Has Anyone Experienced App Removal After Technical Issues Under Guidelines 3.2 and 5.6?

App Store Distribution & Marketing General
Gustavo23 OP
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Hi everyone,

Our app was recently removed from the App Store under Section 3.2 and Guideline 5.6. We believe this decision was unjustified, and we are still waiting for a response to our appeal.

We had some technical issues affecting the app's functionality, but we were actively working on a fix. We have now identified a solution and are implementing it, and we were ready to submit an updated build.

We understand that apps must comply with Apple's guidelines and provide a reliable user experience. However, we are struggling to understand why the app was removed before we had a reasonable opportunity to fix the technical issues, especially since we did not engage in any fraudulent activity.

Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Is immediate app removal a common outcome in cases involving technical issues, and were you able to get your app reinstated after appealing?

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

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jetrise OP

One thing that may help frame the appeal: "Section 3.2" in these notices refers to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (usually 3.2(f), dishonest or fraudulent acts), and 5.6 is the Developer Code of Conduct. So Apple sees this as an account-conduct issue rather than a functionality bug, which is why it was a removal rather than a normal rejection, and why the technical fix on its own probably won't reverse it.

What tends to help an appeal like this:

  1. Look for anything that could look like manipulation from Apple's side: incentivised or bulk reviews, paid install campaigns or a promo vendor, a review-prompt or rewards SDK, an ad network with suspicious traffic, unusual refund patterns, or a link to another account (shared Mac, team member, payment details).
  2. In the appeal, say what you checked, what you removed or changed and when, and attach evidence (vendor invoices, analytics showing organic installs).
  3. Keep the technical fix as a separate, short point at the end, not the main argument.
  4. While the appeal is pending, don't upload new builds or set up a new account to republish. Apple tends to treat that as evasion, and it can make things worse.