An ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest rejection email looks as follows: ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest- Your app includes "<path/to/SDK>", which includes , an SDK that was identified in the documentation as a privacy-impacting third-party SDK. Starting February 12, 2025, if a new app includes a privacy-impacting SDK, or an app update adds a new privacy-impacting SDK, the SDK must include a privacy manifest file. Please contact the provider of the SDK that includes this file to get an updated SDK version with a privacy manifest. For more details about this policy, including a list of SDKs that are required to include signatures and manifests, visit: https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. Glossary ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest: An email that includes the name and path of privacy-impacting SDK(s) with no privacy manifest files in your app bundle. For more information, see https://developer.apple.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. : The specified privacy-impacting SDK that doesn't include a privacy manifest file. If you are the developer of the rejected app, gather the name of the SDK from the email you received from Apple, then contact the SDK's provider for an updated version that includes a valid privacy manifest. After receiving an updated version of the SDK, verify the SDK includes a valid privacy manifest file at the expected location. For more information, see Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK. If your app includes a privacy manifest file, make sure the file only describes the privacy practices of your app. Do not add the privacy practices of the SDK to your app's privacy manifest. If the email lists multiple SDKs, repeat the above process for all of them. If you are the developer of an SDK listed in the email, publish an updated version of your SDK that includes a privacy manifest file with valid keys and values. Every privacy-impacting SDK must contain a privacy manifest file that only describes its privacy practices. To learn how to add a valid privacy manifest to your SDK, see the Additional resources section below. Additional resources Privacy manifest files Describing data use in privacy manifests Describing use of required reason API Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK TN3182: Adding privacy tracking keys to your privacy manifest TN3183: Adding required reason API entries to your privacy manifest TN3184: Adding data collection details to your privacy manifest TN3181: Debugging an invalid privacy manifest

In this post, we'll share tips to help you submit apps that deliver original ideas to your users. When working on your app, focus on creating interesting, unique experiences that aren't already available. Apps that actively try to copy other apps won't pass review, and accounts that repeatedly submit copycat apps or attempt to impersonate a service will be closed. The rules that prevent copycat and impersonator apps from being distributed on the App Store are described in App Review Guideline 4.1: 4.1 Copycats (a) Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers. (b) Submitting apps which impersonate other apps or services is considered a violation of the Developer Code of Conduct and may result in removal from the Apple Developer Program.(c) You cannot use another developer’s icon, brand, or product name in your app’s icon or name, without approval from the developer. These requirements help make the App Store both a safe place for people to discover apps and a platform for all developers to be successful. Best Practices Here are three best practices that will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1: 1. Submit apps with unique content and features. People want apps that provide unique experiences. Find areas that aren't currently being served and build compelling apps for those audiences. Do: Create apps that provide a new experience or a unique spin on an existing concept. Design original, delightful interfaces that elegantly meet your user's needs. Don't: Don’t imitate the features and functionality of other apps. Don’t copy the look and feel of other apps, such as using an identical user interface design. 2. Make sure App Store metadata only contains relevant information and content you either own or have permission to use. The metadata provided in App Store Connect is used to populate your app's product page on the App Store. People rely on this metadata to learn about your app and what it has to offer. Leveraging the popularity of another brand or app, either by including irrelevant references or protected content, is misleading and won't help your app succeed. Do: Use engaging, descriptive language to describe your unique app. Create original content that best represents your app, such as screenshots showing the actual app in use. Don't: Don't use protected material you do not have the necessary permission to use, such as app icons that are similar to icons of a popular app. Don’t include irrelevant references, such as popular app names or trademarked terms, in any metadata fields. 3. Provide information that is authentic and verifiable. People want to know the developers behind their favorite apps are who they say they are. It's important to continually review and provide up-to-date information, including the developer or company name listed on your Apple Developer Program account, the Support URL listed on your app's product page, and other helpful information. This will enable your users to contact you when they need help and it will also hinder people who may try to impersonate you, your app, or your service. Do: Make sure all information, resources, and documentation related to your account and apps are current and accurate. Don't: Don’t provide inaccurate information or resources, such as directing people to outdated support pages. Don’t provide fraudulent documentation. Accounts that submit fraudulent documentation will be removed from the Apple Developer Program. Support Incorporating these best practices into your app's development will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1. If you need additional assistance, consider taking advantage of one of the following support options available from App Review: If your submission has been rejected, reply to the message from App Review in App Store Connect and request clarification. Request an App Review Appointment to discuss the results of our review. Appointments are subject to availability, and take place during local business hours in your region on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you believe your app follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board. Resources Learn about foundational design principles from Apple designers and the developer community. Learn how to create engaging App Store product pages. Note that apps that violate intellectual property rights are subject to removal through the App Store Content Dispute process. If you believe an app on the App Store violates your intellectual property rights, you can submit a claim.

I've been unable to resubmit my app for review for several days, and now App Store Connect can't even load my subscription data. Submission: "Add for Review" / "Resubmit to App Review" on my app version (iOS 1.0) or subscriptions returns "An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us." The app version shows "Removed" and the subscriptions (Monthly, Yearly) show "Developer Rejected," and I can't add them back. Subscriptions page: Distribution → Subscriptions now shows "An error has occurred. Try again later." under both Subscription Groups and Billing Grace Period, so the page can't load my subscription data at all. Diagnostic detail: builds 7 and 9 both fail the submission error (both "Complete" in TestFlight, no Missing Compliance), while an earlier build (5) added for review fine — so submissions work in general; it's specific to the current submission/subscription state. Already tried: fresh incognito + a different browser, removing and re-adding items, uploading new builds, waiting several days. I've emailed Developer Support (no reply yet) and can share the submission ID and app ID with an Apple staffer. Has anyone hit this, or can an Apple staffer help get it unstuck? Thank you.

Hello, My app 岩片 (YanPian, Apple ID 6800534375, bundle ID com.ajin.heartrate) was rejected on September 19, 2026 under Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam. Submission ID: 69a97b70-0219-42fe-861f-ce737bc19b38, version 1.0 (202609061946). The app is original. I wrote it myself, it is the only app on my account, I have not submitted similar apps on any other account, and I have never used or bought an app template. It is a tool for lead climbers who film their climbs from a tripod far below the wall: Heart-rate overlay: pick a climbing video from Photos. Heart-rate samples recorded by Apple Watch are read from HealthKit (read-only), matched to the video by capture time, and drawn on the video with a heart-rate graph. Zoom and follow: the climber is tiny in a wide shot, so the app crops in and follows them with editable keyframes (on-device person detection). Live capture, with an optional Zhiyun CQ5 gimbal that moves only when the climber is about to leave the frame, and an optional Apple Watch companion. Everything runs on device. No account, no backend. What I have done so far: September 20: replied in App Store Connect with the explanation above. No response yet. September 29: submitted an appeal to the App Review Board. An earlier appeal got no confirmation, and I cannot find any record of it. The review was done on an iPad Air. The app is iPhone-only. Without a climbing video in Photos, the home screen only shows "New project" and "Live capture", so I understand it may look like a generic camera app. A screen recording of the full flow is attached to the submission in App Store Connect. If a specific app looks similar, I would be glad to know which part so I can change it. Could someone from App Review take a look? Thank you.

Hello Apple Developer Community, I’m experiencing a serious delay with the App Review process for my app and would appreciate any guidance from Apple or other developers who may have experienced something similar. App: İSGCEP - İş Güvenliği Asistanı Current version: 1.7.0 We have been waiting for the App Review process to be resolved for approximately 25–27 days in total. During this period, previous submissions remained in “In Review” for an unusually long time without receiving a review decision, a message, or a request for additional information. We had also previously requested an expedited review for this app, and Apple confirmed: “We’ll expedite review for İSGCEP - İş Güvenliği Asistanı. If your submission is rejected during this review, you don’t need to request another expedited review when you resubmit. Your resubmission will be automatically returned to the expedited queue.” However, the review did not progress as expected. Because the previous submissions remained stuck for such a long time, I eventually cancelled them and created a new submission for version 1.7.0. The new submission has now been submitted again. I understand that this new submission itself has not been waiting for 25–27 days; rather, the overall review process for this app has been unresolved for approximately 25–27 days due to the previous submissions becoming stuck in “In Review”. There are currently no messages in the Resolution Center and no request for additional information from App Review. Could someone from the App Review team please check whether there is anything unusual with our submission, App Store Connect account, or review queue that could be preventing the app from progressing through review? I’m not asking for approval or a guaranteed review time. I would simply like to make sure that there is no technical or queue-related issue affecting our submission. This delay is particularly concerning because we were previously informed that the app would receive expedited review and that a resubmission would automatically return to the expedited queue. Any guidance from Apple or developers who have experienced a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello App Review team, Our submission has been "In Review" since September 19, 2026 (JST). The status hasn't changed and there are no messages in App Store Connect. Submission ID: 292556f9-a3ec-4c70-82aa-4e50aa71c9e9 Submitted: September 18, 2026 / In Review since: September 19, 2026 A separate Product Page Optimization submission for the same app has also been "Waiting for Review" since September 24: Submission ID: be24f6da-d8ad-4eb1-94b0-6832a7b6529c What we have done so far: Requested an expedited review on September 22 Emailed Developer Support. The reply said the review is in progress. Called Developer Support (case 102978078505) and asked them to pass a message to App Review This delay is blocking our release. If anything is needed from us, such as more information or a change to a specific item, please let us know in App Store Connect and we will respond right away. Thank you.

App: Weight Tracker, BMI calculator App Apple ID: 1418885210 Version: 1.6.2 (4), iOS The previous build was rejected under Guideline 2.1 because the ATT prompt was not shown on a fresh install. We fixed it, replied with the requested screen recording, and resubmitted on September 23. The status changed to "In Review" on September 24 and has not changed since. The message thread is locked, so we cannot contact the reviewer. Could someone from App Review check whether the submission is stuck? Thank you.

I submitted my app for a big national event on September 22nd, got a rejection for metadata in two days, and fixed it in the same day. Now the event is in two days, and I'm still in Waiting for Review. I tried to contact support and also submitted an expedited review request yesterday, but still stuck. Is there anything I can do to help speed this up? Or anyone from support who can escalate? We desperately need it live, otherwise it will be too late. Thanks!

Hello, I recently received a Pending Termination Notice for my Apple Developer Program membership. The notice states that my account was identified as having provided false or fraudulent account information, documentation, or representations. I respectfully disagree with this finding. All information and documents I provided to Apple during enrollment and throughout my Developer Program membership are genuine and accurate. I have not intentionally provided false information, fraudulent documentation, or misrepresented my identity. I have complete original supporting documentation available and am fully willing to provide it again to Apple for verification, including identity and other relevant account verification documents. I have already been advised to submit an appeal to the App Review Board within the stated 30-day period, which I intend to do. I would appreciate guidance from anyone who has experienced a similar situation: Is there any additional verification process I should request as part of the appeal? Is there a recommended way to provide supporting identity documents for manual verification? Should I also contact Apple Developer Support in addition to submitting the App Review Board appeal? Is there anything specific that should be included when requesting reconsideration of a Developer Program termination related to Developer Identity? I am fully prepared to cooperate with Apple and provide any documentation necessary to verify the authenticity of my account information. My intention is simply to resolve any misunderstanding or discrepancy and have my Apple Developer Program membership reconsidered after verification. Thank you for any guidance.

Hi, My app Duo Queue has been in "Waiting for Review" since September 22, about 160 hours now, with no status change since then. App: Duo Queue: Game Tracker Apple ID: 6809453548 Version: 1.1 (build 21), submitted with the in-app purchase com.adgames.duoqueue.full_shelf Submission ID: 3ff2dc7d-2435-43a3-bc3f-33b1ae3478d2 Submitted: Sep 22, 2026, 09:05 UTC An earlier submission was rejected under Guideline 4.3(a). For 1.1 I rebuilt the core of the app. Users now photograph a game box and the app identifies it, and game detail pages include trailers where available. I also renamed Swift types that shared names with types in my other apps, and attached a demo video for the reviewer. I withdrew the previous submissions for this app, so this is its only active submission in the queue. I know the team has a lot of apps to get through. I'd just like to confirm that the submission isn't stuck somewhere, or find out if I need to do anything on my side. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I submitted my app for App Review on August 14, 2026, at 2:39 PM. I later submitted an updated version again on September 9, 2026. The latest submission has been showing “In Review” for the past 5 days, but I still haven’t received any review decision or additional information from the App Review team. As I understand it, once an app enters the “In Review” status, a review decision is generally provided after the review is completed. However, in my case, the status has remained unchanged for several days. Has anyone experienced a similar situation recently? Is it normal for an app to remain in “In Review” for this long, or is there anything I should do from my side? Any advice or guidance would be appreciated. Thank you!

Guideline 4.7.2 – Native capabilities for signed B2B HTML5/JavaScript mini apps We are developing a B2B iOS application using .NET MAUI. The application acts as a host for dynamically downloaded HTML5/JavaScript mini apps displayed inside a WebView/HybridWebView. The mini apps are created and distributed exclusively by us. Third parties and end users cannot upload or provide their own mini apps. Each mini app package is digitally signed by us, and the host application verifies its signature and integrity before allowing it to run. The mini apps contain only HTML, CSS and JavaScript and do not contain downloaded native executable code. Some mini apps need access to a very small, predefined set of capabilities implemented by the native host application, for example: Take a photo Scan a QR code or barcode Select a file Potentially print to a supported printer For example, a mini app could call a predefined JavaScript bridge method such as: TakePhoto() The .NET MAUI host application would then present the native iOS camera UI and return the result to that specific mini app. The mini apps would not receive unrestricted access to native iOS APIs. Only an explicitly defined allowlist of host capabilities would be exposed. Access to privacy-sensitive capabilities such as the camera would only occur following an explicit user action, and the normal iOS permission flow would still apply. Would this architecture be acceptable under App Review Guideline 4.7.2? Does the fact that this is a controlled B2B environment, where all mini apps are created, signed, distributed and verified exclusively by us, affect the requirement for prior permission from Apple? If prior permission is still required, what is the correct process for requesting that permission before submitting the application for App Review?

We need Apple to urgently remove the spam flag on our app. This is not a request for another generic explanation of the rejection. We previously had a Webex meeting with Ewelina from Apple, during which we explained the app, its purpose, and the changes made in response to the prior rejection. We were explicitly told that our app is not spam, (and was never a spam) that the issue would be addressed, and that we could confidently resubmit the app. We relied on that assurance and resubmitted. Yet we received the same spam rejection again. This is causing immediate and substantial financial harm. We are already paying commitments to Plaid and Checkbook, fees to other providers, and salaries to employees who cannot perform the work they were hired to do while our app remains blocked. These costs continue every day without a launch, and our company is facing significant financial distress. We have had to cancel our launch event three times. The third cancellation followed this latest rejection, after Apple told us we could confidently resubmit. We made financial and operational decisions based on that guidance. Please urgently escalate this to someone who can review the Webex meeting with Ewelina, remove the spam designation, and ensure our app is not rejected again on the same basis Apple already told us did not apply. We need a concrete resolution now. We cannot keep paying providers and employees, cancelling launch plans, and absorbing losses because the same flag continues to be applied. If anyone here has experienced the same situation or knows how to get this escalated to someone who can resolve it, we would be extremely grateful for your help.

This has happened before with a new app I build that involved subscriptions and it got stuck in a blackhole and i believe it could be a glitch on apples review system. I submitted a new app, the subscription wasnt fully included for review, the reviewer replied to me asking some questions and thiis is when i noticed the sub was not fully linked. So i linked it and now im worried its fallen into the same black hole as before as there has been no movement. Its just sitting waiting to be reviewed. Which is totally fine if the team are just backlogged but i dont want to wait a month or so before knowing this for sure as i cant afford that amount of wasted time. Its related to my WeatherLens app

App ID: 6790321094 Submission ID: 883d7004-33a3-4fd7-b229-756a15b51cb9 Submitted: August 4, 2026 My app has been in "Waiting for Review" for 12 days with no change in status. In the same period, five other updates from the same developer account went through review normally, within the usual timeframe. So this does not appear to be a general queue backlog or an account-level issue. An expedited review request was submitted and had no effect. The previous version of this update was rejected under Guideline 4.3, and the issue behind that rejection has been fully addressed in this build. Details are in the Review Notes. There is no active thread in Resolution Center, so I have no way to contact the review team about this submission directly. Could someone confirm whether this submission is queued correctly or whether it is stuck? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Hello, Our first submission was previously reviewed and we received feedback under Guideline 2.1 because the reviewer was unable to access the app due to a forced update issue. We fixed the issue completely, uploaded a new build, and resubmitted on Friday. The submission has now been in Waiting for Review for approximately 4–5 days with no further messages or requests. Could someone please confirm that the submission is correctly queued and that nothing else is required from our side? App: KIBAKI: Persian Community Submission ID: d1f921a3-9001-4ef2-a392-657860c437cd Current status: Waiting for Review Thank you.

My Apps — 2weeks with no review or response It has now been approximately 14 days since my latest submission, and I still have not received any review result, message, or request for additional information. I completely understand that App Review may take time, especially when an app has previously received rejections and requires additional review. However, in my case, I have already responded to the concerns raised in the previous reviews, clarified the misunderstood features, and made further changes to the app before submitting the latest build. The situation is becoming difficult to understand because the app was initially rejected for one set of concerns, then after clarification it was rejected under spam, and after addressing those concerns and submitting a redesigned/rebuilt version, the latest submission has now remained without any response for about a week. Could someone from the Apple Developer Relations/App Review team please advise on what I should do next? I am not asking for the app to bypass the review process. I simply want to know whether: The submission is still actively waiting for review Additional information is required from me There is an issue with my App Store account or submission I should take any further action before submitting another build This is a new organization account, and I want to make sure I am following Apple's guidelines correctly rather than repeatedly submitting builds without understanding what is expected. If anyone from Apple can take a look at the case or advise on the appropriate escalation path, I would really appreciate it. App ID / Case details can be provided privately if re quired. Thank you.

My app has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for more than five days, without any progress or communication from App Review. Unfortunately, this is not the first time. Some submissions move forward within a few days, while others remain waiting for a week or longer with no explanation or meaningful status update. For developers running an actual business, this is extremely frustrating. App submissions are not simply experiments or hobby projects. Releases, customers, marketing plans, bug fixes, and business commitments can all depend on the review process. I fully understand that Apple needs sufficient time to properly review applications, but leaving a submission sitting at **“Waiting for Review” for an extended period without even beginning the review is difficult to justify—especially without any indication of the expected timeframe. Apple provides developers with strict guidelines, deadlines, and requirements, and developers are expected to comply with them. It is reasonable to expect a similar level of predictability and communication from the review process. Has anyone else recently experienced apps remaining in “Waiting for Review” for 5–7+ days? If so, how long did it eventually take before the review actually started? I would also appreciate clarification from Apple regarding whether these extended waiting times are currently considered normal or whether developers should contact App Review after a certain number of days.

I am trying to add testers to External Tester groups for a couple of our iOS apps and after adding them it shows "No Builds Available". This is despite the app being available to that External Tester group with other people having already installed the latest version of the app which is "Available" and not expired. Can someone please fix this? It is so frustrating the number of times I try and release apps to TestFlight and there's some issue blocking me, completely out of my control and I have to rely on someone at Apple fixing something on this terrible AppStoreConnect system.

Hi everyone, I would like to ask if anyone else has experienced a longer-than-usual "In Review" phase recently. Here is the timeline for our app, App ID: 6800282515: Submitted for Review: Sep 14 at 05:00 Pacific Time Checked and found status in "In Review": Sep 14 at 19:00 Current Status: Still "In Review" (as of Sep 17, 19:00+) It has been in the "In Review" state for over 3 full days without any updates, rejection notices, or requests for additional info. Has anyone run into a similar issue lately? Is there any recommended way to handle this, or should we just wait a bit longer? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all — hoping someone here has run into this and can point me in the right direction. I'm a solo, independent developer (not a company) submitting my first app, a directory app connecting coaches with vendors for sports equipment/services. I've been rejected three times now under Guideline 5.6 (Developer Code of Conduct), with the exact same wording each time: "We've identified a pattern of unusual behavior with the app that is commonly associated with fraudulent activity. Specifically, the app contains features that appear to have been intentionally hidden during the review process." Here's what I've done in response to each rejection: 1st rejection: I realized I hadn't shown an optional "Upgrade to Pro" feature (an external Stripe checkout link for vendors) in my review demo video, and Apple flagged it as hidden. To comply with Guideline 3.1.1, I removed that feature from the iOS app only, using a flag that checked which platform loaded the page, while leaving it on the website. 2nd rejection: Same 5.6 language again. My best guess was that showing different behavior between the app and the website (based on that platform flag) was itself what looked like "hidden/manipulative" behavior to review, even though my intent was just 3.1.1 compliance. So I removed the feature completely and identically everywhere — no platform-specific code at all anymore, on the app or the website. 3rd rejection: Same exact wording again, even after that fix. I also separately found and fixed an unrelated issue — a footer "Admin" link that was visible to all users (including signed-out visitors) but non-functional unless the account was flagged as admin — in case that was contributing, and hid it for all non-admin accounts. I've replied in the Resolution Center each time explaining my fixes, and on the most recent reply I directly asked the review team to tell me specifically what feature they're seeing as hidden, since I no longer have anything left in the app that I can identify as behaving inconsistently. I got the same templated rejection language back, with no specifics. I'm currently waiting on a callback from Apple Support, but wanted to ask here in the meantime: has anyone dealt with a 5.6 rejection that kept repeating with no specifics, and found a way to get an actual answer on what's being flagged? Is there a more effective way to word a Resolution Center reply, or a different channel (App Review Board appeal, etc.) that actually gets a specific response instead of the same boilerplate? Any advice from anyone who's been through this would be a huge help. Thanks in advance.

Hi everyone, I was slowly working on an app for many years, five to be precise. It was a long way, with a custom video engine, chat UI, and a lot of life stuff in between, and I finally submitted it to the App Store last month. The idea of the app is that you can create videos that show a chat conversation, with animated text bubbles, text, typewriter effects, and so on. See an example: It is not a unique concept. I found many apps on the App Store like TextingStory and ChatTales, and many general-purpose video editors like CapCut, Canva, or Mojo have video templates that allow you to create similar chat videos. So conceptually, nothing really worried me. But my first submission got a 1.1.6 rejection: Guideline 1.1.6 - Safety - Objectionable Content Issue Description The app includes trick or joke functionality which is intended to or may be used to deceive users. Specifically, the app allows users to create fake chat conversations. Please note that adding a disclaimer to the app description is not sufficient if the rest of the metadata and the app could be misleading. Next Steps Revise the app so that it may not be used to deceive users. As a follow-up, I explained the app’s positioning as a video tool, as I believed this was some misunderstanding. The app is clearly focused on storytelling and creating videos. The output video is also not really trying to imitate an actual messaging screen, as it doesn’t contain UI chrome such as a status bar, navigation bar, text input controls, timestamps, or delivery/read receipts. So I updated the app and metadata to present the storytelling and video export purpose more clearly. After about 10 days waiting for the second review, I got essentially the same rejection: The app still creates fake chats. I am now trying to clarify with App Review what exactly can be changed. My hope is that removing features like "New Project from screenshots" and visual themes resembling existing messaging apps could help. But the biggest worry is that the category itself banned and the app won't be accepted at all. So I wonder if anyone here has experience dealing with a 1.1.6 rejection like this. The relevant part of the guideline says: False information and features, including inaccurate device data or trick/joke functionality, such as fake location trackers. Stating that the app is “for entertainment purposes” won’t overcome this guideline. Apps that enable anonymous or prank phone calls or SMS/MMS messaging will be rejected. Is producing chat style videos effectively forbidden as a category? As I mentioned there are existing apps, but as I understand that doesn't guarantee anything. What could distinguish a “fake chat” from a "non fake fictional chat video"? Has anyone had a similar rejection, and if so, what did Apple actually ask you to change?