The App Review Process at Apple is unfair, inconsistent and problematic

Question

Created Apr ’24

Replies 7

Boosts 5

Views 1.1k

Participants 8

I'm extremely frustrated with Apple's unfair app review process. To make a long story short, for every app I've ever submitted, Apple has made false accusations about problems with my apps. Some of their feedback has absolutely been legitimate and correct, which I appreciate, but I would say about 50% of all "feedback" I've ever received has turned out to be objectively wrong. In some cases, the App Review team's gaslighting has been so strong that I have had to submit screenshots of code as proof that their accusations were completely wrong, after which they have had to accept the app.

In one instance, they have claimed that one of my apps would not be allowed on the App Store at all, and when I link to multiple other apps that works EXACTLY the same way, the App Review team love to point out that you are not allowed to compare yourself to other apps. To be clear, I'm an indie developer and I'm not even comparing myself to apps from large corporations or any popular apps at all (since it's well known they get the VIP treatment), all apps I have compared myself to are from small, unknown indie developers such as myself - so I'm only comparing myself to developers in the same category as me.

Telling developers that they are not allowed to compare themselves to other developers is VERY ethically problematic, imagine doing that to minorities in real life. I'm a minority in multiple ways, and I'm very worried about the ethics and moral at the App Review team. When I ask why they reject my app, but approve many apps that were recently released that works EXACTLY the same way as my app, I either get no reply at all or they tell me that I can't compare myself to others. Submitting appeals to the App Review Board doesn't help either.

To be completely transparent with you, it has been very hard and draining on my mental health to have this invisible wall consisting of gaslighting that the App Review team has set up for me. It just doesn't make sense... The app review process is unfair, inconsistent and problematic, and it should be a serious eyebrow-raiser when Apple's App Review team can't explain why some small indie developers get approved easily while others get rejected. Especially since it seems like the pattern is that those who get rejected are humans in various kinds of minorities, as evidences by some other threads on this topic.

Boost

Answer 1

Bill3D OP

Apr ’24

It's kinda fun. Like the Sphinx Gate in Never Ending Story. I think I got it all figured out. Get lit up. I do think looking at what other apps did is a bad idea as they update these guides often and older apps will be grandfathered in until their next update. So you are adding an unnecessary complication by doing that. I had to add stuff to my subscription menu I've never seen anyone else do. It was helpful info to the user though. They aren't tech support and stop at the first issue. So I had several rejections before I found a SO post detailing all of what they expected to see there. Finally it went through.

1

Answer 2

PCInc OP

Sep ’24

They are nothing like they were 10 years ago.

My app is 10+ years old, never EVER had a problem getting it through for updates.

It appears they are no longer competent tech people doing the reviewing, and worse, just lazy at doing their job.

Ours is a client/server application, there are 2 apps, a server app and a client app. They have no clue what a client server application is.

1st it was rejected as a spam app, because they both look similar. but 10,000% different in functionality, one creates/runs the event, the client is just a viewer.

Now the client app has been rejected because it comes up with nothing to see (of course, there is no event for it).

despite putting in the "Reviewer notes" how to make it see further and pick up events, they apparently neglected to bother to read that.

My best advise is as soon as you get the first rejection, do an app review immediately, so you get in their 2 week long queue. then maybe try to reason with them through messaging. (but that generally doesnt work, but worth a shot)

2

Answer 3

daniellefromnull OP

Oct ’24

I'm pretty sure at this point that they're using AI to handle some of the reviews, I honestly think that's the only explanation for the bizarre reasons our app has gotten rejected over the past year (did not follow the instructions provided for how to log in and then complained they couldn't access the app being one of the most recent and most egregious examples, the instructions have been the same and present for the past FOUR YEARS). I have an app in review right now that has a very important fix we need out for this weekend and it's been rejected twice on spurious grounds already.

2

Answer 4

rbm1979 OP

Nov ’24

currently facing the same issues, getting continuous rejections for such absurd reasons, such as

Guideline 4.2 - Design - Minimum Functionality

We understand that this app was developed along with a cultural project and offers informative experience. However, we still find that the usefulness of the app is limited by the minimal functionality it currently provides.

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Answer 5

amanjain838 OP

3w

It is the same thing with my app too..They had been continuously rejecting my app. I request for a call, the reviewer never responds. I gave them recording of that things are working in testFlight, snapshots, wordings, etc, but it is like if they have decided to reject your app, even God cannot get it passed.

You are just at the mercy of their team. They simply come online, login, find some or other issue and reject the app.

It is a sorry state of affair. Explanations for Rejections are 1 liners, often snapshots associated are not linked to the points raised in rejection.

I have also decided, I will keep on submitting the app without making changes, if they cannot give right information and snapshot, then I cannot make any changes.

It is a nightmare.

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Answer 6

Adjacent OP

2w

Had an app denied due to "spam" saying an app with the same source code was submitted, which is basically impossible. Whenever I ask for more details, they slap me with the same line over and over again:

For information regarding Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam, you may want to refer to App Store Connect Developer Help.

Should you require additional assistance, you can use the contact us page to request help with setting up or distributing your app through App Store Connect.

Super unhelpful, roundabout conversations with absolutely no help or context or detail.

Why don't I just contact them like they suggest you say? I click the contact link, and cant call them! it says: "Phone support is currently unavailable.". Its been like this since as far as I can remember. The only way to get in touch is to email them and all they do is respond the same lines I gave above.

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Answer 7

zipstory OP

1w

I did a google search and found this feeling a general head scratcher feeling. I had the same exact code that was approved 2 days ago and just needed some preview pictures I wanted updated and it got rejected because I had to submit a "new build" that just had the version ticked up. I had literally 6 "issues" that were not trivial to "fix". It is very confusing and makes no sense to me. I am trying to find some idea here by looking at the times it was approved as that's all I got to work with. I've had the most luck in the very early AM of USA PT time for some reason.

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