Hello,
I have been experiencing repeated “spam” rejections across several app submissions, including apps that are unrelated to one another, and I would appreciate advice from developers who have encountered a similar situation.
I initially developed a sports-themed deckbuilding game and created separate versions based on different sports. Although they share a general concept, each version has its own sport-specific rules, terminology, progression, and gameplay systems. For example, the basketball version uses drafts, while the football/soccer version uses transfers.
Three of these sports versions were approved, while three others were rejected as spam. I understand that apps based on a shared concept may require additional clarification, so I explained the differences between them during the review and appeal processes.
However, subsequent apps that are completely unrelated to those sports games have also been rejected as spam. This includes:
- A paid game with a different concept and gameplay
- A free meeting app with no purchases, subscriptions, or paid content
The meeting app was also initially questioned because the review team could not locate a payment mechanism. However, there is no payment mechanism because the app is entirely free. All features are available to every user, and creating an account is optional.
My Apple Developer account has been active since 2019, and I had not experienced this pattern before. Because unrelated submissions are now receiving similar rejections, I am concerned that the reviews may be influenced by an account-level classification rather than an individual assessment of each app.
I submitted appeals and provided detailed explanations, but I have been waiting for approximately two weeks. The response I received stated:
“Due to increased volume, we’re working toward investigating your appeal.”
The overall issue has now been ongoing for nearly two months.
Has anyone experienced repeated spam rejections affecting otherwise unrelated apps? If so:
- Were you able to request a broader review of your developer account?
- Is there a recommended escalation channel beyond the standard appeal process?
- What supporting information helped demonstrate that the apps were sufficiently different?
- Is it normal for appeal investigations to take several weeks?
I am happy to provide the review team with comparison documents, gameplay videos, detailed feature lists, or any other information needed. I would mainly like to understand the most appropriate way to have each app evaluated based on its own functionality and content.
Thank you.
