Hi everyone,
I’m a developer maintaining an existing app that has been live on the App Store for many years. We regularly submit updates, and normally our submissions are reviewed and approved within 48 hours without any issues.
However, I’m currently experiencing an unusual situation and would appreciate some advice.
19 August: I submitted a new version of the app. It went into review but was rejected under:
Guideline 1.1 - Safety - Objectionable Content The app’s marketing includes terms or images that reference objectionable content or services. These references can be found in the app’s metadata, including, but not limited to, the following metadata field(s): description and name.
I’m not sure what triggered this rejection because the app name and description have not been changed for years. The app has been live and regularly reviewed during that time without this issue.
The rejection also did not identify the specific wording or content in the app name or description that was considered objectionable.
I responded to the review team explaining the situation and asked them to identify the specific part of the metadata that caused the issue so that we could review and update it if necessary. However, I did not receive any further response.
I also submitted an appeal, but I have not received a response after several days.
21 August: Because we still need to maintain the app and release updates, I cancelled the previous submission and submitted a new version for review. However, this submission has also remained pending and has not moved forward to review.
25 August: I cancelled the submission again and created another submission containing both maintenance updates and a big launch for a new country.
This update is important for our business because the new operation is scheduled to launch on 1 September. We need the app update to be reviewed and approved before then.
I have also submitted an expedited review request and a new ticket, but it still hasn’t moved forward or been reviewed.
My questions
- Is there anything I can do to get the current submission reviewed, given that the previous submission was rejected and the appeal has not received a response?
- Could the previous Guideline 1.1 rejection be causing the subsequent submissions to remain pending?
- Should I continue waiting for the current submission, or is there another recommended process for escalating this situation?
The delay is now becoming critical because the new country launch is scheduled for 1 September, and not having the required app update available by then would significantly affect our business operations.
Any advice from other developers who have experienced a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.