Why Apple Rejects Apps During App Store Review

No developer would turn down the opportunity to have their app featured in the iOS app store. With the extra exposure you create, getting featured in the app store will launch a developer’s career almost instantly. Unfortunately, the tech giant offers that opportunity to a select few alone. 

With thousands of apps submitted to Apple’s store, entering a crowded market is not a simple game. 

But don’t worry, this blog will give you an idea about the reasons why Apple rejects apps during the review. Let’s begin. 

All the apps submitted to the iOS store are reviewed for compliance with Apple’s rules. The review process might take longer if the developer violates any of them. Violating the guidelines can be the app having prohibited content, or rather a small mistake in the description or inaccurate data or information.

Here are some of the common guidelines that every developer must abide by:

An app gets reviewed every time it is submitted even if it’s a new version, yes even if the changes are negligible. The iOS store review is thorough as the sole focus is on the quality of all and the security of its users. 

Apple doesn’t allow their users to be exposed to poorly performing apps or apps that compromise the security of their users. The apps for children are subject to close scrutiny as well as they shouldn't have any hidden features. 

The iOS store also removes old apps that haven’t been updated for a year. Developers will be reminded to release a new version of the app within 3 months. If developers don't follow this, the app will be taken off from the store. 

The primary reason an app fails the review of the iOS store is it violates Apple's policies. If Apple finds a violation during the app review process, the app is immediately rejected by indicating the reason. 

But, sometimes the expert might not specify what needs to be modified exactly. So in that case, it is the responsibility of the developer to guess which element of the app is the cause of violation. 

If the developer is sure that everything is in place and no violations are made, they can appeal the decision. For this, the developer must provide evidence that the app complies with all their rules. 

With that said, here are some top reasons why Apple Rejects Apps during App Store review:

This is an obvious reason for any app to fail the scrutiny of Apple during the review process. The iOS store doesn’t accept apps that contain bugs or the ones that result in system failures. So for your app to pass the review, test it for app crashes and unstable performances. 

Make sure you fix the issues before you submit the app to the store. Failing to do it will result in your app getting rejected. Zero bugs and everything working perfectly will increase your chances of getting your app up in the iOS store.

Designing a user interface is a personal choice but you must follow the guidelines of Apple when developing your app’s UI. 

You must follow the guidelines set up by Apple when developing the UI for the app designed for the iOS store. Starting with the human interface guidelines is the best way to go about it. Apple needs all the apps in its store to be predictable. 

This is obvious but several apps get rejected during review due to this reason. Before submitting your app to the iOS store, make sure it isn’t using demo content. 

Before submitting, make sure your app doesn’t hang on the splash screen. If an app takes over 10 seconds to load from the splash screen, it is not going to get through the review process. 

To be honest, if your app hangs for a long time on the splash screen, it also indicates a bigger problem on the development part and is more likely to get rejected.

Did you guess this is coming? Yes, at the time of writing, Apple allows apps of up to 100Mb to be downloaded over a cellular network via the App Store. If your app size is any bigger, you are going to be rejected. 

You must also make sure your .ipa size file isn’t too big. Total app size can go up to 4 BG but as the size goes up, it might take longer for users to download. Always try to keep the app size under 500 MB.

When you submit an app to the iOS store, use a version number or at least 1. Anything lower than one for example 0.1 will mostly get rejected.

Any app that has a version lower than 1, means the app is still in a pre-distribution stage. Apple always advocates for complete and feature-rich apps. Even if it’s just a version number that makes your app incomplete, you will be instantly rejected.

Apple clearly states that apps that download code in any form will be rejected during the review.

Apple does it to make sure that the app they approved is the same app that is distributed to users. You must not download my files without users’ permission. You must also ensure that the apps actually work even when the network is absent.

You can test this by using the app in airplane mode and see what happens.

The iOS store is all the developer's dream until your app is rejected. But don’t fret, it isn’t the end. Reviewers are just humans and they will understand the problem if you describe it. 

Tell them why the iOS store needs your app. Be nice and clear and most likely you will get through the next review.

Good luck with your next review process.