App Review

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App review is the process of evaluating apps and app updates submitted to the App Store to ensure they are reliable, perform as expected, and follow Apple guidelines.

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Handling ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest
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
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7.1k
Mar ’25
Preventing Copycat and Impersonation Rejections
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.
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5.1k
Nov ’25
App Has Been Waiting for Review for One Week
Hello Apple Developer Community, Our app has been waiting for App Review for approximately one week, and I would appreciate any guidance from developers who may have experienced a similar delay. App ID: 6789650549 The submission is still showing as “Waiting for Review.” We have checked the submission details, App Review information, subscription products, and required agreements, and we cannot identify anything missing or requiring action from our side. We understand that review times can vary, but since the app has remained in the queue for a week without entering review, we wanted to ask whether this is currently considered normal or whether there may be an issue with the submission. Would you recommend continuing to wait, contacting App Review, or taking any other action? We would prefer not to remove and resubmit the build unless necessary, as this could potentially restart the review queue. Thank you for your help.
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Preparing background asset for app review
I have finished a new app that integrates Apple hosted background asset. I have tested and confirm that the assets are downloaded both locally and with a TestFlight build. App review is not able to access the background assets. I can see that the assets are updated with status "accepted". But app review is running into error "A server with the specified hostname could not be found.". These are Apple Hosted Assets. Did I miss any configuration?
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Reliability of clock_gettime_nsec_np vs. swift-ntp for tamper-proof KPI timestamps?
We are building a KPI(Telemetry) analytics reporting feature in our iOS app that requires recording and publishing reliable timestamps back to our backend server. Standard system time (Date()) is not suitable for our use case because it is susceptible to manual user changes (system clock manipulation) as well as clock drift over time. We are considering clock_gettime_nsec_np(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW ) as a potential solution for iOS 10+. However, we want to confirm: Is clock_gettime_nsec_np a reliable, drift-free source for this purpose? Does the underlying OS handle NTP synchronization for these clocks, or can user-level time changes still impact them? Additionally, we recently came across Apple's official swift-ntp client library to fetch true NTP time directly. For production KPI reporting, is relying on an NTP library like swift-ntp the recommended approach, or is clock_gettime_nsec_np sufficient on modern iOS? We’d appreciate any insights or past experiences from the community. Thanks!
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Subscriptions missing after initial app release
Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a strange issue with auto-renewable subscriptions in my app, and hoping someone can help or point me to the right direction. Here's what happened: Earlier I got my initial app version approved and released with monthly and yearly subscriptions in App Store Connect. And I checked that the app went live, and I could see the subscriptions in a fresh App Store install. But a few weeks after that, I noticed the subscriptions were gone from the app, then I went checking in App Store Connect, and found subscriptions were in some developer attention required state (something along the line). I then submitted a new app version with an additional subscription item, hoping I could reselect the prev 2 subscriptions and the new one for review, together with the new app build. And the subscriptions were in Waiting for Review status. But app reviewer responded that they can't see any subscription for review, and can't proceed with the review. And I noticed that the Subscriptions page shows the banner Your first subscription must be submitted with a new app version. Create your subscription, then select it from the app’s In-App Purchases and Subscriptions section on the version page before submitting the version to App Review., as if I had never got any subscription approved & released before. Now I'm completely stuck. App reviewer can't see the subscriptions, and I see in App Store Connect my subscriptions are in Waiting for Review status. Thanks a lot for any help!
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12h
Request for Escalation: Organization Enrollment Verification Stuck in "Being Processed"
Dear Apple Developer Support, I am requesting assistance regarding my Organization enrollment, which has been stuck in "Being Processed" for an extended period. I have already contacted Apple Developer Support three times through the Contact Us page. Each time, I received only the automatic acknowledgment email with a Case ID. Unfortunately, I have never received any follow-up from a support representative. Because of this, our company is currently unable to complete Organization Verification and cannot publish our iOS application on the App Store. Could you please: Check the status of my enrollment. Confirm whether my previous support requests were actually received by the Enrollment team. Escalate this case to the appropriate team if necessary. For your reference, my previous Case IDs are: Case ID: 102916885584 If you require any additional information or documentation from our company, please let me know. I will provide it immediately. Thank you for your time and assistance. I would greatly appreciate any update regarding the status of our Organization Verification. Kind regards, Dev UXUI Enrollment ID: WDF7RSUZ7P Company: Patana Intercool Company Limited
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Nothing Works
App Store Connect does not work. These forums do not work. Xcode does not work. Mac OS 26 navigation bars do not work. It's getting a little frustrating. App Store Connect: "Unable to Submit for Review To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform." How? I added a new app build (are "builds" and "versions" the same, I thought they were different, but why would I create a new version of my product?) and submitted it for review. It did not take the "Ready for Review" subscription items with it. They're stuck in a separate draft review. There is no control anywhere to "add an app version." Useless error, pathetic UI, designed by people who have never used this product themselves before, clearly. These forums: Try searching for "Unable to Submit for Review To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform." Get a 403 Forbidden error. Fun. Very useful. Xcode does not work. Spent a good part of my day debugging why Xcode will automatically mask Mac OS 12 icons when there is no Mac app icon specified in an asset collection in a Catalyst context, but will not mask the icon when there is a Mac icon specified. There's no messaging, no warnings, no errors, no nothing. It just does random things. The entire Catalyst idea is nice in theory but there are gotchas like these everywhere. Should you build for iOS, Mac, or iOS + Mac? The answer is "Good luck." Mac OS 26 navigation bars do not work. I'm getting black text on black backgrounds, white text on white backgrounds, sometimes, depending on whether a view loads. Seems like another Apple bug. Support is useless as always, and my record on these forums so far is that no one answers any of my questions. So I'm not sure why I bother. But maybe something I've written will help someone.
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Auto-renewable subscription fails to submit — generic "errors with one or more of your items" / "unexpected error," but no field-level error shown
I'm trying to submit my app version together with two auto-renewable subscriptions (both in the same subscription group), and one of the two subscriptions will not submit, while the other submits with no issue. Setup One subscription group ("Crucibull Pro") with two subscriptions: Annual — $49.99/year — submits fine Weekly — $1.99/week — fails to submit Both are being submitted together with a new app build in a single review submission. The errors I get (they vary, none are field-specific) "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." "Sorry, something went wrong. Try your request again." "An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us." Critically, there is no red/field-level error anywhere on the Weekly subscription's page — its status is "Prepare for Submission" and every field is filled. What I've tried (nothing has worked) Verified every field on Weekly: reference name, product ID, 1-week duration, availability (all countries), price ($1.99 with a valid start date), localization (display name + description), tax category, and an App Review screenshot. Compared Weekly side-by-side with Annual (which submits fine) and matched every field. Changed Weekly's Tax Category to "Match to parent app" to match Annual. Removed and re-added the items to the submission (per the error message's advice) multiple times. Configured the subscription group ranking/levels. Deleted the original Weekly subscription and recreated it from scratch with a new Product ID — same result. Confirmed App Store Connect is stable (System Status all green) and still errors. Tried fresh submissions, different browser/incognito, and re-uploading the screenshot. Current state The Annual sub and the app build are ready and submit fine. The Weekly sub is fully configured, identical to Annual, freshly recreated, on a stable platform — and still throws generic submission errors with no indication of what's actually wrong. Question Has anyone seen an auto-renewable subscription that's fully configured (and identical to a working one in the same group) fail to submit with only generic errors and no field-level detail? Is there a known backend/propagation issue, or a hidden requirement I'm missing? Any way to see the actual validation failure? Thanks in advance.
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Unable to submit app with subscriptions for review
I submitted my app, PerkPulse, for review and it got rejected due to EULA agreement not being in app description, and for the subscriptions not being attached to the subscription. Currently, when I try to submit my app and two subscriptions, I get the error, "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." and it highlights one of my subscriptions. This is very frustrating and is blocking me from submitting my app for review. PerkPulse Pro Annually - product ID: app.perkpulse.mobile.pro_annual_v3 PerkPulse Pro Month - product ID: app.perkpulse.mobile.pro_monthly_v3 When I open the subscription group, it shows as "In Review", but I do not see any option for removing it from review so that I can attach my subscriptions. I have also had a phone call with apple support and could not get the issue resolved. I have: Deleted and recreated the subscriptions Checked all input fields, agreements to sign, etc. and cannot find an empty field Removed and re-added the subscriptions to draft submission Please any help would be appreciated.
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App review delay
This seems to be a reoccurring issue many developers are having and I was surprised because my app reviews used to take 12 hours max. However for my last submission, one of my apps is stuck at "In review" status for 3 weeks, despite my several expedite requests and open support case, no update on the status, no response to the communications and the worst part is that everywhere it is mentioned that the review is done within 1-2 days. And the other app was stuck at "Waiting for review" for about a week only to move to in review and get rejected in seconds with generic reason, I did the modifications and resubmitted knowing that it will not be an easy submission. One of the main concerns that my game got approved on other platforms and the players received a new version of the game while my iOS players are still stuck on the older one, the same for the other game which I newly launched. I hope Apple workes on fixing this.
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App Stuck in "Waiting for Review" for Over 3 Weeks After Re-Submission
Hello, My app was reviewed and rejected on June 26, 2026 (3:48 PM). I fixed every issue mentioned by the App Review team and submitted a new build. After about one week, the app was still stuck in "Waiting for Review" and had never moved to "In Review." Thinking there might have been an issue with the submission itself, I canceled it and submitted it again. Submission ID: 0e03f336-27f3-42d0-9d15-a0df4e8ac77a Unfortunately, even after re-submitting, the app is still in "Waiting for Review", and I haven't received any communication explaining the delay. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? If so, how did you get the review process moving again? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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2d
Long delay in my First App Publishing
Hi, I want to know is it normal to expect time of more then 5 days in Waiting for Review for my iOS App to be avaiable on Apple App store ? I sent my new App first release a week back for Review and I still see its status as Waiting for Review in my Connect. There are no mails even raised to flag any issue in my uploaded release. So I want to know should I contact the Support or continue waiting ? Thanks in advance .
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Auto-renewable subscription fails to submit — generic "errors with one or more of your items" / "unexpected error," but no field-level error shown
I'm trying to submit my app version together with two auto-renewable subscriptions (both in the same subscription group), and one of the two subscriptions will not submit, while the other submits with no issue. Setup One subscription group ("Crucibull Pro") with two subscriptions: Annual — $49.99/year — submits fine Weekly — $1.99/week — fails to submit Both are being submitted together with a new app build in a single review submission. The errors I get (they vary, none are field-specific) "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." "Sorry, something went wrong. Try your request again." "An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us." Critically, there is no red/field-level error anywhere on the Weekly subscription's page — its status is "Prepare for Submission" and every field is filled. What I've tried (nothing has worked) Verified every field on Weekly: reference name, product ID, 1-week duration, availability (all countries), price ($1.99 with a valid start date), localization (display name + description), tax category, and an App Review screenshot. Compared Weekly side-by-side with Annual (which submits fine) and matched every field. Changed Weekly's Tax Category to "Match to parent app" to match Annual. Removed and re-added the items to the submission (per the error message's advice) multiple times. Configured the subscription group ranking/levels. Deleted the original Weekly subscription and recreated it from scratch with a new Product ID — same result. Confirmed App Store Connect is stable (System Status all green) and still errors. Tried fresh submissions, different browser/incognito, and re-uploading the screenshot. Current state The Annual sub and the app build are ready and submit fine. The Weekly sub is fully configured, identical to Annual, freshly recreated, on a stable platform — and still throws generic submission errors with no indication of what's actually wrong. Question Has anyone seen an auto-renewable subscription that's fully configured (and identical to a working one in the same group) fail to submit with only generic errors and no field-level detail? Is there a known backend/propagation issue, or a hidden requirement I'm missing? Any way to see the actual validation failure? Thanks in advance.
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3d
Update stuck in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days — no Resolution Center message, banking/agreements current
Hi App Review, An update to an app that's already live on the App Store has been in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days with no status change, and I wanted to check whether it's proceeding normally or whether anything is required from my side. Submission ID: b4e5d54c-de30-4003-9f3c-232e366d01c4 Version: 1.1.0 (build 7), an update to a live app (1.0.0 currently in production) Submitted: 16 June 2026, 22:10 Current status: Waiting for Review (has not moved to In Review) I've already checked the usual things my end: there's no message in Resolution Center, no "action required" banner on the app or version page, the build shows as valid and is correctly attached to the version, export compliance/encryption is answered, and Agreements, Tax, and Banking are all current. I also contacted Developer Support via the contact form on 23 June [add: case #102923511308 if you have one] but haven't had a reply yet. Could you confirm whether the review is proceeding normally, or let me know if there's anything I need to do? Happy to provide any further detail. Thanks.
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Build stuck in “Waiting for Beta Review” for 6+ days, no response from support
Hi all, I’m hoping someone from Apple or the community can help. Our app Lazy Watch (Bundle ID: app.lazywatch) has a build stuck in “Waiting for Beta Review” since Saturday, July 11 at 3:07 AM — it’s now been 6 days with no movement. Details: • Build: 0.0.1 (5) • Binary State: Validated • Non-Exempt Encryption: No (export compliance answered) • Test Information: fully filled out • No messages in Resolution Center I’ve tried reaching Developer Support multiple times through the Contact Us form (both phone “Call me” and email routes) with no response and no callback. This is well beyond the normal 24–48 hour review window and is currently blocking our launch plans. Could someone from App Review or WWDR take a look, or point me to the right escalation path? Happy to provide any additional details needed. Thanks in advance.
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Corrected Proxima build 15 resubmitted across iOS, tvOS and macOS — review guidance requested
Hello, We received Guideline 2.1 information requests for Proxima during the previous App Review cycle. We provided detailed answers and, on July 17, uploaded and resubmitted corrected build 15 for iOS, tvOS, and macOS. The new App Store binary completely removes account, subscription, pricing, purchase, renewal, external payment, and provider-specific backend functionality. Proxima is now a free, provider-independent client that only imports configurations supplied by the user. It does not sell or provide VPN access, require an account, collect analytics, log traffic, or share user data. All three build 15 submissions are valid and App Store eligible, and all are currently Waiting for Review. We also updated the App Review notes with exact testing and data-handling information and followed up through Apple Developer Support. The previous Resolution Center threads no longer accept developer replies after resubmission. Is there any additional action we should take to make sure the corrected submissions are not blocked? If an Apple staff member can confirm that the submissions are properly queued or route them to the appropriate App Review team, we would be very grateful. The release is time-sensitive, and we can answer any additional questions immediately. Thank you.
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Transitioning to performance-based pricing (Stripe) & removing legacy StoreKit subscriptions
Hello everyone, We have a SaaS product and are currently transitioning our business model. Previously, we used a standard recurring subscription model implemented via StoreKit 2 in our iOS app. Recently, we changed our pricing to a performance-based model, where we charge a percentage fee based on the user's specific usage and performance. On our web platform, we use Stripe to calculate and accept these dynamic percentage-based payments. I have two questions regarding this transition for our iOS app: Payment Gateway: Since our new pricing model is a variable, performance-based percentage rather than a fixed subscription, does Apple allow us to integrate Stripe directly into the iOS app to process these payments? The service provided is digital. Removing Old Subscriptions: We have completely commented out all StoreKit code in our app build since we are no longer offering those plans. However, we cannot find a "Delete" option in App Store Connect to remove the old subscription items. What is the proper way to completely remove these from our app's backend and store listing? Any guidance on the best way to handle this transition and remain compliant with App Review would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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First External TestFlight Build Stuck in "Waiting for Review" (~65 Hours)
Hi everyone, I'm looking to see if there is a current queue backlog or if an Apple representative might be able to take a look at our status. Our game's very first external TestFlight build has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" with no movement. App Name: Pippin Plaza - 4 Player Co-op App ID: 6787434739 Version & Build: Version 1.0 (Build 2) Submitted: July 15, 2026 Current Status: Waiting for Review The Test Information metadata, contact details, and App Tracking Transparency prompts are fully detailed and filled out. Are any other indie developers experiencing multi-day TestFlight delays this week, or is this standard for a first-time external version review right now? Any insight or visibility from Apple would be deeply appreciated!
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Multiple apps stuck in App Review for months
Hello, I'm looking for advice from other developers who may have experienced unusually long App Review times. Here is my situation: • I submitted five apps on March 2, 2026. • They remained in Waiting for Review until the end of April. • They have now been In Review for several months. • I also submitted CampusGo Connect on May 14, 2026, and it is still Waiting for Review. I have contacted Apple Developer Support several times. They confirmed that my apps are still in the review process, but there have been no updates or requests for additional information. I have also verified that my Apple Developer Program membership is active, all agreements are accepted, and my App Store Connect account is functioning normally. Has anyone experienced review times this long? If so: • How long did your review eventually take? • Was there anything you did that helped? • Is there anything else I should try besides continuing to work with Developer Support? Thank you for any advice.
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Handling ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest
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
Replies
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Boosts
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7.1k
Activity
Mar ’25
Preventing Copycat and Impersonation Rejections
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.
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Nov ’25
Subscriptions stuck "Waiting for Review" for 14 days
Hello, I have two subscriptions stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for 14 days now and I cannot update, edit or remove them. I emailed Apple Support 6 days ago with the specific details but have not received a response as yet. Is there anything I can do as this is blocking an app update. Thank you.
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2
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74
Activity
6h
App Has Been Waiting for Review for One Week
Hello Apple Developer Community, Our app has been waiting for App Review for approximately one week, and I would appreciate any guidance from developers who may have experienced a similar delay. App ID: 6789650549 The submission is still showing as “Waiting for Review.” We have checked the submission details, App Review information, subscription products, and required agreements, and we cannot identify anything missing or requiring action from our side. We understand that review times can vary, but since the app has remained in the queue for a week without entering review, we wanted to ask whether this is currently considered normal or whether there may be an issue with the submission. Would you recommend continuing to wait, contacting App Review, or taking any other action? We would prefer not to remove and resubmit the build unless necessary, as this could potentially restart the review queue. Thank you for your help.
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6
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237
Activity
8h
Preparing background asset for app review
I have finished a new app that integrates Apple hosted background asset. I have tested and confirm that the assets are downloaded both locally and with a TestFlight build. App review is not able to access the background assets. I can see that the assets are updated with status "accepted". But app review is running into error "A server with the specified hostname could not be found.". These are Apple Hosted Assets. Did I miss any configuration?
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3
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258
Activity
10h
Reliability of clock_gettime_nsec_np vs. swift-ntp for tamper-proof KPI timestamps?
We are building a KPI(Telemetry) analytics reporting feature in our iOS app that requires recording and publishing reliable timestamps back to our backend server. Standard system time (Date()) is not suitable for our use case because it is susceptible to manual user changes (system clock manipulation) as well as clock drift over time. We are considering clock_gettime_nsec_np(CLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW ) as a potential solution for iOS 10+. However, we want to confirm: Is clock_gettime_nsec_np a reliable, drift-free source for this purpose? Does the underlying OS handle NTP synchronization for these clocks, or can user-level time changes still impact them? Additionally, we recently came across Apple's official swift-ntp client library to fetch true NTP time directly. For production KPI reporting, is relying on an NTP library like swift-ntp the recommended approach, or is clock_gettime_nsec_np sufficient on modern iOS? We’d appreciate any insights or past experiences from the community. Thanks!
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27
Activity
11h
Subscriptions missing after initial app release
Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a strange issue with auto-renewable subscriptions in my app, and hoping someone can help or point me to the right direction. Here's what happened: Earlier I got my initial app version approved and released with monthly and yearly subscriptions in App Store Connect. And I checked that the app went live, and I could see the subscriptions in a fresh App Store install. But a few weeks after that, I noticed the subscriptions were gone from the app, then I went checking in App Store Connect, and found subscriptions were in some developer attention required state (something along the line). I then submitted a new app version with an additional subscription item, hoping I could reselect the prev 2 subscriptions and the new one for review, together with the new app build. And the subscriptions were in Waiting for Review status. But app reviewer responded that they can't see any subscription for review, and can't proceed with the review. And I noticed that the Subscriptions page shows the banner Your first subscription must be submitted with a new app version. Create your subscription, then select it from the app’s In-App Purchases and Subscriptions section on the version page before submitting the version to App Review., as if I had never got any subscription approved & released before. Now I'm completely stuck. App reviewer can't see the subscriptions, and I see in App Store Connect my subscriptions are in Waiting for Review status. Thanks a lot for any help!
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196
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12h
Request for Escalation: Organization Enrollment Verification Stuck in "Being Processed"
Dear Apple Developer Support, I am requesting assistance regarding my Organization enrollment, which has been stuck in "Being Processed" for an extended period. I have already contacted Apple Developer Support three times through the Contact Us page. Each time, I received only the automatic acknowledgment email with a Case ID. Unfortunately, I have never received any follow-up from a support representative. Because of this, our company is currently unable to complete Organization Verification and cannot publish our iOS application on the App Store. Could you please: Check the status of my enrollment. Confirm whether my previous support requests were actually received by the Enrollment team. Escalate this case to the appropriate team if necessary. For your reference, my previous Case IDs are: Case ID: 102916885584 If you require any additional information or documentation from our company, please let me know. I will provide it immediately. Thank you for your time and assistance. I would greatly appreciate any update regarding the status of our Organization Verification. Kind regards, Dev UXUI Enrollment ID: WDF7RSUZ7P Company: Patana Intercool Company Limited
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Activity
13h
Nothing Works
App Store Connect does not work. These forums do not work. Xcode does not work. Mac OS 26 navigation bars do not work. It's getting a little frustrating. App Store Connect: "Unable to Submit for Review To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform." How? I added a new app build (are "builds" and "versions" the same, I thought they were different, but why would I create a new version of my product?) and submitted it for review. It did not take the "Ready for Review" subscription items with it. They're stuck in a separate draft review. There is no control anywhere to "add an app version." Useless error, pathetic UI, designed by people who have never used this product themselves before, clearly. These forums: Try searching for "Unable to Submit for Review To submit your items for review, add an app version for the selected platform." Get a 403 Forbidden error. Fun. Very useful. Xcode does not work. Spent a good part of my day debugging why Xcode will automatically mask Mac OS 12 icons when there is no Mac app icon specified in an asset collection in a Catalyst context, but will not mask the icon when there is a Mac icon specified. There's no messaging, no warnings, no errors, no nothing. It just does random things. The entire Catalyst idea is nice in theory but there are gotchas like these everywhere. Should you build for iOS, Mac, or iOS + Mac? The answer is "Good luck." Mac OS 26 navigation bars do not work. I'm getting black text on black backgrounds, white text on white backgrounds, sometimes, depending on whether a view loads. Seems like another Apple bug. Support is useless as always, and my record on these forums so far is that no one answers any of my questions. So I'm not sure why I bother. But maybe something I've written will help someone.
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263
Activity
18h
Auto-renewable subscription fails to submit — generic "errors with one or more of your items" / "unexpected error," but no field-level error shown
I'm trying to submit my app version together with two auto-renewable subscriptions (both in the same subscription group), and one of the two subscriptions will not submit, while the other submits with no issue. Setup One subscription group ("Crucibull Pro") with two subscriptions: Annual — $49.99/year — submits fine Weekly — $1.99/week — fails to submit Both are being submitted together with a new app build in a single review submission. The errors I get (they vary, none are field-specific) "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." "Sorry, something went wrong. Try your request again." "An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us." Critically, there is no red/field-level error anywhere on the Weekly subscription's page — its status is "Prepare for Submission" and every field is filled. What I've tried (nothing has worked) Verified every field on Weekly: reference name, product ID, 1-week duration, availability (all countries), price ($1.99 with a valid start date), localization (display name + description), tax category, and an App Review screenshot. Compared Weekly side-by-side with Annual (which submits fine) and matched every field. Changed Weekly's Tax Category to "Match to parent app" to match Annual. Removed and re-added the items to the submission (per the error message's advice) multiple times. Configured the subscription group ranking/levels. Deleted the original Weekly subscription and recreated it from scratch with a new Product ID — same result. Confirmed App Store Connect is stable (System Status all green) and still errors. Tried fresh submissions, different browser/incognito, and re-uploading the screenshot. Current state The Annual sub and the app build are ready and submit fine. The Weekly sub is fully configured, identical to Annual, freshly recreated, on a stable platform — and still throws generic submission errors with no indication of what's actually wrong. Question Has anyone seen an auto-renewable subscription that's fully configured (and identical to a working one in the same group) fail to submit with only generic errors and no field-level detail? Is there a known backend/propagation issue, or a hidden requirement I'm missing? Any way to see the actual validation failure? Thanks in advance.
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Activity
1d
Unable to submit app with subscriptions for review
I submitted my app, PerkPulse, for review and it got rejected due to EULA agreement not being in app description, and for the subscriptions not being attached to the subscription. Currently, when I try to submit my app and two subscriptions, I get the error, "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." and it highlights one of my subscriptions. This is very frustrating and is blocking me from submitting my app for review. PerkPulse Pro Annually - product ID: app.perkpulse.mobile.pro_annual_v3 PerkPulse Pro Month - product ID: app.perkpulse.mobile.pro_monthly_v3 When I open the subscription group, it shows as "In Review", but I do not see any option for removing it from review so that I can attach my subscriptions. I have also had a phone call with apple support and could not get the issue resolved. I have: Deleted and recreated the subscriptions Checked all input fields, agreements to sign, etc. and cannot find an empty field Removed and re-added the subscriptions to draft submission Please any help would be appreciated.
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Activity
1d
App review delay
This seems to be a reoccurring issue many developers are having and I was surprised because my app reviews used to take 12 hours max. However for my last submission, one of my apps is stuck at "In review" status for 3 weeks, despite my several expedite requests and open support case, no update on the status, no response to the communications and the worst part is that everywhere it is mentioned that the review is done within 1-2 days. And the other app was stuck at "Waiting for review" for about a week only to move to in review and get rejected in seconds with generic reason, I did the modifications and resubmitted knowing that it will not be an easy submission. One of the main concerns that my game got approved on other platforms and the players received a new version of the game while my iOS players are still stuck on the older one, the same for the other game which I newly launched. I hope Apple workes on fixing this.
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1d
App Stuck in "Waiting for Review" for Over 3 Weeks After Re-Submission
Hello, My app was reviewed and rejected on June 26, 2026 (3:48 PM). I fixed every issue mentioned by the App Review team and submitted a new build. After about one week, the app was still stuck in "Waiting for Review" and had never moved to "In Review." Thinking there might have been an issue with the submission itself, I canceled it and submitted it again. Submission ID: 0e03f336-27f3-42d0-9d15-a0df4e8ac77a Unfortunately, even after re-submitting, the app is still in "Waiting for Review", and I haven't received any communication explaining the delay. Has anyone experienced a similar situation? If so, how did you get the review process moving again? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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107
Activity
2d
Long delay in my First App Publishing
Hi, I want to know is it normal to expect time of more then 5 days in Waiting for Review for my iOS App to be avaiable on Apple App store ? I sent my new App first release a week back for Review and I still see its status as Waiting for Review in my Connect. There are no mails even raised to flag any issue in my uploaded release. So I want to know should I contact the Support or continue waiting ? Thanks in advance .
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2d
Auto-renewable subscription fails to submit — generic "errors with one or more of your items" / "unexpected error," but no field-level error shown
I'm trying to submit my app version together with two auto-renewable subscriptions (both in the same subscription group), and one of the two subscriptions will not submit, while the other submits with no issue. Setup One subscription group ("Crucibull Pro") with two subscriptions: Annual — $49.99/year — submits fine Weekly — $1.99/week — fails to submit Both are being submitted together with a new app build in a single review submission. The errors I get (they vary, none are field-specific) "There are errors with one or more of your items. To fix them, you need to remove the items and add them again to your submission." "Sorry, something went wrong. Try your request again." "An unexpected error was encountered when submitting for review. If the issue persists please contact us." Critically, there is no red/field-level error anywhere on the Weekly subscription's page — its status is "Prepare for Submission" and every field is filled. What I've tried (nothing has worked) Verified every field on Weekly: reference name, product ID, 1-week duration, availability (all countries), price ($1.99 with a valid start date), localization (display name + description), tax category, and an App Review screenshot. Compared Weekly side-by-side with Annual (which submits fine) and matched every field. Changed Weekly's Tax Category to "Match to parent app" to match Annual. Removed and re-added the items to the submission (per the error message's advice) multiple times. Configured the subscription group ranking/levels. Deleted the original Weekly subscription and recreated it from scratch with a new Product ID — same result. Confirmed App Store Connect is stable (System Status all green) and still errors. Tried fresh submissions, different browser/incognito, and re-uploading the screenshot. Current state The Annual sub and the app build are ready and submit fine. The Weekly sub is fully configured, identical to Annual, freshly recreated, on a stable platform — and still throws generic submission errors with no indication of what's actually wrong. Question Has anyone seen an auto-renewable subscription that's fully configured (and identical to a working one in the same group) fail to submit with only generic errors and no field-level detail? Is there a known backend/propagation issue, or a hidden requirement I'm missing? Any way to see the actual validation failure? Thanks in advance.
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87
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3d
Update stuck in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days — no Resolution Center message, banking/agreements current
Hi App Review, An update to an app that's already live on the App Store has been in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days with no status change, and I wanted to check whether it's proceeding normally or whether anything is required from my side. Submission ID: b4e5d54c-de30-4003-9f3c-232e366d01c4 Version: 1.1.0 (build 7), an update to a live app (1.0.0 currently in production) Submitted: 16 June 2026, 22:10 Current status: Waiting for Review (has not moved to In Review) I've already checked the usual things my end: there's no message in Resolution Center, no "action required" banner on the app or version page, the build shows as valid and is correctly attached to the version, export compliance/encryption is answered, and Agreements, Tax, and Banking are all current. I also contacted Developer Support via the contact form on 23 June [add: case #102923511308 if you have one] but haven't had a reply yet. Could you confirm whether the review is proceeding normally, or let me know if there's anything I need to do? Happy to provide any further detail. Thanks.
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323
Activity
3d
Build stuck in “Waiting for Beta Review” for 6+ days, no response from support
Hi all, I’m hoping someone from Apple or the community can help. Our app Lazy Watch (Bundle ID: app.lazywatch) has a build stuck in “Waiting for Beta Review” since Saturday, July 11 at 3:07 AM — it’s now been 6 days with no movement. Details: • Build: 0.0.1 (5) • Binary State: Validated • Non-Exempt Encryption: No (export compliance answered) • Test Information: fully filled out • No messages in Resolution Center I’ve tried reaching Developer Support multiple times through the Contact Us form (both phone “Call me” and email routes) with no response and no callback. This is well beyond the normal 24–48 hour review window and is currently blocking our launch plans. Could someone from App Review or WWDR take a look, or point me to the right escalation path? Happy to provide any additional details needed. Thanks in advance.
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38
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3d
Corrected Proxima build 15 resubmitted across iOS, tvOS and macOS — review guidance requested
Hello, We received Guideline 2.1 information requests for Proxima during the previous App Review cycle. We provided detailed answers and, on July 17, uploaded and resubmitted corrected build 15 for iOS, tvOS, and macOS. The new App Store binary completely removes account, subscription, pricing, purchase, renewal, external payment, and provider-specific backend functionality. Proxima is now a free, provider-independent client that only imports configurations supplied by the user. It does not sell or provide VPN access, require an account, collect analytics, log traffic, or share user data. All three build 15 submissions are valid and App Store eligible, and all are currently Waiting for Review. We also updated the App Review notes with exact testing and data-handling information and followed up through Apple Developer Support. The previous Resolution Center threads no longer accept developer replies after resubmission. Is there any additional action we should take to make sure the corrected submissions are not blocked? If an Apple staff member can confirm that the submissions are properly queued or route them to the appropriate App Review team, we would be very grateful. The release is time-sensitive, and we can answer any additional questions immediately. Thank you.
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74
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3d
Waiting for Review
Hi my app is still "Waiting for Review" since almost a week now. Is it normal? Thank you!
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64
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3d
Transitioning to performance-based pricing (Stripe) & removing legacy StoreKit subscriptions
Hello everyone, We have a SaaS product and are currently transitioning our business model. Previously, we used a standard recurring subscription model implemented via StoreKit 2 in our iOS app. Recently, we changed our pricing to a performance-based model, where we charge a percentage fee based on the user's specific usage and performance. On our web platform, we use Stripe to calculate and accept these dynamic percentage-based payments. I have two questions regarding this transition for our iOS app: Payment Gateway: Since our new pricing model is a variable, performance-based percentage rather than a fixed subscription, does Apple allow us to integrate Stripe directly into the iOS app to process these payments? The service provided is digital. Removing Old Subscriptions: We have completely commented out all StoreKit code in our app build since we are no longer offering those plans. However, we cannot find a "Delete" option in App Store Connect to remove the old subscription items. What is the proper way to completely remove these from our app's backend and store listing? Any guidance on the best way to handle this transition and remain compliant with App Review would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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190
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3d
First External TestFlight Build Stuck in "Waiting for Review" (~65 Hours)
Hi everyone, I'm looking to see if there is a current queue backlog or if an Apple representative might be able to take a look at our status. Our game's very first external TestFlight build has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" with no movement. App Name: Pippin Plaza - 4 Player Co-op App ID: 6787434739 Version & Build: Version 1.0 (Build 2) Submitted: July 15, 2026 Current Status: Waiting for Review The Test Information metadata, contact details, and App Tracking Transparency prompts are fully detailed and filled out. Are any other indie developers experiencing multi-day TestFlight delays this week, or is this standard for a first-time external version review right now? Any insight or visibility from Apple would be deeply appreciated!
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64
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3d
Multiple apps stuck in App Review for months
Hello, I'm looking for advice from other developers who may have experienced unusually long App Review times. Here is my situation: • I submitted five apps on March 2, 2026. • They remained in Waiting for Review until the end of April. • They have now been In Review for several months. • I also submitted CampusGo Connect on May 14, 2026, and it is still Waiting for Review. I have contacted Apple Developer Support several times. They confirmed that my apps are still in the review process, but there have been no updates or requests for additional information. I have also verified that my Apple Developer Program membership is active, all agreements are accepted, and my App Store Connect account is functioning normally. Has anyone experienced review times this long? If so: • How long did your review eventually take? • Was there anything you did that helped? • Is there anything else I should try besides continuing to work with Developer Support? Thank you for any advice.
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3d