BYD TechThe short answer
Most App Store rejections are not about the idea. They are about an incomplete submission: the app crashes, the reviewer cannot log in, content is placeholder, or the privacy details are missing. Apple says over 40 percent of unresolved issues fall under one guideline, 2.1 App Completeness. Test the release build on a real device, give the reviewer a working demo account, and check privacy, payments and sign-in against the guidelines before you submit.
Key points
- The biggest single cause is an incomplete app: crashes, broken links, placeholder content.
- Give App Review a working demo account and keep your backend switched on.
- A privacy policy link, clear permission prompts and in-app account deletion are required.
- Digital goods and features must use in-app purchase. Physical goods and services do not.
- An app that is only a wrapped website is likely to be rejected.
Why apps get rejected
Every app and every update is checked by Apple against its App Store Review Guidelines. Apple publishes the issues it sees most, and the list is mundane. On its App Review page it says that over 40 percent of unresolved issues relate to guideline 2.1, App Completeness. In other words, the app or the information around it was not finished.
The common reasons, with the guideline behind each
| Reason | Guideline | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes, bugs, broken links, placeholder text | 2.1 App Completeness | Test the exact build you submit, on a real device. |
| Reviewer cannot log in | 2.1 App Completeness | Provide an active demo account and keep the backend on. |
| Screenshots or description do not match the app | 2.3 Accurate Metadata | Show the real app. Do not promise features that are not there. |
| Digital content sold outside in-app purchase | 3.1.1 In-App Purchase | Use in-app purchase for digital goods and features. |
| Thin app, or a website in a wrapper | 4.2 Minimum Functionality | Offer something a website alone does not. |
| Many near-identical apps | 4.3 Spam | Combine them into one app. |
| Only social login offered | 4.8 Login Services | Add an equivalent privacy-focused login option. |
| No privacy policy, vague permission prompts, no way to delete an account | 5.1.1 Data Collection and Storage | Link the policy, explain each permission, add account deletion. |
Completeness: the one that catches most teams
- Submit the finished build, not a work in progress. Beta testing belongs in TestFlight.
- Replace every placeholder image and line of sample text.
- Check every link, including support and privacy links.
- Fill in the App Review Information section completely, with contact details.
- If the app needs a login, give a demo account that works, with any codes or sample data the reviewer needs.
- Keep your servers running during review. A backend that is switched off looks like a broken app.
Privacy and accounts
Guideline 5.1.1 is specific. Every app must link its privacy policy in App Store Connect and inside the app. Permission prompts for the camera, location or contacts must say plainly why access is needed. And if the app lets people create an account, it must also let them delete it from inside the app.
Ask only for the data the app needs. A prompt that appears before the user understands why is one of the most common reasons for both rejection and uninstalls.
Payments: in-app purchase or not
| What you sell | How it is charged |
|---|---|
| Subscriptions, premium features, digital content, in-app currency | In-app purchase, under guideline 3.1.1 |
| Physical goods, and services used outside the app, such as a booking or a delivery | Your own payment provider |
The rules on linking to outside payment differ by country and have changed more than once, so check the current guidelines for your storefronts before you design the checkout.
If your app is rejected
- Read the message in App Store Connect. It names the guideline and usually the screen.
- Reply in the Resolution Center if anything is unclear. Reviewers answer questions.
- Fix the issue and resubmit, with a short note explaining what changed.
- If you believe the guideline was misapplied, you can appeal to the App Review Board.
Google Play has its own review and its own policies, so passing one store does not guarantee the other. We handle store review and publish under your own developer accounts in mobile app development. Choosing how to build the app is covered in React Native vs Flutter.
Sources
Checked when this guide was written.
