The rejection reasons that come up most
Apple's App Review Guidelines are long, but rejections cluster around a handful of themes. Knowing which one you tripped saves days of guesswork.
Read the exact guideline number Apple cites in Resolution Center. The reply is specific, and the fix is usually specific too, not a vague quality complaint.
- Guideline 2.1 crashes or bugs found on the reviewer's device or network
- Guideline 4.3 'spam' when your app is too similar to others you or others published
- Guideline 5.1.1 privacy: missing purpose strings, or collecting data without a privacy policy or App Privacy label
- Guideline 3.1.1 using an outside payment flow for digital goods instead of in-app purchase
- Guideline 2.3 metadata mismatch: screenshots, description, or keywords that don't match the app
- Guideline 5.1.1(v) forcing sign-up for features that don't need an account
How to actually get through review
Reviewers test on real devices, sometimes on slow or restricted networks, and they look for a working path through your core feature. Give them one.
When you disagree, you can reply in Resolution Center with evidence or request a call, or appeal to the App Review Board. Being precise and factual moves faster than resubmitting blindly.
- Provide a working demo account and, for hardware or region-locked features, notes in App Review Information
- Record a short screen capture of the feature if it needs setup the reviewer can't reach
- Fill out the App Privacy questions to match what your code and SDKs actually collect
- Add every required usage-description string (camera, location, contacts, tracking) with a human-readable reason
- Resubmit with a clear reply that maps each change to the guideline cited
More on ios apps
Frequently asked questions
How long does App Review take?
Apple no longer publishes a fixed SLA, but most reviews complete within a day or two. Expedited review is available for genuine urgent cases like a critical bug fix, though it is not guaranteed and shouldn't be your normal plan.
We keep getting rejected for the same reason. Can you help?
Yes. Send us the exact guideline number and Apple's message from Resolution Center. We'll pinpoint the cause, fix it in the build or the metadata, and help you write the reply. Start with a free consultation so we can see the specifics.
Can you guarantee approval?
No one honestly can. Apple has final say and the guidelines change. What we can do is remove the common failure points before you submit so you're not fixing avoidable problems after a rejection.