Rejected by App Review? These 8 guidelines cover most of it

An App Review rejection feels personal and is almost never personal. The same handful of guidelines account for most of them, and most are fixable in a day. Here are the eight we see most, by guideline number, with what the reviewer is actually looking for.

2.1 App Completeness

The app crashed, a button did nothing, the demo account did not work, or there was placeholder text somewhere. The reviewer tests on a real device, often an older one, on a slow network. Before submitting: fresh install, airplane mode on and off, every screen, with the exact demo credentials in the review notes.

2.3 Accurate Metadata

Screenshots showing features that are not in the build, a description that promises something the app does not do, or a title stuffed with keywords. The store page must describe the app that was submitted, not the one planned for next quarter.

3.1.1 In-App Purchase

Selling digital content outside Apple's purchase system, or missing a restore purchases button. Every subscription app needs a working restore, and the paywall must show the price, the period, the trial length and what happens when it ends, on the screen itself.

3.1.2 Subscriptions

Auto-renewing subscriptions need clear terms, a working link to the privacy policy and terms of use, and no misleading trial language. "Free" in big letters and the real price in grey is a classic rejection.

4.2 Minimum Functionality

The app is a website in a wrapper, or does so little that it would be better as a web page. If your app's main screen could be a Safari bookmark, add the things only an app can do before resubmitting.

4.3 Spam

Another app from the same developer that does the same thing with a different name, or a template app with a new skin. This one is hard to argue with. One app per idea.

5.1.1 Data Collection and Storage

Asking for data the app does not visibly need, requiring an account before showing value, or a privacy label that does not match what the app actually does. Ask for less, ask later, and make the label honest. This is where apps that record a voice or take details about a child must be especially clear about purpose and deletion.

1.2 User-Generated Content

Any app where people can generate or share content needs a way to report it, a way to block users, and a way for the developer to act. AI-generated content counts. Build moderation in before the first submission, not after the first rejection.

What to do when it happens

• Read the message twice. The guideline number and the screenshot the reviewer attached usually tell you exactly what to fix.
• If you disagree, reply in Resolution Center with a specific explanation. A clear, polite reply resolves a surprising share of rejections without a new build.
• If you agree, fix it, update the review notes, and resubmit the same day. Review times are short; silence is what costs you.

Every app we have shipped has been through this at least once. It is part of the process, not a verdict on the product.