to the App Store over the years.

To be honest, I feel both concerned and puzzled. Review delays of this length are unacceptable under any circumstances. If there is a problem with the app, Apple should state it clearly.

I understand this feeling because I’m also a long-time developer, with around 14 years of experience. I have not faced this situation recently, but earlier in my career I experienced reviews being delayed for weeks, and as you said, that is simply unacceptable.

I hope your issue is resolved quickly and that the app is either reviewed and approved, or rejected with a clear explanation if there is a genuine problem. But it should not remain stuck in this state with no communication.