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. 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.

It’s been almost a week since we submitted the app for review, but it’s still pending. Please process it as soon as possible. APP Id : 6739725238

Hi, I’m a doctor who has developed an app to address the common questions I’ve encountered from patients. I operate under a sole proprietorship registered in India. Apple is preventing me from publishing my medical app through an individual account and has not responded to my request to switch to an organization account. It’s been over a week, and I’ve invested significant effort into this project, which is now causing a great deal of anxiety. Can anyone advise me on what steps I should take next?

Hi, I have gotten the same feedback again after I told that even though I have a proper icon file in assets folder and correctly pointed app.json file (icon:./assets/icon.png under expo bracket ). This is their automatic answer: “ Guideline 2.3.8 - Performance - Accurate Metadata The app or its metadata does not appear to include final content. Specifically, the app icons appear to be placeholder icons. Next Steps To resolve this issue, please ensure all the app icons are finalized and similar enough to each other to avoid creating confusion. When users search for the app on their devices, they should be able to recognize it. “ Is there anyone has the same issue? Should I change version number after modification? I have tried everything. Please help.

App Store Connect rejects the build with the following error: Please correct the following issues and upload a new binary to App Store Connect. ITMS-90058: This bundle is invalid - The value for key CFBundleVersion [iphoneos] in the Info.plist file must be a period-separated list of at most three non-negative integers. Please find more information about CFBundleVersion at https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/cfbundleversion But we double-checked at the app level; in all places the CFBundleVersion and versions is mentioned in the correct format. Even though we tried to upload via Xcode and Transporter, both show success. but the build is not reflecting in TestFlight. Receive the above error message via mail. data: { "attributes": { "cfBundleShortVersionString": "3.25.9", "cfBundleVersion": "25", "p Validated with the delivery log, but the delivery log also shows correct versioning only.

Dear App Review Team, I’m writing to express my frustration with the current review process. My app has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” status for over 10 days now, and despite submitting expedited review requests, I haven’t received any response or update. It feels like no one is even looking at it. This delay is seriously affecting my release schedule and user expectations. I understand that expedited reviews are not guaranteed, but receiving no reply at all is very disappointing, especially when time-sensitive updates are involved. Please look into my case and let me know what’s going on. Best regards, App ID: 6749119366

App review stuck for 9 days, anyone else experiencing the same? I have an app (App ID: 6749119366) that I submitted 9 days ago, and it is still in the “Waiting for Review” status. I also tried sending an expedited review request because the update is quite important, but I still haven’t received any response from Apple. I don’t know if it’s stuck or if there’s any special reason, but waiting for so long really affects my release schedule and user experience. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? If you have any experience or advice, please help me. Thank you very much!

Greetings! I submitted my app 7 days ago and its been in «In review» for 6 days. Is that normal or is something wrong/missing? Apple ID: 6748906229

Hi everyone, I'm encountering an issue while trying to roll out a new update of my React Native app. The app works perfectly in TestFlight, but it keeps getting rejected during App Review (please see the attached screenshot). In my project, I’ve been using both App Store and Google Play Store links on two screens to support a force update mechanism, depending on the user’s platform. These links have been part of the app for over two years without any issues. However, with this latest version, the app is consistently being rejected. I’ve already tried removing the Android (Play Store) link from the iOS build, but the rejection still persists. This is the first time I’m facing this issue, and I would really appreciate any guidance or suggestions on how to resolve it. Thank you!

Dear Developer Community, I’m reaching out regarding an unusual delay in the app review process. My app (APP ID: 6748887468) has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over a week, despite typical review times being 1-2 days. Here’s what I’ve verified: ✅ Metadata and binary are error-free ✅ All App Store Connect information is synced correctly ✅ No follow-up requests or notifications from Apple Questions: Has anyone experienced similar delays recently? Are there any known system issues or holiday backlogs? Recommended actions (e.g., resubmit, contact Apple directly)? I’d greatly appreciate any insights. Thank you!

Hello Apple Developer Support / Community, I’m currently experiencing an unusually long delay with the review process for my app. I submitted a new build several days ago, but the status has remained "Waiting for Review" with no progress or updates. App ID: 6670308720 Normally, my TestFlight or App Store submissions are reviewed within 24–48 hours. This time, however, no builds are moving forward, and it’s causing concern. I'm wondering: Is there a known issue with the review system lately? Should I remove the current build and submit a new one to reset the review queue? Has anyone else experienced the same issue recently? Thank you!

Hey everyone, Looking for some advice. Our app was previously rejected with a few issues (privacy, objectionable content, etc.). We’ve since made all the required fixes, updated our Privacy Policy and Terms, and resubmitted. It stayed in “Waiting for Review” for 5 days and now it’s been in “In Review” for 3 days with no further updates. We’re starting to get a lot of user pressure since people are actively searching for the app, and the update includes critical compliance fixes. Has anyone here dealt with long review times after addressing rejections? Is there anything we can do to help expedite the process (besides contacting App Review through Resolution Center)? Our Submission ID is 9f5cd8cd-323d-4b81-8971-05ec6faaea91.

Hello, The initial app review period for our application is taking unusually long. Here are some key characteristics of our app: VPN service Uses a third-party external payment system We understand that VPN applications generally require a longer review time than other types of apps. However, our app was first submitted for review on July 9, 2025, and it has remained in the "In Review" status for more than 3 weeks. What we have done so far: Contacted App Review via email regarding the status Submitted an expedited review request We received a reply stating that the review is delayed, but the status is still "In Review" with no further updates. We would like to know: Should we cancel the current review and submit a new version instead? If anyone has experience with a similar delay, or knows the typical review duration for a first-time VPN app submission, or an app that uses a third-party external payment system, we would greatly appreciate it if you could share your experience. Thank you.

Hi everyone, Lately, I’ve noticed that TestFlight beta reviews are taking much longer than usual. In the past, my updates were typically reviewed and approved within 24 hours. However, recently none of my builds have been approved, even after several days of waiting. My app ID is: 6670308720 Is anyone else experiencing similar delays? I'm wondering if there's an issue with my account or if Apple has changed the review process timelines.

Hi everyone, Our game has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for 29 days now (almost a full month), and we’re starting to get very concerned. Details: Game category: Games/Puzzles Version 1.0 All required metadata completed Age rating: 4+ We’ve tried the following steps multiple times: Removed and re-submitted the build four times to draw attention to the submission Submitted an expedited review request (no response or movement) It seems unusually long considering that the typical review time is just a few days. Has anyone else run into similar delays lately? Is there any other way to escalate the issue or get Apple’s attention? Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

Dear App Review Team, I’m writing to express my frustration with the current review process. My app has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” status for over 10 days now, and despite submitting expedited review requests, I haven’t received any response or update. It feels like no one is even looking at it. This delay is seriously affecting my release schedule and user expectations. I understand that expedited reviews are not guaranteed, but receiving no reply at all is very disappointing, especially when time-sensitive updates are involved. Please look into my case and let me know what’s going on. Best regards, App ID : 6670700266

Hi, Our macOS app includes native OS functionality and a web-based control panel that interacts with a local API to manage system actions. It’s not just a webview or wrapper. Despite multiple submissions, it’s been rejected for “lack of functionality.” Is there a way to escalate this or speak with someone from App Review for a more informed evaluation? Thanks, Shaul Shabtay PuppetPC

Hello, I'm trying to get my first app to be approved and published in the app store, but every time I ask for a review, I get feedback that the app is incomplete and doesn't have test data. I've added a hidden button in the app that when you press the version number text 5 times, test data will appear. But with this I get a response that the app becomes unresponsive. When I tested it, it works just fine. I don't know what to do with this. Any tips on getting through the review process?

Hi all, I'm looking for guidance or experiences from others who’ve run into this issue. I'm developing a series of educational apps that teach different languages from English, using a simple flashcard-based format. Each app is fully offline, has no ads, no subscriptions, and contains native audio and culturally relevant images for that specific language. Each language pack (audio + images + data) is around 50MB, and I’m planning to support 50 languages. Because of size constraints and my offline-first approach, it’s not feasible to combine all languages into a single app. To stay user-friendly and efficient: Each app contains only one language. Each has its own name and icon (e.g., “Babel Bash Chinese ”, “Babel Bash Thai”). All use the same visual structure (by design) for brand consistency and usability. Despite this, I’ve had an app rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) – Spam, with the reasoning that it duplicates the functionality of another app I've submitted (even though the language, audio, and visuals are completely different). The suggested workaround was to restrict storefronts to avoid overlap, but since the apps teach from English, they need to be available in the same countries (where English speakers live). Combining all languages isn’t an option due to: App size (50×50MB = 2GB+) No internet access allowed No downloadable content (for schools, remote use, and privacy reasons) My Questions: Has anyone successfully appealed this kind of rejection? If so, how? Are there any recommended patterns for publishing multiple single-language educational apps that don’t run afoul of 4.3(a)? Would Apple be more open to language bundles (e.g., 3–5 languages per app) even if structure stays the same? Is there any precedent or Apple guidance that allows this kind of distribution? This feels like a valid educational use case that’s being treated as spam simply because of structural reuse even though the content and audience are entirely different. Any insight, advice, or Apple feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Is taking legal action the only viable option of effectively communicating with the review team, as they ignore your replies and are vague. at best, in their rejection reasons? My app was rejected with in-app purchase localizations, but without any details. No details were provided why an in-app purchase localization was rejected. Atrocious and unacceptable.

I have discussed the possibility of incorporating a live chat into the app, with our customer. I have successfully incorporated tawk.to's chat in various other apps for my customers with excellent results. Particularly this will offer assistance to technicians that require help with any issue they might have or they might need assistance with certain aspects of the offered products. It will also be available to all other customers to get answers to more general purpose questions. Finally this platform will give insight to our customer via various metrics he can use to improve the customer communication approach. Does anyone know if this will suffice to make the app eligible for the app store as now the app is Rejected based on 2.1.0 Performance: App Completeness. App Review: Thank you for your response and additional context. Regarding 4.2.2 issue, while you have explained your customer does not want to add additional functionality to the app, this information does not resolve the 4.2.2 issue as the app primarily markets your service or products with limited to no user-facing interactive features. To resolve this issue, it would be appropriate to add additional features such as purchasing products so your app is not just a catalog of items you carry or provide robust interactive content for users. We look forward to reviewing your resubmitted app.