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.

Hi everyone, I am experiencing an unusual delay with my app update. I submitted version 1.0.3 of my app, "MarketNow", on March 12, 2026, but it has been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status for 9 days now. Typically, updates are reviewed within 24–48 hours, so this 9-day wait is quite concerning. I have already sent a formal inquiry through App Store Connect but haven't received a specific update yet. Is anyone else seeing long wait times for updates this week? Could this be related to a backlog before the April SDK deadline, or is there a known issue with the Finance category review queue? Any insights would be helpful. Thanks!

Hello, My app has been in “Waiting for Review” since Feb 13. I’ve contacted Apple Support via Contact Us but received no response. Any advice on how to escalate would be appreciated. Thank you!

My investors are losing their minds. We’ve had our app available on Google since late December, but our experience with Apple has been a nightmare. First, despite paying the developer fee, nobody responds to emails or reaches out. The one time we got Apple on the phone, we spoke to someone who said she was in charge of the testing team reviewing our app. The call was frustrating—she didn’t seem familiar with basic app testing for a location-based product (for example, how to emulate a different location), and it left us feeling helpless. The technical ability of the testing process has been shocking. We spent a month just trying to get reviewers to understand the basic app concepts. Our app also isn’t available in the United States, which seemed to confuse the review team. We’ve been able to address feedback quickly—sometimes within an hour—yet here we are nearly five months later still stuck. Right now we are averaging about a week at best to two weeks. Our app works; we know this because it’s been live for over five months on Google. We are not some AI slop app—this is a startup built by a team of people and private capital—and we can’t be taken seriously by anyone under these conditions. What do we do? What do we pay you for? What do I tell my investors? How do we get in contact with someone who can actually help? HOW DO WE GET REAL TESTERS?????

I have been submitting the app multiple times and I keep getting rejected for: Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness Specifically, the in-app purchase is not available and the app is unresponsive when we tap the Upgrade button. I feel like I am stuck in a circle since it is showing me the pricing is unavailalbe on my subscription page. I have checked and it is wired correctly and works in the google play store. The issue is that my subriptions are not approved yet. But I can't get my subscriptions approved without the app being approved for the first time. So the Upgrade button cannot work, since the subscriptions are not approved, and they can't be approved without the app being approved. I can't test it in the sandbox, since the application is not approved. Anyone know what to do with this issue?

I have been submitting the app multiple times, and I keep getting rejected on Guideline 2.1 - Performance. Specifically, the in-app purchase is not available and the app is unresponsive when we tap the Upgrade button. I have tested the wiring and it works, the issue is that the subscriptions are not approved because: "Your first subscription must be submitted with a new app version. Create your subscription, then select it from the app’s In-App Purchases and Subscriptions section on the version page before submitting the version to App Review." So I can't get the subscriptions approved without the app approved, but I can't get the app approved without the update option to work. I seem to be stuck in a loop. Please assist.

Dear Sirs My app with ID 6758008521 is waiting for review since February, I'm concerned about the delay. Could you please provide an update on the review process.

Hello, I’m experiencing a performance issue: I poured some tea, but it’s taking too long to cool down, so I can’t start drinking it. I tried moving the cup to the balcony, but the latency is still high. Could you please advise how to speed up the process?

Hello, My app "Zen Mahjong!" has been stuck in the App Review process for an unusually long time and I’m trying to understand if something might be wrong with the submission. Timeline: First submission entered “In Review” and stayed there for 6 days without a decision. I rejected that build, uploaded a new build and resubmitted on February 17. Since then the app has been in “Waiting for Review” for more than 3 weeks. Additional context: App size ~40 MB Only IAP is a “Remove Ads” purchase I already contacted Developer Support and opened an expedited review request. Support also mentioned that this delay seems unusual. Has anyone experienced something similar or could this indicate that the submission is stuck in the review pipeline? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance regarding my app review process. I submitted my iOS app (version 1.0) and it has been in “Waiting for Review” status for quite some time now. I understand that review times can vary, but this is taking longer than I expected, and I’m not sure if this is normal or if there might be an issue with my submission. For some additional context: The first time I submitted the app, it was rejected. Since I’m new to the Apple Developer platform, I mistakenly removed the rejected build instead of addressing the rejection and resubmitting. After that, I submitted the app again, and now it’s been waiting for review. My question is: Could removing the rejected build have caused any delays or issues with the review process? Or is the current waiting time unrelated to that? I would really appreciate any advice from experienced developers on whether I should just continue waiting or if there’s something specific I should check or do. Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me with my account. I'm a long time dev but new to the world of developing mobile apps. I think I accidentally got my account flagged from pushing too many updates (for external testing) for one of my apps. I didn't realise they were actually getting reviewed. Now unfortunately, none of my apps when I try to post to production get reviewed. Only one got reviewed because I got it expedited but even now, I've tried to post an updated version and it's been waiting in review for over two days but someone I know got theirs reviewed and approved in less than 12 hours. Can someone at Apple please review my account and see if it's been flagged? I've got a few apps that are also waiting a review (completely different from each other) but I'm stuck at a bottleneck due to not being able to be reviewed.

I’m following up regarding two apps I submitted on March 2 that are still stuck in “Waiting for Review.” First app id is 6759584758 and second is 6759892034 It has now been over two weeks with no movement or communication. This is already beyond the typical review timeframe Apple communicates, and it’s starting to seriously impact my ability to launch and operate my apps. After waiting this long, I contacted support directly. During that call, I was told that my apps would be added for expedited review. However, even after that step, there has still been no progress or update. At this point, the situation is becoming increasingly frustrating due to: No visibility into what’s causing the delay No estimated timeline No follow-through after being told the apps would be expedited As a paying Apple Developer, I depend on a reasonable and predictable review process. These delays directly affect my ability to plan launches, marketing, and monetization — especially as an independent developer. I’m not asking to bypass the process — I’m asking for clarity, transparency, and follow-through. At this point, I would appreciate: A clear status update on my submissions Confirmation on whether they are actually in an expedited queue An estimated timeframe for review Any steps required from my side to move things forward I’m eager to continue building on the platform, but the lack of communication and progress here is concerning. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I submitted my iOS app for review on Thursday, March 12th, and it has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for over 7 days with no progress. App ID: 458288241 Submission ID: 414b4291-d78e-4394-9ee6-685bc21bf4d2 I have already contacted Apple Developer Support (Case ID: 102847389838) and submitted an Expedited Review request 2 days ago, but the status has not changed and I haven't received any response so far. At this point, I'm concerned that the submission might be stuck or not being processed correctly. This version includes a critical update to a key feature of our app, and the delay is significantly impacting user experience and our revenue. Has anyone experienced a similar situation recently where the app remained in "Waiting for Review" for this long? Is there any additional step I should take to get this reviewed or escalated? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 🙏

My investors are losing their minds. We’ve had our app available on Google since late December, but our experience with Apple has been a nightmare. First, despite paying the developer fee, nobody responds to emails or reaches out. The one time we got Apple on the phone, we spoke to someone who said she was in charge of the testing team reviewing our app. The call was frustrating—she didn’t seem familiar with basic app testing for a location-based product (for example, how to emulate a different location), and it left us feeling helpless. The technical ability of the testing process has been shocking. We spent a month just trying to get reviewers to understand the basic app concepts. Our app also isn’t available in the United States, which seemed to confuse the review team. We’ve been able to address feedback quickly—sometimes within an hour—yet here we are nearly five months later still stuck. Right now we are averaging about a week at best to two weeks. Our app works; we know this because it’s been live for over five months on Google. We are not some AI slop app—this is a startup built by a team of people and private capital—and we can’t be taken seriously by anyone under these conditions. What do we do? What do we pay you for? What do I tell my investors? How do we get in contact with someone who can actually help? HOW DO WE GET REAL TESTERS?????

I am looking for some guidance regarding a significant delay in the review process for my app update. Platform: iOS Submission Date: March 6, 2026 Current Status: In Review It has now been 12 days, and the status has been "In Review." I have checked my App Store Connect "App Review" section, but there are no outstanding requests for information or messages from the review team. I have already attempted to contact the App Review team via the official "Contact Us" form but have only received generic automated responses. Is anyone else experiencing similar delays this month? Are there currently known backlogs, or should I consider canceling this release and re-submitting? Thank you for any insights.

I have a urgent needs to fix a breaking change to the App, and it has no status update or response.

Hello, our app has been stuck in Waiting for Review for 9 days already, which is unusually long in my experience. I also opened a support ticket (Case ID 102845782608), but still haven’t received any response. Could someone from App Review please take a look? Thank you

I submitted a reply to a rejection on the 17th and today is the 20th: no responses yet! What's happening there? I need a feedback! Isn't supposed to arrive within the 48 hours? When shall I expect that? Moreover there is no way to ask for support anywhere, the page shows an error and the spinning wheel never reaches an end! ...and this is why I'm posting this here.

Hello all, I've been running into issues with my initial App Review Submission getting rejected, with the following message: Guideline 5.1.1(v) - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage Issue Description The app still requires users to register or log in to access features that are not account based. Next Steps Revise the app to let users freely access the app's features that are not account based. The app may still require registration for other features that are account based. The app itself is a fairly simple grocery listing/receipt tracking/meal planning tool, in which users can share their groceries/receipts/meals in a group. I've revised my app to allow new users to see the main UI shell without signing in, but object creation is still blocked without account membership. Objects are tied to users-- being able to see what other users in your group have created is the core functionality of the app, and there's literally nothing else it does at the moment-- no offline features yet that could theoretically not need any account. How can I revise this to pass the review? I've changed the initial login gate significantly, adding the "Continue without signing in", plenty of info describing the app and why accounts are necessary, and lots of correspondence back and forth with the App Review team, but I keep getting rejected and I'm not sure how to move forward from here. Thank you all for your time and help!

Hi! Our app(ID: 6754461151) has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" since March 3, 2026 - 17 days with no movement. This is our second consecutive submission with the same issue: Version 1.0.2: Submitted February 7, 2026. Waited 24 days with no review activity, no feedback, no communication. Were forced to withdraw it on March 3. Version 1.0.3: Submitted immediately after on March 3, 2026. Now at 17 days - same result. In total, our update has been blocked for 41 days across two submissions. Steps we've already taken: Submitted an Expedited Review Request 7 days ago - no response Contacted App Review Status support Verified App Review Information is complete: demo credentials and invite code are provided Confirmed all agreements and banking details are up to date We also have new IAP subscriptions in "In Review" status since March 11 (9 days), which may be contributing to the delay. We're not sure if there is something in our submission that requires attention. We are fully prepared to make any necessary changes. Any guidance on what might be causing this would be incredibly helpful.

Hello, I’m currently facing an issue with my app being stuck in “Waiting for Review” for an unusually long time, and I would really appreciate any advice or insight. App details: Apple ID: 6758322495 This is our first app and first version submission Timeline: First submission: February 6 → stuck in “Waiting for Review” Contacted support via email → no substantial progress Removed from review: February 21 Resubmitted (with some updates): February 24 Current status: still “Waiting for Review” until now Impact: The delay has been over a month in total It is blocking our ability to release updates and continue development Questions: Is it possible that the app is not properly queued for review? Has anyone experienced a similar situation recently? Is there any effective way to escalate this or trigger the review process? Even an approximate waiting time would be very helpful We fully understand that review times may vary, but this duration seems far beyond normal expectations, especially for a first submission. As a small team, this situation is quite challenging for us, and we sincerely hope to get some guidance or support. Any help or shared experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.