Hello,
I’m looking for advice from developers who may have encountered similar App Review situations.
I have an iOS game (“Next Run Game”), a fantasy roguelike RPG. App version 1.0.13 was reviewed and approved by App Review, but it was not released publicly on the App Store.
Later, I submitted version 1.0.14. This update contained only minor changes:
- small balance tweaks
- bug fixes
- localization text fixes
No changes were made to metadata or presentation:
- app name
- icon
- screenshots
- description
- branding
- overall concept
After submitting version 1.0.14, the app began to be rejected under:
- Guideline 4.3 (Spam)
- later also Guideline 4.1 (Copycats)
The review messages are generic and state that the app or its metadata “appears to be misrepresenting itself as another popular app,” but no specific example, reference app, or concrete issue has been provided.
What is confusing to me:
- The same app (version 1.0.13) was previously approved by App Review.
- Metadata did not change between the approved and rejected submissions.
- Appeals to the App Review Board and App Review Support requests were submitted (Nov 18 and Nov 28), but no response was received beyond automated confirmations.
- Replies in App Store Connect result only in repeated template responses that do not address the points raised.
Questions:
- Has anyone experienced an app being approved and later rejected under 4.1 or 4.3 without metadata changes?
- Is it expected that App Review can reinterpret “copycat” or “spam” issues retroactively when nothing has changed?
- Are there known practical steps in such cases besides renaming the app or fully rebranding?
- Is there any effective escalation path when appeals receive no response for multiple weeks?
I’m trying to understand whether this is a known pattern and what realistically helps in practice.
Thank you for any insights.
