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.(c) You cannot use another developer’s icon, brand, or product name in your app’s icon or name, without approval from the developer. 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.

Here are some tips from App Review for a smooth review experience. We’ve split them into two categories: Before You Submit and After You Submit. We’ve also made an easy-to-follow Submission Guide you can save and reference at any point on your App Store journey. Before You Submit Tips Enable a complete review. Make sure you’ve provided demo accounts or implemented an account demonstration mode before you submit. We’ll need to review the entire app experience, both with and without an account. Provide up-to-date demo account login credentials in the App Review Information section on the app version page in App Store Connect. If your app has multiple account types (such as admin and general users), use the Notes field to provide additional demo account credentials for each account type. If your app requires an authentication code in addition to the login credentials, provide the code in advance in the Notes field. Otherwise, a call may be required to complete the review. Apps that handle sensitive user information, or operate in highly regulated industries, can implement demonstration modes that exhibit full features and functionality while using demonstration data. Use the Notes field in App Store Connect to provide information to App Review. The App Review Information section of App Store Connect includes a Notes field. Provide any information that could be relevant to your submission’s review: Submitting a new app? Tell us about your app's concept, business model, and if your app is designed to only operate in certain locations. Submitting an update? Tell us about what’s changed and where to locate significant new content or features. Connecting to hardware? Attach a video, not a screen recording, that shows both the hardware and the app running on a physical Apple device as they pair and interact. Test your app on physical devices before submitting for review. Use TestFlight to distribute your app for beta testing. App Review evaluates apps the way your users will use them: installed on real devices and connected to networks with real-world conditions. Make sure your pre-submission testing includes running the app on each device platform where it could be used. Users expect the app to function on all the devices where it’s available. TestFlight will help you do quality assurance and beta testing on real devices. Share your beta app with internal testers on your Apple Developer Program account or to external users via an email invite or public link. Configure In-App Purchases for review in the sandbox environment. App Review assesses In-App Purchases in the same sandbox environment Apple provides for testing them. The sandbox lets us use real product data and server-to-server transactions, without incurring any financial charges. Take these steps to prepare your In-App Purchases for review: Accept the Paid Applications Agreement in App Store Connect. Submit the In-App Purchases in App Store Connect that you’d like reviewed. Follow the steps in TN3186: Troubleshooting In-App Purchases availability in the sandbox if your app fails to display your In-App Purchases. Note: In-App Purchases don’t need prior approval from App Review to function in review. Join a Meet with Apple event if you need assistance before you submit for review. Request an App Review appointment through Meet with Apple to chat with an App Review expert about how to prepare for review, ask questions about specific guidelines, and discuss other topics related to the review process. Appointments are subject to availability during your local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After You Submit Tips Contact App Review if you need assistance with an ongoing submission. If your submission doesn’t pass review and you have questions, contact App Review directly by clicking Reply to App Review in App Store Connect. You’ll receive a reply from a review specialist who’s familiar with your app. You can also use the Reply to App Review message window to request a call with an Apple representative. Include your preferred time and language for the call and we’ll do our best to accommodate your requests. Use the Bug Fix Submissions process to quickly deliver bug fixes and resolve other issues on the next submission. If an update includes bug fixes and is rejected, you will be given the option to resolve the issues on your next submission, as long as there are no legal or safety concerns. App Review will let you know if your submission is eligible by including this note at the top of the rejection message: Bug Fix Submissions The issues we've identified below are eligible to be resolved on your next update. To accept this offer, simply reply to the rejection message in App Store Connect and let App Review know you’ll resolve the issues on the next submission. Share ideas with Apple about how to improve or clarify the App Review Guidelines by submitting guideline feedback. Just as the App Store is always changing and improving to keep up with the needs of customers, the App Review Guidelines may be revised to provide new and updated guidance. If you have ideas for improving or clarifying our requirements you can suggest guideline changes. If your submission was rejected but you believe it follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board. If your submission didn’t pass review but you have reason to believe it follows the App Review Guidelines, you can submit an appeal to the App Review Board. You can also file an appeal if you think we misunderstood your app or the review was unfair. The App Review Board will contact you as soon as they complete their investigation.

Apple platforms make it easy to distribute your app to a variety of compatible devices, so it’s important to maximize your app experience on each platform you support. Here are some tips from App Review to help you understand how device compatibility impacts your app’s distribution — and how to make sure your apps shine on every platform they’re on. Understand device compatibility There are many ways an app built for one Apple device can run on other Apple devices: Apps designed for iPhone can run on iPad devices in compatibility mode if there are no dependencies on iPhone device capabilities. Compatible iPhone and iPad apps can run unmodified on Macs with Apple Silicon. Compatible iPhone and iPad apps can run unmodified on Apple Vision Pro. Xcode provides options to configure settings for apps on multiple platforms. You can specify which platforms your app’s target supports in the Supported Destination field. However, it’s important to note: People may still be able to run your app on a device even if you remove it or don't include it as a Supported Destination in Xcode. For example, as long as an app designed for iPhone doesn’t depend on a capability that’s only available on iPhone, it can be downloaded from the App Store onto iPad. Adding or removing iPad as a Supported Destination in Xcode won’t change that app’s availability on iPad. To view examples of cases where it's appropriate to restrict availability, see Restrict device distribution below. Follow compatibility best practices 1. Plan and test for compatibility modes so your app works on every device where it can be downloaded. Do: Use Xcode simulators to verify basic functionality across different device types. Leverage TestFlight with external testers who have access to a wide range of Apple devices. Don't: Don’t submit for review without testing your app’s behavior in compatibility modes. Don’t assume removing a supported destination in Xcode prevents distribution to that device type. 2. Build adaptive interfaces that work across device variations. Do: Build interfaces that respond to different screen sizes and orientations. Adapt features based on available hardware, providing alternatives for a consistent experience. Don't: Don’t design rigid interfaces that assume only one type of device or input method. Don’t let your app crash or become unusable when optional hardware is unavailable. Restrict device distribution Wherever possible, it’s best to make your app available on multiple platforms to increase its reach and provide people with a consistent experience across devices. But there are cases where it does makes sense to restrict an app’s availability. For example: iPhone apps that rely on iPhone-specific hardware won’t function as expected on iPad. Use the UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key in the information property list file to specify hardware dependencies. Note: Apps should only use the UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key for genuine hardware dependencies, not to indicate distribution preferences. Navigation- or camera-based apps are not well suited for visionOS. Learn more about managing availability of iPhone and iPad apps on Apple Vision Pro. Apps that rely heavily on touch inputs that can’t be replicated on a keyboard are not well suited for macOS. Learn more about restricting distribution to Apple Silicon devices. Learn more about how to configure multiplatform apps in Xcode. Support If you need more assistance, explore these support options: 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 through Meet with Apple. Appointments are available during local business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you believe your app follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board.

Apple has repeatedly rejected or iOS app (we have the app on Android as well) for an assumed violation of the IAP guideline. There is nothing to purchase. The app was accepted for almost 3 years without this objection. On the registration screen it said "unlock code" for one field and email for the other. We changed unlock code to User identity and they continued to reject it. I am the point where I may not be employed any longer over the repeated rejections. Each time I have noted the app is free. There is no paid content. This is impacted me, not paid yet, my client, current version is broken on iOS because of a mandatory server API change, and our apps users, who now have a non functioning app. Anyone else run into this, by now seemingly malicious, app review black hole? Did you resolve it?

Hi, I was wondering about Apple's review queues. I have an app that in waiting for review for almost a week now but review time trackers claim average waiting times less than a day: https://www.runway.team/appreviewtimes My previous experience is also quite inconsistent, can you please shed some light on how things work internally? In this time I have done some improvements on the app that I was considering for the next update, should I cancel and re-submit?

Hello App Review Team, I'm hoping someone can take a manual look or point me in the right direction. The iOS build of my app has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" with no status change, while the macOS and tvOS builds of the exact same version have already been reviewed and released. App: VixioTV - IPTV & M3U Player App ID: 6763137740 Platform: iOS (iPhone/iPad) Current status: Waiting for Review Most recent submission: [June 24, 2026] Time in queue: ~24 days with no status change Related case IDs: [your expedited review / Developer Support case numbers] Context I'd like to share proactively: This is an update to an app that is ALREADY LIVE on the App Store (current iOS version 1.2). It is not a new app. The macOS and tvOS versions of this same update have already passed review and are live — only the iOS build is stuck. VixioTV is a bring-your-own-content player: it provides no broadcasts or content of its own. Users connect their own IPTV subscription (API credentials or an M3U URL). There is no registration, subscription, or content sale inside the app. I have submitted expedited review requests and contacted Developer Support, but I've only received generic/automated replies with no change in status. I would really appreciate it if someone could: Confirm whether there is any issue with the build, metadata, agreements, or account that requires action on my side. Indicate whether this is queue congestion or a submission-specific hold. If possible, escalate or trigger a manual review. Thank you very much for your help. Selcuk Kaymaz

Heya, I recently submitted two app updates for two apps, one got reviewed within the hour. The other is waiting for 5 days. The second one is more complex, but also changed the name (core name stayed the same, just added some text) and description, does that effect the que or review? As it's kinda weird that one takes 1h and the other is still waiting while both are submitted within 6h of each other.

Hello, I'm looking for advice because my app update appears to be stuck in "Waiting for Review." Submission date: June 11, 2026 Status: Waiting for Review (it has never changed to "In Review") Type: Update to an existing app (not a new app) This update does not introduce: new subscriptions or paywalls, new payment methods, major changes to the app's business model. I've already: Submitted an App Review Support request. Submitted an Expedited Review Request. Waited for a response, but I haven't received any reply. I've also verified that there are no outstanding agreements or obvious issues in App Store Connect. Has anyone experienced a similar situation recently? If so: Did your submission eventually move into review on its own? Did you have to withdraw and resubmit? Is there another way to contact the App Review team when support requests receive no response? If an Apple staff member sees this, I'd appreciate it if you could check whether my submission or support case may be stuck. Thank you.

Hello, Our app has been in "Waiting for Review" status for more than a week, and our previous submission also took over a week to be reviewed. This delay is affecting our planned release schedule. App details: App name: Nhật Luân Kiếm App ID: 6777269196 We'd really appreciate any guidance on the current review timeline, or whether there is anything on our side we can do to help move the review forward. We're happy to provide any additional information if needed. Thank you very much for your time and support. Best regards.

I had appealed an app (new version) rejection more than 10 days back, but have not heard back Also escalated the issue by using 'contact us' on Apple Developer, but no reply to that email as well (Case ID: 102923097346) Is it normal for Apple to: Take so much time? And give no status updates in the meantime?

Hi everyone, We're experiencing an unusually long App Review delay for our tvOS application and wanted to check if anyone else is seeing the same behaviour or has any suggestions. App Details Platform: tvOS Xcode Version: 26.4.1 Submission Type: App Update Distribution: App Store Status: In Review Issue We submitted an app update last week, and it remained in the "In Review" state for approximately one week with no updates. Since there was no progress, we rejected that submission, uploaded a new build, and submitted it again. The new build has now also been "In Review" for the last 5 days. Apple has not rejected the app or provided any review notes or requests for additional information. The status simply remains "In Review". What we've tried Submitted an Expedited Review Request. Contacted Apple using the App Review "Contact Us" option. We have not received any response to either request. Since there is no rejection or feedback, we don't have any indication that there is an issue with the app itself. Questions Is anyone else currently experiencing unusually long review times for tvOS apps? Is this likely to be an App Review backlog or a known issue on Apple's side? Has anyone had success getting a response through App Review support or Developer Support in a similar situation? Is there anything else we can do besides waiting? Any insights or recent experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Details: I'm looking for clarification on how Guideline 1.4.3 is applied to tobacco related apps. My app, The Leaf Cellar, was rejected under 1.4.3 with the reasoning that its "current concept is not appropriate" because it relates to tobacco. The app is a private inventory manager. It has no store, no purchasing, no vendor or affiliate links, no discovery feed, and no content directed at encouraging or using tobacco. its only function is personal record-keeping (logging inventory you already own, aging dates, humidity readings). A 21+ age gate is enforced on launch. What I'm trying to understand is the consistency of the guideline, because functionally identical apps are currently live on the store and receiving updates (which means apple must approve the submitted updates.) Existing Apps (not being enforced by 1.4.3): "My Humidor – Cigar Journal": [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-humidor-cigar-journal/id6639582700] "Humidor Journal Pro": [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/humidor-journal-pro/id6751737114] Questions: Is there a specific feature or distinction that separates an approvable cigar-journal app from one rejected under 1.4.3 as a "concept"? If apps in this category are already approved, what's the correct path to have an inconsistent rejection reviewed beyond the standard Resolution Center reply? I have already submitted to the App Review Board.

Hello, I submitted my first app (MYSKN, Apple ID 6773428050) on June 13th. It moved to "In Review" around June 16th and has been stuck there ever since — now over 9 days with no feedback or status change. I have also submitted two support requests through the "Contact the App Review Team" form and have not received any response to either. The app includes a fully functional demo account, Privacy Policy, and all required metadata. Is this normal for a first submission? Has anyone experienced something similar? Any advice on how to get a response would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello, my app id 6756081224 Waiting for Review 10 day ago Help me please

Hi all, My first app submission appears to be stalled (16+ days) and I’m completely in the dark as to what is going on. Apple ID: 6776835006 Submission ID: 236039a0-1668-448a-aae6-486d52e6c5b9 Timeline: Ready for Review: Jun 10, 2026 at 3:22 AM Waiting for Review: Jun 10, 2026 at 3:23 AM In Review: Jun 15, 2026 at 5:05 PM Current status: still In Review as of Jun 26, 2026 I have also submitted 2 support cases that are past 48 hour SLA and an expedited review request, but I haven’t received a response yet. Our TestFlight external build has also been stuck in Waiting for Review for 5+ days now. There are no visible unresolved issues, App Review messages, or missing compliance warnings in App Store Connect. Review notes and demo/testing information are provided. Thank you.

My app has been stuck in "waiting for review" for over a week now. The previous time it was stuck for a few weeks until I posted here for someone to review it. Can somebody please take a look at my app and review it.

Hello, My app JiuGO (App ID: 6779938845) has been stuck in "Ready for Distribution" status since June 22, 2026. I had set an automatic release scheduled for June 22 at 5:00 PM GMT, but the app has not appeared on the App Store after 3 days. Steps I have already taken: Opened 2 support tickets (Case ID: 102922525686) - no response Called Apple Support - was told to wait due to a conference Posted on Twitter @AppleSupport - no response Tried to manually release - button is not available/greyed out The app was fully approved after review. All previous issues were resolved. Build 17 is the approved build. Is there anything I can do to manually trigger the release, or can an Apple engineer escalate this internally? Thank you, Lucian-Stefan Lacatus

I'm looking to see if other developers have experienced something similar recently. Our app is a free football prediction app where users predict match scores and earn points for rankings, achievements and statistics. There are: No real money betting No entry fees No cash prizes No operator-funded prizes No virtual currency that can be exchanged for money The app has been available on the App Store for a long time and previous versions (50+ releases) (including a recent version) were approved. However, the latest update was rejected under Guideline 2.3.6. App Review says that because the app includes "tips, tools, predictions or other information related to real money gambling", we must answer "Yes" to the Gambling age rating. What confuses me is that the App Store Connect age rating describes Gambling as betting or wagering using real money or in-game currency that can be exchanged for real money, which does not apply to our app. Has anyone else recently experienced this with a football pool, fantasy league or sports prediction app? If so: Were you asked to set the Gambling age rating to "Yes"? Did App Review explain where they draw the line? Were you eventually able to resolve it? I'm not trying to argue with App Review; I'm simply trying to understand how this guideline is currently being interpreted.

Hello Apple App Review Team, I hope you are doing well. I am writing again to respectfully request a priority review for our app. Our submissions have been waiting in review for more than 3 weeks, without receiving a final review decision. During this time, we have continued to submit updates with important bug fixes and improvements, but we have been unable to release them to our users due to the extended review delay. In addition, we have made more than five attempts to contact Apple Support regarding this issue, but unfortunately we have not received any response to our tickets. The requests appear to remain unanswered, with no follow-up or resolution provided so far. This situation is now significantly affecting our users, as critical issues that have already been fixed are still present in the live version. Each additional day of delay continues to impact the user experience. We fully understand and respect the App Review process and workload. However, given that the waiting period has now exceeded three weeks and there has been no response from support despite multiple attempts, we kindly ask if our latest version of our app could be prioritized for review. For reference, our Apple Developer account / Apple ID is: 6475698369 We would greatly appreciate any update or assistance your team can provide regarding the status of our submission.

Hello, I am looking for advice regarding an unusually long App Review delay. Our app, Bien App (ID: 6769135685), has remained in "Waiting for Review" status since June 13, 2026 without any review activity or communication from App Review. Some additional context: The app is a financial services application. We have already submitted updated builds. We have opened support cases with Apple. The app has not entered "In Review" at any point. There have been no requests for additional information. What makes this situation particularly confusing is that our related application, Bien Plus, was submitted under the same developer account during this period and has already completed review and been approved. Because Bien Plus has already been reviewed and approved, we know that our developer account is in good standing and that our financial services business model has already been reviewed by App Review. At this point, Bien App has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" for several weeks. Has anyone experienced a similar situation where an app remained in "Waiting for Review" for an extended period while other apps under the same account continued through review normally? If so: Did Apple eventually review the app? Did you need to escalate through App Review Support? Did withdrawing and resubmitting help? Was there ultimately a queue issue or another explanation? Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

My iOS app update version 1.1, build 12, has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for an unusually long time. The app has not moved to “In Review” yet. At first, I found that there were some account/compliance items that needed attention. I have since resolved them and carefully checked App Store Connect. Currently, I do not see any remaining “Action Required,” “Missing Metadata,” “Missing Compliance,” or “Developer Action Needed” status. Here is what I have checked: Apple Developer Program License Agreement: accepted Paid Apps Agreement: active Banking and tax information: valid EU DSA / trader status: completed EU countries have been removed from app availability Monthly and yearly subscriptions: approved Subscription group localization: approved Privacy Policy URL and Support URL: accessible App Privacy information: completed Export compliance: no Missing Compliance or Waiting for Export Compliance status App Review Information: completed Selected build: version 1.1, build 12 Current app status: Waiting for Review I also contacted Apple Developer Support, and the response indicated that the app has been added to the App Review queue, but the review has not started yet. No further action was requested from my side. The reason I am concerned is that the current live version 1.0 has issues affecting the core user workflow. Some users may be unable to reliably start or continue experiment records, and version 1.1 includes fixes and improvements for experiment creation, record management, backup/recovery, and record viewing. Has anyone experienced a similar situation where an app update remained in “Waiting for Review” for an unusually long time even after all agreements, subscriptions, DSA, privacy, and build settings were completed? Is there anything else I should check, or is this likely an internal queue issue that needs to be escalated by App Review? Thank you.

Hi App Review, An update to an app that's already live on the App Store has been in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days with no status change, and I wanted to check whether it's proceeding normally or whether anything is required from my side. Submission ID: b4e5d54c-de30-4003-9f3c-232e366d01c4 Version: 1.1.0 (build 7), an update to a live app (1.0.0 currently in production) Submitted: 16 June 2026, 22:10 Current status: Waiting for Review (has not moved to In Review) I've already checked the usual things my end: there's no message in Resolution Center, no "action required" banner on the app or version page, the build shows as valid and is correctly attached to the version, export compliance/encryption is answered, and Agreements, Tax, and Banking are all current. I also contacted Developer Support via the contact form on 23 June [add: case #102923511308 if you have one] but haven't had a reply yet. Could you confirm whether the review is proceeding normally, or let me know if there's anything I need to do? Happy to provide any further detail. Thanks.

Hi all, Our app has been in review since November 1st, and the process has been very slow. We often wait several days between responses, and we keep receiving questions we’ve already answered - even when we point this out in our replies. We’ve contacted Developer Support by email, but the only reply we received was that they’re sorry for the delay and will look into it. We’re unsure whether requesting a phone call might help or if it could pause or reset the review process, and since we’re hoping the next response will finally approve the app, we’ve hesitated to use that option. Has anyone experienced something similar, or does anyone know whether requesting a call has any impact on the current review status? Thanks for any guidance.