Hi everyone, I’d appreciate guidance on a 2.5.2 rejection. My app was rejected with this message: “During review, the app installed or launched executable code. Specifically, the app allows users to install apps created by other users.” What my app actually does: Users create/share tool templates (not binaries/plugins). A template contains only: form configuration (text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, sliders, etc.) At runtime, placeholders like #TextField are replaced with user input, then the final prompt is sent to a server for AI response. *The iOS app does not download/install/execute native code, scripts, frameworks, or dynamic modules on-device. I suspect review interpreted the word “install” in my UI as real app/code installation anyone knows what can i do to fix this problem. thank you,

My app has been pending review in App Store Connect since April 13, 2026. I have already contacted Apple Support ticket 102873493392, but I’m still stuck in the same situation with no clear explanation or timeline. This delay is becoming really frustrating, especially after following the required process and receiving no meaningful update. I would appreciate it if the App Review team could look into this case and let me know what is blocking the review.

Hello App Review Team, We respectfully ask for your assistance regarding our app review status. Our submission was re-submitted on April 29, 2026, and it has now been waiting for review for more than 12 days without any update or response. In addition, we have already been working through the review process for this app on this developer account for almost 4 months. We carefully addressed all previous review feedback and submitted the required fixes, but the review process continues to experience very long delays. This situation is now seriously impacting our planned product launch, business operations, and partner commitments. We sincerely ask if the App Review Team could please help: Review the current submission status Escalate the case internally if possible Help move the review process forward Reference Information: Case Number: 102877213113 Submission ID: 68850cef-1651-40c8-b717-7916b679a467 We would greatly appreciate any assistance or update regarding this matter. Thank you very much.

I’m looking for guidance regarding App Review classifying my app as gambling / real-money gaming under Guideline 5.3.4. My app is a free football prediction competition app where users predict match scores and compete in rankings based on prediction accuracy. Top-ranked users may occasionally receive promotional physical prizes such as headphones, consoles, or other products. Important details: participation is completely free there are no entry fees users cannot deposit money users cannot withdraw money there is no wagering or betting system there are no sportsbooks, odds, or casino mechanics users never risk money to participate prizes are funded directly by the platform as promotional rewards Apple rejected the app under: Guideline 2.3.6 – Accurate Metadata Guideline 5.3.4 – Gaming, Gambling, and Lotteries App Review is stating that the app includes “real money gambling, real money betting, or real money skill-based gaming” and is requesting gambling licenses and geo-restrictions. My understanding was that gambling generally requires users to risk something of value (money/payment/consideration) for a chance to win prizes, which does not happen in this app. I would appreciate guidance from developers who have experience with: Free prediction or fantasy-style apps with promotional prizes Skill-based competitions reviewed by Apple Sweepstakes/contest compliance on the App Store UI/wording that may accidentally trigger gambling classification Whether App Review typically requires legal contest rules instead of gambling licenses in cases like this If anyone has successfully published a similar app, I’d really appreciate hearing what changes or clarifications helped during review. I want to launch initially in Brazil Thank you.

My Apple Developer account was recently terminated, and I received an email stating that the reason was section 3.2(f) of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. However, I have not changed anything recently in our apps, business model, or developer activity, and I genuinely do not understand the reason behind this termination. I have always tried to follow Apple’s guidelines carefully and act in good faith. This termination has severely impacted my work and users, and I am urgently requesting clarification regarding what exactly triggered this action. If someone from Apple or the App Review / Developer Relations team could please contact me or review the case again, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Hello Developers, I am facing an issue while trying to sign in to a newly created Apple Developer account on my Mac/Xcode. Error message: “This device is already associated with other accounts in the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program. Please use a different device.” Details: The Apple ID works correctly in browser login Apple Developer membership/payment is completed The account is accessible on the Apple website The issue only appears while signing in on the Mac/Xcode I already contacted Apple Support and received a case ID, but no response yet after 24+ hours Things already tried: Signed out/in from Apple ID Restarted Mac Tried different network Cleared related account settings Has anyone faced this issue before? Is this a temporary device association/security restriction from Apple’s side, or does it require manual reset by Apple Support? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

My app has been released, and there is an "App Clip" link available in the advanced experience. Could someone please tell me if there is a way for me to modify or delete this link? (I'm not looking to deactivate the link; I just want to remove it so that other apps can use it.) If I remove the already published APP, can I also delete this link?

Hello, I am trying to upload a watchOS standalone app to App Store Connect using Xcode 26.3, but Organizer does not show the “App Store Connect” upload option. It only displays: • Release Testing (Ad Hoc) • Enterprise • Debugging Project setup • Target type: watchOS App (standalone, not companion) • PRODUCT_TYPE = com.apple.product-type.application • PRODUCT_BUNDLE_PACKAGE_TYPE = APPL • WRAPPER_EXTENSION = app • SUPPORTED_PLATFORMS = watchos watchsimulator • Archive configuration: Release • Base SDK: watchOS The app does not depend on iOS. Bundle ID Originally: com.example.app.watchkitapp Recreated as: com.example.app HealthKit capability enabled in: • Developer Portal • Xcode (Signing & Capabilities) Signing • Apple Distribution certificate active • App Store provisioning profile created • Manual signing configured for Release (Apple Distribution + App Store profile) • Also tested Automatic signing • Deleted old Ad Hoc profiles • Cleared Derived Data and regenerated archive App Store Connect • App created successfully using bundle ID com.example.app • Account role: Account Holder • No pending Agreements, Tax, or Banking items Despite a valid Release archive signed with Apple Distribution, Organizer only allows Ad Hoc distribution and never shows “App Store Connect”. Is this a known issue in Xcode 26 affecting independent watchOS apps, or is there an additional configuration step required? Thank you.

[Repost: Somehow my original thread from Jan was deleted. I called dev support and they said to post again, if there's a better channel to get answer for this, please let me know.] I’m an indie dev with a paid, one-time-purchase app (Dash Calc, $4 USD), and sales have been rough. In a crowded category, an upfront-paid app feels like a tough sell without a way to try it first. I’d like to offer a simple 7-day free trial followed by a single lifetime purchase, but App Store Connect still doesn’t officially support trials for paid apps. In Jan 2023, an App Store Commerce Engineer recommended the $0 non-consumable IAP + paid non-consumable IAP workaround: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/722874 I haven’t implemented it yet, but the subsequent discussion suggests the approach is overly complex. Handling refunds, reinstalls, activation timing, and purchase history requires non-obvious logic, and some developers report customer confusion and drop-off when presented with a $0 trial IAP. Has anything improved since 2023? Any new StoreKit APIs or App Store Connect changes that make this simpler or less error-prone? Is the $0 non-consumable IAP still the recommended approach in 2026? Any updated policy guidance for time-limited access on one-time purchases? I’m happy to use the workaround if it’s still the official path—I just want to confirm there isn’t a better option now.

Hello, I'm posting again — and unfortunately, I already know how this thread is going to go. My app (ID: 6756186616) has now been stuck in "In Review" for 80 days. To save everyone time, here is the reply I expect to receive within a day or two, copy-pasted from the response on my last thread: "Thank you for your post. We're investigating and The App Review team will contact you in App Store Connect to provide further assistance. If you continue to experience issues during review, please contact us." Nothing actually happened after that reply last time. No follow-up in App Store Connect. No further communication. Just silence. When I escalated to Developer Support (case #20000111565861), I was told explicitly that Developer Support has no way to reach the App Review team and no authority to intervene on submissions stuck in review. So Developer Support points back to App Review, and the standard forum reply points back to "contact us" — which loops back to Developer Support. This is a closed loop that doesn't actually resolve anything for an independent developer. Concrete questions: Is there any real escalation path that doesn't end in an automated reply? Why has a submission been "In Review" for 80 days with zero communication? What should a solo developer do when both Developer Support and the forum response are dead ends? I'm not asking for special treatment. I'm asking for the review to actually move — in either direction. A rejection with feedback would be infinitely more useful than 80 days of silence. Thank you.

Hi, My iOS app, "GNYS" (Apple ID 6761986315) was submitted on 14 April 2026 and has had the status, "Waiting for Review" since then - now for 24 days. This is a first submission. I previously contacted Apple Support but haven’t received a clear explanation or timeline. I’d really appreciate it if the App Review team could look into this or advise on whether any additional information is needed from my side. Thank you.

I’m working on an iOS app and need help with ASO to find the best keywords for title, subtitle, description, and keyword field. Can anyone suggest free tools that show keyword volume, difficulty, and competitor keywords?

I launched my app on the App Store and Google Play about two months ago and despite improving the icon and screenshots I have only reached around 40 downloads which makes me believe ASO is my main challenge. I started using ASO tools like TryAstro and AppTweak but the keyword metrics such as volume 39 and difficulty 0 are confusing so I would appreciate guidance on interpreting this data and on effective ASO strategies for a new app with minimal downloads or ratings.

Hi all, I made an initial ONGOING POST request to the Analytics Reports API, received a request ID, and used it to list available reports. I've waited beyond the documented 24–48 hour generation window, but I'm not seeing the two subscription reports I need from the Commerce category: Subscription State Subscription Event Interestingly, the other three Commerce reports are available (both standard and detailed): App Store Purchases App Store Pre-Orders App Downloads Does the absence of the subscription reports indicate they're not enabled for this account? If so, is there a separate step required to make them available? Thanks

I'd appreciate input from anyone who has shipped a multiplatform productivity service (web + iOS + Android) where the iOS app is free and the website handles subscriptions. We just went through several review cycles on this and want to make sure we end up on the right pattern long-term. The setup Cross-platform productivity SaaS. Users sign up and subscribe on the web. The iOS app is fully free. No IAP, no upgrade UI, no pricing screens, no paywalls, no plan-tier badging. iOS exists primarily for capabilities a browser/PWA cannot deliver on iOS: native geofencing and native phone-call detection, plus on-the-go time capture. The same account a user has on the web is the account they sign into on iOS. The question For a multiplatform service like this — what's the safest, App-Review-defensible pattern for the iOS app's relationship to the user's web subscription tier? There appear to be two patterns in the wild: Tier-identical iOS — every iOS user, regardless of their web plan, sees an identical feature set on iOS. The iOS app surfaces nothing tier-specific. Web subscribers don't gain anything on iOS for being subscribers. Tier-aware iOS under 3.1.3(b) — Free users see a base feature set; users who already paid on the web see additional features mirroring their web account, framed under Multiplatform Services. What we learned Pattern 2 reads naturally from 3.1.3(b)'s text about apps "operating across multiple platforms" letting users "access content … acquired … on … your web site." We initially built and submitted with pattern 2. The piece we underweighted is the "also" in 3.1.3(b): "provided those items are also available as in-app purchases within the app." App Review's reading is that 3.1.3(b) only attaches if IAP is also offered in the iOS app for those items. If IAP is not offered, "Pro features visible to paid web users on iOS" is read as 3.1.1 (paid digital content accessed in-app without IAP), regardless of how the entitlement was granted. We resolved it by switching to pattern 1 — tier-identical iOS — which made the question moot. The product cost of pattern 1 Worth flagging for anyone weighing this themselves: pattern 1 (tier-identical iOS) creates a real and visible feature divergence between iOS on one side, and Android + web on the other. On Android we surface the user's paid-tier features just like the web does — there's no equivalent guideline forcing tier-uniformity on the Play Store side. So a Pro user on the same account sees a meaningfully different app on iOS than on their other devices. That's the trade we accepted to be unambiguously compliant with 3.1.1, but it is a trade — not a free move. Users notice. Support tickets will reflect it. For an internal stakeholder asking "why is iOS missing X," the honest answer is "App Store rules around paid digital content, with no IAP path that fits our pricing model." Specific things I'd love input on For other multiplatform services without IAP — has anyone defensibly shipped pattern 2 in the last ~12 months? If so, what was the framing? Is there a documented carve-out under 3.1.3(b) for genuinely free iOS apps, or has the "also available as IAP" language been read strictly across the board? For apps that took pattern 1 (tier-identical iOS): did you find any side-effects (e.g. App Store reviewers questioning the value of an iOS app that doesn't differentiate by plan)? For teams who took pattern 1: how did you communicate the iOS / Android feature gap to users? In-app message, FAQ, just leave it implicit? Are there cases where a phone call from App Review (offered in the rejection email) clarified this faster than the written back-and-forth? What I think the takeaway is, for posterity For a free iOS app fronting a cross-platform paid service, tier-identical iOS is the unambiguous safe harbour today. 3.1.3(b) appears to require IAP to be offered before it can be cited as cover for tier-aware behaviour, even if the user paid elsewhere. If anyone has a recent counter-example I'd genuinely like to see it — it would be useful for the next thread someone Googles. Thanks in advance.

Issue Description We noticed the app shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept as apps submitted to the App Store by other developers, with only minor differences. Next Steps Since we do not accept spam apps on the App Store, we encourage you to review the app concept and submit a unique app with distinct content and functionality. Resources Some factors that contribute to a spam rejection may include: Submitting an app with the same source code or assets as other apps already submitted to the App Store Creating and submitting multiple similar apps using a repackaged app template Purchasing an app template with problematic code from a third party Submitting several similar apps across multiple accounts Learn more about our requirements to prevent spam in guideline 4.3.

Hi all, My published app is named Frenzz. When users search for it on the App Store, the results show apps for "Frenzy" with a small prompt at the top asking "Search for Frenzz instead?" Users are typing the correct name, but the App Store is treating it as a typo and surfacing the wrong results by default. Has anyone run into this? What's the right way to get Frenzz to show as the primary result for its own name? Thanks

Hello, my App DEBRIEF has now already for 15d the status „Waiting For Review“ and nothing is changing. I opened a support ticket under 102880278747 3d ago and got the reply that it should have been checked and it can’t take much longer. I am running ads already for the app and some partners are waiting for the launch. Any Ideas what I can do or is that normal ? What do I need to expect? Apple ID: 6762911498 Bundle ID: com.netcoresolutions.DE-BRIEF

Hello, I have an internal TestFlight build for my app PewPewApp (Apple ID 6760741808). The build is processed, assigned to an internal group, and the tester invitation is accepted. The build status shows Ready to Test / Testing in App Store Connect. However, installation from TestFlight fails with: “The requested app is not available or doesn’t exist.” Could you please check whether there is an account-level or backend TestFlight distribution issue affecting this app/build? Thank you.

Hello everyone, my initial app release (Version 1.0) has been stuck in the 'Waiting for Review' status for 6 days now. It is a comprehensive app that includes localization for 14 different languages. I understand that initial submissions and extensive localizations can take longer to review, but 6 days seems unusually long. Is anyone else experiencing similar extended delays with App Review recently? Any insights would be appreciated. Thank you.