Hello everyone, We’re currently facing an issue with getting our app, approved in the App Store. The app keeps getting rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) with the explanation that it appears too similar in concept, binary, or metadata to other apps on the App Store. We’ve responded to Apple multiple times explaining that: -Our app is built from scratch with unique design and code. -We do not use any templates or prebuilt frameworks. -The app offers real-time support and a working, stable VPN connection. -Notifications are limited to rare, essential updates. -Metadata (title, description, keywords, screenshots) were crafted individually. -We’ve also thoroughly reviewed the App Review Guidelines, the Human -Interface Guidelines, and the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, and we believe our app fully complies. However, we continue to receive the same general rejection response, without specific feedback on what exactly needs to be changed. We’ve requested clarification from the App Review team, but haven’t received actionable details. We would really appreciate if anyone from the developer community — especially those who’ve gone through similar experiences — could provide advice on how to move forward. -What has worked for you in resolving a 4.3(a) rejection? -Are there specific changes we should make to the app’s metadata or user experience that helped in your case? -Would adding significantly new features or in-app purchase options help distinguish the app more clearly? -Any insights or guidance would be extremely helpful! Thank you in advance for your support!

I am reaching out to seek clarification on the usage of exit(0) within an iOS application under specific circumstances, as I have not been able to find concrete guidance on this in the App Store Review Guidelines Context of Our Application: We are developing a mobile game using Cocos2d-JS (Cocos2d-x JavaScript bindings). The game is built in C++ with JavaScript used for game logic, and it runs on both Android and iOS. Occasionally, due to an unrecoverable fatal JavaScript error (e.g., corrupted state or unexpected runtime crash), the game’s screen goes completely black. When this occurs, the rendering engine halts, user interaction becomes impossible, and the app enters a non-functional state. From this point, the only way to return to a working state is to manually terminate and relaunch the app. We are exploring a user-friendly solution where, upon detecting such a critical failure, we present a native UIAlertController to the user explaining the issue and informing them that the app needs to restart. Upon confirmation (i.e., tapping “OK”), we call exit(0) to gracefully close the app, so the user can relaunch it in a working state. Our Question: Is it acceptable to use exit(0) in this very limited and clearly explained context? The intention is to improve the user experience during unrecoverable fatal states that cannot be handled through standard UI or engine resets. I understand that the use of exit(0) is generally discouraged, but in our case: The user explicitly initiates the exit via a native prompt. The app is not quitting on its own or in response to a policy violation. We are not using exit(0) to bypass App Review or circumvent system behavior. There is no mention in the App Review Guidelines explicitly stating whether or not exit(0) is disallowed in such edge cases. Please confirm whether this approach aligns with Apple's policies, or suggest an alternative method for cleanly handling such irrecoverable errors on iOS? Looking forward to your guidance.

Hi everyone, I submitted my app for review nearly 3 weeks ago, and it’s still stuck in “Waiting for Review” status. My intended launch date was May 20, which I’ve now missed due to this delay. This has already impacted user acquisition and visibility. I’ve submitted a request for expedited review (with a valid reason), but I haven’t received any update. I also emailed support at the two-week mark and only received a vague response. This is incredibly frustrating, especially considering the annual fee we pay to use App Store Connect. I would appreciate any insight from others who’ve dealt with similar delays—or any advice on how to escalate this properly. Any help or visibility on this would be appreciated.

Hello, My app has been in "waiting for review" for more than 24 days. I submitted a ticket via email and got a response saying that I would get an update on the status of the review of my app and that review will be completed as soon as possible, but that was 6 days ago and still no response. I have attached an email response. Thank you!

Dear App Review Team, I am writing to express deep concern over the repeated and prolonged delays the app is facing during the App Review process. Once again, a recent build—submitted on May 12—has been stuck in the "In Review" state for over a week. I have been informed that, as has become routine, the submission has been escalated to the App Review Board without any clear timeline or communication. This is not an isolated incident. Nearly every feature update submitted is referred to the board, resulting in unpredictable, weeks-long delays that severely disrupt the development and release cycle. These escalations consistently happen without clear reasoning, and without any proactive outreach or follow-up from the review team. The app is currently one of the highest-performing indie titles on the visionOS App Store, and I am committed to delivering the highest quality experience for users on Apple platforms. However, the current review process is making it increasingly difficult to operate responsibly or efficiently. The lack of transparency and responsiveness is not only frustrating—it is actively harming product stability, user trust, and overall business health. I am requesting immediate attention and action on this matter. Specifically: Clear communication on the status of the current review. An explanation as to why the updates are repeatedly escalated to the board. A path toward a more predictable and professional review process moving forward. I am fully committed to maintaining a positive and productive relationship with Apple, but the current pattern is unsustainable. App ID: 6737148404

Hi, I have submitted my app for review since 14/05/2025. Today is 18/5 it still in Waiting for Review status. Please help me look into this issue. We need to release it ASAP AppName: 小马AI学 AppleID: 6745546153 Thank you

Hello, I am in the process of submitting my first app to the app store and im stuck on the question where it asks for a amil and password, since my app only has sign in with apple I can't create an emil and password for them. How do i get around this?

Hi, After the app was first rejected, I resubmitted a new version on May 14th, but it has been waiting for review; Please help me look into this issue. We need to release it ASAP AppName: 小马AI学 AppleID: 6745546153 Thank you

Our company owns multiple financial apps, and each app has provided its own ICANN WHOIS domain certificate. However, the app submission was still rejected with the following reason: "The app provides loan services, but the domains listed on the app's Product Pages are still not clearly under your control or ownership. Since users may use these domains to contact you to request support, the domains used on the Product Page for loan apps must be under your control or ownership. Next Steps Update the Product Page metadata in App Store Connect to only include domains that you both own and are used as email domains for Apple Accounts registered to your developer account. You can review the email domains and Apple Accounts registered to your developer account in the Users and Access section of App Store Connect. Account Holder and Admin users should use emails with domains that identify the company providing loan services.“ Actions we’ve taken: Removed unrelated personnel accounts. Updated developer information to use company-owned domain names. Submitted relevant domain ownership certificates. Despite these steps, the rejection persists for the same reason. We would like to request guidance on how to resolve this issue. Specifically: How can we ensure compliance with App Review Guideline 3.2.1(viii) regarding domain ownership and financial service provider requirements? Are there additional steps or documentation needed to validate domain control for Apple’s review process?

Hello, As I searched and know from other developers app review mostly take 24 Hour or less to be reviewed. My app is not revieds since 15 april. Does someone know why it can be happened :( p.s. I wrote support too no answer from them too.

We urgently need clarification on why the review of our app, is taking so long. We submitted the update on May 4, and while it moved to "In Review" within a few days, there has been complete silence since then—no updates, no visibility into the process. We can’t afford further delays—users are waiting for these features, and the lack of progress is disrupting our rollout plans. Please advise us immediately on how we can move this forward or escalate the review. Almost every day we contact (email) the Apple Reviewer Team but the reply doesn't have a clear reason . It makes us frustated while waiting the feeback meanwhile our users can't wait longer .

The audit opinion mentioned that there are uncontrollable domain names on the product metadata page. We uploaded relevant certificates related to these domain names, which is sufficient to indicate that they are under our control.  However, this reason was still rejected and no further audit opinion was provided. Therefore, we cannot solve this problem, even though we believe that the domain name control has been explained through the domain name certificate.  Therefore, I would like to consult with all of you on how you have resolved this issue?

Hi, I have submitted my app for review since 11/05/2025. Today is 13/5 it still in Waiting for Review status. Please help me look into this issue. We need to release it ASAP AppName: 小马AI学 AppleID: 6745546153 Thank you

Hello everyone, I’m hoping the community (and maybe someone from App Review) can point me in the right direction. I submitted my new game on 22 April 2025. The build was rejected, so I filed an appeal the same day and re‑submitted it twice after that. The appeal has shown “Waiting for Review” ever since, and I’ve never received the usual “We got your appeal” email, just the generic “We’re seeing higher volume” message. Although this is a fresh developer account, I’ve shipped 50+ apps for other organizations over the years and never ran into a delay like this, so I’m pretty sure the hold‑up isn’t about the actual build. Why it’s urgent:
Influencer promos, community streams, and some paid ads were all timed around the original launch window. After four weeks of silence people assume the game’s been cancelled, and traffic/comments are sliding fast. What I’ve tried so far: Emailed App Review → same volume auto‑reply Used the Contact Us form twice Added a short note in Resolution Center every few days If anyone from App Review sees this or if another dev has broken out of a similar appeal limbo any tip or nudge would be hugely appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.

Hello, We’re seeking urgent help or guidance regarding a serious issue with our app review process. We submitted our iOS app last month. It was rejected three times for various reasons, and each time we promptly resolved the issues and resubmitted. After the most recent resubmission (over a week ago), the app has been stuck in the “Waiting for Review” status. The last communication we received from Apple was: We’ve tried to follow up multiple times via email, as phone support is not available in our country. However, we’ve only received automated responses saying that the review requires additional time. No actual progress or update has been communicated since then. Our launch date is now critically close, and we're concerned that we may miss it due to the continued delay and lack of visibility into the review timeline. If anyone from the App Review team is reading this, or if any developers have been through a similar situation and can share advice, we would deeply appreciate your input. Thank you for your time and support.

My app which requires a crucial update, I have over 40 user emails saying the app is broken after the new macOS update, I patched the issue and submitted to appstore. it's been a week all I see is, app "In Review" I tried submitting expedited review and I just get 502 error. I am very close to migrating off App Store and distributing it on my own.

Hello dear community I recently tried to publish my first app on the App Store. The app serves as a central control system for controllers I developed myself to control exhaust air, light, pumps and hygrometers in controlled cultivation environments. I sell these controllers with my company. However, during the review it turned out that the app was rejected for the following reasons: Guideline 2.1 - Information Needed The app pairs with external hardware and we need access to a demo video that shows: The current version of the app in use on a physical Apple device, not on a simulator The initial pairing process between the app and the designated hardware The entire app workflow with the designated hardware Film the demo video to show how the physical Apple device and the designated hardware are paired together and interact during use of the app. Next Steps Provide a link to a demo video in the App Review Information section of App Store Connect, then reply to this message. Make sure any required demo account information is provided, including passwords, in the App Review Information section for the app in App Store Connect. And: Guideline 5.2.1 - Legal - Intellectual Property Your app includes content or features from Smarden, or is marketed to control external hardware from Smarden, without the necessary authorization. The inclusion of third-party content within your app, whether retrieved from the internet by the app or embedded in the app, is subject to the terms of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Your app and its contents should not infringe upon the rights of another party. In the event your app infringes another party's rights, you are responsible for any liability to Apple because of a claim. Next Steps To resolve this issue, please attach documentary evidence in the App Review Information section in App Store Connect. Once we have reviewed your documentation and confirmed its validity, we will proceed with the review of your app. Alternatively, please remove the third-party content from your app and its metadata. My reaction: I absolutely understand the first point and have filmed 2 videos where I show the pairing process and the controls, filmed with another cell phone and where you can see my hands doing this on a real iPhone. I cannot understand the second point as the alleged infringements do not exist as I own the website and the products of Smarden.io. The app review was massively messed up on this point. Now my question is, how do I make sure that the process continues and whether what I have done is sufficient? I have added the videos in the review process as an attachment to the answer. Many thanks in advance

Hello, I represent a registered business operating under a developer account that has always followed Apple’s guidelines, complied fully with review requests, and submitted documentation whenever asked. We have never knowingly violated any policy, and we categorically deny any dishonest or fraudulent behavior. Last week, our developer account was suddenly terminated without any prior warning or opportunity to address concerns. The message provided no specific reason, no actionable details, and no path to resolution. This has left us completely locked out — unable to appeal through standard channels, and unable to contact anyone directly. It’s shocking, disorienting, and devastating to a legitimate business with employees, users, and operations depending on this platform. To make matters worse, this is not the first time. A previous termination notice was sent weeks ago and then — after we submitted a respectful and professional appeal — Apple quietly reversed the decision overnight, without any explanation or follow-up. We were left to assume it was a mistake. We had hoped that incident was rare and behind us. Now it’s happening again, without explanation, and without a human conversation. We are losing money and users every day, and we’re still in the dark about what Apple believes we did wrong — because no one has told us. We submitted a support ticket (ID: 102590329012), but have received no reply. We are committed to transparency, and we’re ready to provide any information needed. But we need someone to acknowledge this issue and help us find a path forward. If anyone has experienced something similar or knows of escalation methods that worked, please share. We’re doing everything we can to resolve this respectfully — but we are shocked and deeply concerned. Thank you.

Hello, Three years ago we launched a business for physicians to get update in topics in internal medicine. People buy a subscription through our website that is a online magazine with weekly editions and topics in internal medicine in Brazil. They are then directed to download either the iOS or Android apps where they can read the editions in their phones. The App also includes social functions allowing for review and comentaries of the topics and editions. When reviewing the Apple Developer guidelines, we were confident we met the definition of a ‘Reader’ App. However, in our latest version update (one that includes a critical bug fix) we were rejected on the basis that the reviewer considered only a design update as justification to not classify as Reader App. Our app main functionally still is to show our weekly editions (for readers and listeners). The social and videos functions ares secondary to the primary purpose and complementary to them. We submitted an Appeal 2 days ago (noting it as urgent due to the bug fix it includes) but the reviewers keep saying that this is not a reader app after three years on the market. Really at a loss on what to do. There is a hugh platform just like our called "Update" and they function as Reader App with no problem. Does anyone have precedents (either supportive or otherwise) on a definition of a Reader App? Appreciate any advice. Kaue Malpighi.

Hello, Three years ago we launched a business for physicians to get update in topics in internal medicine. People buy a subscription through our website that is a online magazine with weekly editions and topics in internal medicine in Brazil. They are then directed to download either the iOS or Android apps where they can read the editions in their phones. The App also includes social functions allowing for review and comentaries of the topics and editions. When reviewing the Apple Developer guidelines, we were confident we met the definition of a ‘Reader’ App. However, in our latest version update (one that includes a critical bug fix) we were rejected on the basis that the reviewer considered only a design update as justification to not classify as Reader App. Our app main functionally still is to show our weekly editions (for readers and listeners). The social and videos functions ares secondary to the primary purpose and complementary to them. We submitted an Appeal 2 days ago (noting it as urgent due to the bug fix it includes) but the reviewers keep saying that this is not a reader app after three years on the market. Really at a loss on what to do. There is a hugh platform just like our called "Update" and they function as Reader App with no problem. Does anyone have precedents (either supportive or otherwise) on a definition of a Reader App? Appreciate any advice. Kaue Malpighi.