Overview

Hey everyone 👋 I have 14 years of experience in iOS development, starting in my mid-teens and later working as a senior and lead developer with Fortune 50 companies. Around 1.5 years ago I began my indie journey as a side hustle, and for the past 3 months I have been building apps full time with a growing portfolio and increasing revenue 📈 I currently handle everything myself including development, ASO, and design, with marketing planned for later 🚀 I just shipped a major release last week and taking a relaxed week now, so feel free to ask anything about iOS development, indie life, ASO, monetization, or related topics 💬

I'm trying to add a co-worker to our company's developer account. They got the invitation email and clicked the link, got the email verification code and entered that, and then got the phone number verification code via SMS. When they enter the phone number verification code, they get an error: "Your account cannot be created at this time." Also, I tried to go to developer.apple.com/contact to reach out to support, but it seems that page is broken with a JS error. Any ideas??

We have recently enrolled to the platform integrator program in order to be able to use this API https://developer.apple.com/documentation/applepaywebmerchantregistrationapi to verify our customers' domains for apple pay. We have distributed certifications and the domain association file and have successfully conducted the domain verification call. Consequently, the domain is registered for a given merchant. However, when conducting a payment session request, we receive an error response saying that the domain is not registered. Specific example: We POST to https://apple-pay-gateway.apple.com/paymentservices/registerMerchant with body: { "domainNames": [ "example.com" ], "encryptTo": "platformintegrator.com.example", "partnerInternalMerchantIdentifier": "example", "partnerMerchantName": "example" } and get a 200 response. The apple server successfully conducts the call to the example.com/.well-known/apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association resource. Then the GET request to https://apple-pay-gateway.apple.com/paymentservices/merchant/example lists the domain for this merchant: Response { "domainNames": [ "example.com" ], "partnerMerchantName": "example", "partnerInternalMerchantIdentifier": "example", "partnerMerchantValidationURI": "/.well-known/apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association", "encryptTo": "<hashed merchant id>", "delegatedCommerce": { "enabled": true } } However, when trying to initiate an apple pay payment session here: POST https://apple-pay-gateway.apple.com/paymentservices/paymentSession Body: { "merchantIdentifier": "platformintegrator.com.example", "displayName": "example", "initiative": "web", "initiativeContext": "example.com" } we receive this error response: { "statusMessage": "Payment Services Exception merchantId=<hashed merchant id> not registered for domain=example.com", "statusCode": "400" } Our assumption is that after registering a domain for a merchant the apple pay process should work. We already have a working apple pay implementation with the traditional domain verification process with merchant IDs. We would like to know if we are missing any detail or what is causing this error in our payment process.

Developer Help says: Do I need to enroll in the Apple Developer Program to install apps on a device? No. You can install apps on your personal device with Xcode. Yet Xcode 26.4 says: Signing for "Never Forget" requires a development team. Select a development team in the Signing & Capabilities editor. Can someone help me understand this? A developer account isn't required, yet a development team (in a developer account) is? 🤷

We have an iOS app using StoreKit 2 only (no RevenueCat). Products: pro1 (non-consumable) monthly (auto-renewable) annual (auto-renewable, 14-day introductory free trial) Current App Store Connect state: all products are submitted / attached to app version 1.0 subscriptions and IAP are now in Waiting for Review annual has an introductory offer configured in App Store Connect monthly and annual are in the same subscription group App behavior: We load products using Product.products(for:) with all three product IDs. In TestFlight, for multiple tester accounts, StoreKit still returns no usable products and the paywall remains in retry state. Earlier debug checks showed: annual.subscription?.introductoryOffer == nil isEligibleForIntroOffer == false Because introductoryOffer is nil, this does not appear to be only a tester-eligibility issue. It looks like the annual subscription product is not yet surfacing its intro offer/product data in TestFlight. Question: Is it expected that Product.products(for:) / Product.SubscriptionInfo.introductoryOffer may continue returning no subscription products or no introductory offer in TestFlight while the products are only in Waiting for Review? If so, is there a typical propagation delay, or is there anything else we should verify beyond: products attached to app version products in Waiting for Review Paid Apps agreement active intro offer configured on the annual subscription Any guidance would be appreciated.

Since April 6 I’m waiting for review. No updates. They usually say that takes 24-48hrs to be reviewed. I'm at 10 days already. And I get no response on my emails and ticket.

Hello, Looking for guidance from Apple engineers or developers who have used Push to Talk in production I am developing an iOS application called Companion AI / Theo Voice, designed for elderly users. The goal of the app is to provide a simple, voice-first interactive assistant that enables: natural voice interaction (no typing required) daily assistance (reminders, well-being, conversation) bidirectional voice communication (the user can immediately respond by voice) ⸻ How it works The app operates in two main modes: Conversation mode the user opens the app the assistant speaks the user replies naturally by voice Proactive mode in specific useful situations (e.g. medication reminders, check-ins) the app initiates a voice interaction the user can respond immediately ⸻ Important constraints there is no continuous listening the microphone is only active during interactions users can disable proactive interactions frequency is limited and user-controlled ⸻ Question We are considering using the Push to Talk framework in order to: allow the app to be awakened in the background initiate a voice interaction enable immediate voice response from the user Would this usage be considered aligned with the intended use of Push to Talk? Are there any specific recommendations to ensure compliance with App Store Review Guidelines? Thank you very much for your guidance.

Environment: Xcode26.4 iOS26.4.1 Capabilities: StoreKit External Purchases or Offers Entitlements: com.apple.developer.storekit.custom-purchase-link.allowed-regions Value(Array of strings) is jp It's a Japanese Apple ID。 ExternalPurchaseCustomLink.isEligible is always returning false.

I renewed my membership today, April 20, 2026, which had previously expired on November 5, 2025. The payment of KRW 129,000 was successfully processed, and the credit card transaction has been approved. However, my account still shows the message "Your Apple Developer Program membership has expired," and the renewal has not been applied. I have tried various troubleshooting steps, including logging out and back in, and clearing my browser cache, but the issue persists. Could you please look into this and apply the renewal to my account?

Hi everyone, We recently received a DPLA violation warning (Section 11.2) from Apple related to potential manipulation of App Store ranking, reviews, or search index. Shortly after receiving the notice: Our app is still live on the App Store However, all rankings (Top Charts and keyword rankings) dropped significantly or disappeared entirely We have already: Conducted an internal audit of our marketing and user acquisition activities Stopped any campaigns that might be interpreted as incentivized installs or abnormal traffic Responded to Apple via email with corrective actions However, we have not received any further response from Apple. We would like to ask: Has anyone experienced a similar situation? How long did it take for rankings to recover (if they did)? Did Apple ever follow up, or was recovery purely algorithmic over time? Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I am writing to share my frustration regarding the app review process for my application. My current submission has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for nearly 7 weeks, starting from February 5th. Although I have attempted to cancel and resubmit periodically, there were significant gaps of 10 and 21 days between submissions where no action was taken. Currently, I am stuck again. The situation is critical for the following reasons: Critical Bug: The update includes a necessary fix for an In-App Purchase bug that is preventing users from accessing paid features. No Communication: I have sent four inquiries regarding this delay. I received only one generic response asking me to wait, and my subsequent follow-ups have been completely ignored. Expedited Review Request: My requests for an Expedited Review have also gone unanswered. Apple’s standard review time is typically 24-48 hours, but my experience is far from that. I am not asking for special treatment; I am asking for basic transparency regarding why my app has been stalled for nearly two months. Could anyone from the review team please look into this or provide an explanation? This prolonged silence is causing significant issues for my service and its users. Apple ID: 6752595582 First Submission Date: Feb 5th

I’m looking for guidance on a notarization submission that has been stuck in In Progress for over 24 hours. Details: Team ID: 94B7AVM73F Certificate: Developer ID Application: Bilal Ahmed Qureshi (94B7AVM73F) Tool: xcrun notarytool File: FlashcardGeneratorTrial-AppleSilicon.dmg Submission ID: 7817f9d0-32da-452f-9e2d-fff43478ccf6 Submission created: 2026-04-17T22:10:01.402Z Current status: xcrun notarytool info still reports In Progress This has now been ongoing for more than 24 hours The submission uploaded successfully and received a valid submission ID The Developer ID certificate is valid and correctly paired with the private key in Keychain security find-identity -v -p codesigning returns 1 valid identity Environment: First-time notarization on this developer account macOS direct distribution outside the Mac App Store DMG signed with Developer ID Application certificate Hardened runtime and timestamp enabled during signing I’ve seen some other recent reports of long notarization delays, especially for first-time submissions, so I’m trying to understand whether this is expected queueing / in-depth analysis, or whether there may be an issue with this specific submission. Questions: Is this normal for a first notarization on a new Developer ID account? Is there anything I should do besides wait? Can Apple check whether this submission is stuck in the queue? Thanks.

As of this morning, I have been unable to reach the Mac App Store or Test Flight .

Summary After replacing every PNG in AppIcon.appiconset with the correct branded heart icon, the installed iOS app on a real iPhone (built and deployed via Xcode, not TestFlight web clip) still displays the default Capacitor 'blue X' placeholder icon on the home screen. The icon files in the repo are confirmed to be the new artwork, but iOS shows the old placeholder. Environment App: ImpulseAlly (Capacitor wrapper around hosted TanStack Start web app) Bundle ID: com.impulseally.app Capacitor iOS, deployment target iOS 15.0 Xcode 17E202, iOS SDK 26.4 (per derived-data log) Install method: Xcode → Run on physical device (not Safari 'Add to Home Screen', not TestFlight) Web shell URL: https://impulseally.com (server.url in capacitor.config.ts) What the user sees On the iPhone home screen, the app icon is the default Capacitor placeholder — a stylized blue 'X' / Capacitor logo on a white background. The expected icon is a sage-green rounded square with a white heart. Please ask for more information if I have not provided what you need. I have a file that I can share with everything I've tried.

Dear App Store Connect Team! Since Passkeys have been introduced as login option on https://appstoreconnect.apple.com, I am unable to to make use of this new sign in option. I have attached sysdiagnoses, screen recordings, and .har exports in my feedback requests: FB22167539 FB17622414 FB22403813 When I select "Sign in with Passkey", the spinner just keeps spinning. Signing in with password works without issues. I can sign into my Apple ID on other Apple websites using my passkey without problems. Hope that helps! – Frederik

Hello, I need guidance on App Store Connect product state vs StoreKit behavior during App Review. Stack: iOS app (Expo / React Native), subscriptions via RevenueCat + StoreKit. Bundle ID matches App Store Connect. RevenueCat API keys — what I’ve verified locally: With the production RevenueCat API key (iOS appl_..., same as the submitted build), everything works on local device but not when I download it from TestFlight. I have also tested with RevenueCat’s sandbox / test API key (the separate key intended for sandbox/testing). That setup works as well — I can load offerings and complete test purchases the same way What RevenueCat (SDK / dashboard health) reports: Product monthly is configured in RevenueCat. Warnings that products aren’t approved in App Store Connect yet and that the default offering has configuration issues. Apple’s product state: WAITING_FOR_REVIEW. The SDK still states that test purchases are possible. What App Review reports: After onboarding a new business account, “Activate subscription” leads to an error (plans don’t load / purchase path fails). Review suggested an app code issue. Why this is confusing: Locally, both RevenueCat key modes I tried (production and sandbox/test) work with Apple Sandbox on the device. The submitted build uses the production RevenueCat key. Review still sees a failure. Questions: For IAP in WAITING_FOR_REVIEW, should App Review always use an Apple Sandbox account to test subscriptions until the product is fully approved? Is it documented that StoreKit may not return products during review without Sandbox while the product remains WAITING_FOR_REVIEW? Has anyone else seen “works locally (prod + sandbox RevenueCat keys + Apple Sandbox) but Review fails” with the same WAITING_FOR_REVIEW state? Thanks for any official documentation or similar threads.

Hello Apple Developer Support, I would like to follow up regarding my Apple Developer Program enrollment. I have two order numbers: D004762197 (failed payment attempt on Tuesday, April 14, 2026) D004767639 (successful payment on Thursday, April 16, 2026, invoice received) Currently, my account is still showing "Pending" and asking to complete the purchase, even though the second payment was successful. It seems my account might still be linked to the failed order. Could you please help link the successful payment and activate my account? Thank you very much.

We want to implement continuous GPS tracking in a React Native iOS app for security purposes. We need the tracing in the following case scenarios: App is Terminated App is minimised (Not killed) App is open and device is put to sleep mode #Locked App is in minimised and device is put to sleep mode #Locked (sleep mode) Currently it works in following 2 scenarios: Working when the app open in foreground Works when the app is killed (Traces in background) We would like to understand: Is continuous background location tracking during device idle allowed in iOS ? If allowed, what is the recommended approach to ensure reliable tracking? Are there any specific configurations, permissions, or limitations (battery optimization, system restrictions) we should be aware of? We are using React-Native by transistersoft with background location updates enabled and required permissions configured. This use case is specifically for user safety and security tracking. Any guidance on best practices and platform limitations would be helpful.

Hi everyone, We are currently facing an issue in our App Store Connect account where all of our production apps are suddenly showing the status “Removed from Sale.” This happened unexpectedly, and: We did NOT make any manual changes to app availability No recent app rejections or guideline violations were received Agreements, Tax & Banking section shows no pending actions TestFlight builds are still working fine We also have not received any clear communication from Apple explaining the reason for this. This is affecting all our live apps and impacting business operations. Has anyone else faced a similar issue recently? Could this be related to account-level restrictions or any recent policy updates? Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello, I'm the developer of RPGPlayer, a game emulator for RPG Maker games that has been live on the App Store since 2025. I'm writing here out of frustration and desperation after 2+ months of trying to publish a critical bug fix update. The Situation I submitted v2.4 on February 21, 2026. Since then, I have received 9+ rejections under Guidelines 4.7 and 2.5.2. Every single rejection message is word-for-word identical — the same copy-pasted text, every time. None of my detailed technical responses have ever been acknowledged or addressed. I have submitted appeals twice through the App Review Board. Both times I received the same automated response: "The App Review Board will contact you directly once they've completed their investigation." The first appeal went unanswered for over 30 days. At this point, I genuinely do not believe a human being has opened my app during any of these reviews. The Technical Reality RPGPlayer is a game emulator, explicitly permitted under Guideline 4.7. The rejection under 4.7 states that "HTML5-based games appear to be an incidental feature." This is incorrect. RPG Maker MV/MZ games are built on HTML5/JavaScript by design — that is the engine's native architecture on all platforms including PC and consoles. The WKWebView is the emulation layer, not a web browser or game portal. There are zero bundled games. The rejection under 2.5.2 states the app "installed or launched executable code." The app does not download anything from the internet. It includes a bundled, statically-linked runtime (MKXP-Z) that interprets local game scripts from user-imported files — identical to how Delta Emulator interprets ROM instructions. The Double Standard Other apps on the App Store use the exact same architecture as RPGPlayer: Delta Emulator — approved under Guideline 4.7, interprets user-provided ROM files Quest Play — RPG Maker MV/MZ player, uses the same WebView approach, currently receiving updates ArkRPG — same engine, same architecture, also on the App Store and getting updates. These apps are approved and actively updated. RPGPlayer is being rejected with automated messages for doing the exact same thing. What I've Tried Detailed technical responses in Resolution Center — ignored Two App Review Board appeals — no meaningful response Contact Us support requests — automated replies Provided ROM files, video walkthroughs, and thorough App Review Notes — none of it acknowledged The Impact My users have been waiting 50+ days for a critical bug fix. Some have left negative reviews calling me a scammer because they think I abandoned the app. I haven't. I've been fighting this review process every single day. I have a Meet with Apple appointment scheduled. But I wanted to share this here as well — both to ask if anyone has faced a similar situation with emulator apps, and to document what is happening in case it helps other developers. Has anyone successfully resolved a 4.7 + 2.5.2 rejection for a legitimate emulator app? Any advice is welcome.