Before you develop your app, it’s important to become familiar with the technical, content, and design criteria that we use to review all apps. We’ve highlighted some of the most common issues that cause apps to get rejected to help you better prepare your apps before submitting them for review.
Crashes and Bugs
You should submit your app for review only when it is complete and ready to be published. Make sure to thoroughly test your app on devices and fix all bugs before submitting.
Broken Links
All links in your app must be functional. A link to user support with up-to-date contact information is required for all apps, and if you’re offering auto-renewable or free subscriptions or your app is in the Kids Category, you must also provide a link to your privacy policy.
Placeholder Content
Finalize all images and text in your app before sending it in for review. Apps that are still in progress and contain placeholder content are not ready to be distributed and cannot be be approved.
Incomplete Information
Enter all of the details needed to review your app in the App Review Information section of iTunes Connect. If some features require signing in, provide a valid demo account username and password. If there are special configurations to set, include the specifics. If features require an environment that is hard to replicate or require specific hardware, be prepared to provide a demo video or the hardware. Also, please make sure your contact information is complete and up-to-date.
Inaccurate Descriptions
Your app description and screenshots should clearly and accurately convey your app’s functionality. This helps users understand your app and makes for a positive App Store experience.
Misleading Users
Your app must perform as advertised and should not give users the impression the app is something it is not. If your app appears to promise certain features and functionalities, it needs to deliver.
Substandard User Interface
Apple places a high value on clean, refined, and user-friendly interfaces. Make sure your UI meets these requirements by planning your design carefully and following our design guides and UI Design Dos and Don’ts.
Advertisements
When submitting your app for review, you’ll be asked whether your app uses the Advertising Identifier (IDFA) to serve advertisements. If you indicate that your app uses the IDFA, but it does not have ad functionality or does not display ads properly, your app may be rejected. Make sure to test your app on an iOS device to verify that ads work correctly. Similarly, if you indicate that your app does not use the IDFA, but it does, your app will be put into the “Invalid Binary” status.
Web clippings, content aggregators, or a collections of links
Your app should be engaging and useful, and make the most of the features unique to iOS. Websites served in an iOS app, web content that is not formatted for iOS, and limited web interactions do not make a quality app.
Repeated Submission of Similar Apps
Submitting several apps that are essentially the same ties up the App Review process and risks the rejection of your apps. Improve your review experience — and the experience of your future users — by thoughtfully combining your apps into one.
Not enough lasting value
If your app doesn’t offer much functionality or content, or only applies to a small niche market, it may not be approved. Before creating your app, take a look at the apps in your category on the App Store and consider how you can provide an even better user experience.
Top 10 reasons for app rejections during the
7‑day period ending August 28, 2014.
- 14% More information needed
- 8% Guideline 2.2: Apps that exhibit bugs will be rejected
- 6% Did not comply with terms in the Developer Program License Agreement
- 6% Guideline 10.6: Apple and our customers place a high value on simple, refined, creative, well thought through interfaces. They take more work but are worth it. Apple sets a high bar. If your user interface is complex or less than very good, it may be rejected
- 5% Guideline 3.3: Apps with names, descriptions, or screenshots not relevant to the App content and functionality will be rejected
- 5% Guideline 22.2: Apps that contain false, fraudulent or misleading representations or use names or icons similar to other Apps will be rejected
- 4% Guideline 3.4: App names in iTunes Connect and as displayed on a device should be similar, so as not to cause confusion
- 4% Guideline 3.2: Apps with placeholder text will be rejected
- 3% Guideline 3.8: Developers are responsible for assigning appropriate ratings to their Apps. Inappropriate ratings may be changed/deleted by Apple
- 2% Guideline 2.9: Apps that are “beta”, “demo”, “trial”, or “test” versions will be rejected
Total Percent of App Rejections
- 58% Top 10 Reasons
- 42% Other Reasons (<2% each)
