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.

Hello, I have a general question about App Store eligibility for financial applications. Would an iOS Open Banking app developed by an independent technology company be eligible for the App Store if it: aggregates accounts from multiple participating banks; uses only official Open Banking APIs; requires users to authenticate directly with their bank and provide consent; does not store bank passwords or hold customer funds; does not use private APIs or screen scraping; has formal authorization or partnership agreements with the participating banks? The app would essentially provide a unified interface for accounts, balances and transactions, while the actual banking services remain provided by the respective banks. Additionally, would the App Store requirements be different if one of the participating banks were subject to international sanctions or other restrictions, despite providing an official API and authorizing the third-party application? I am asking generally to understand Apple's requirements for this type of application. Thank you.

I have 3 apps that have been waiting for review for weeks now. Im not sure how to escalate or get someone to review them. It's pushing back my go live dates. Is been a pretty frustrating experience.

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.

I have a problem to solve. Wondering if anyone can help me? My app (auto-mobile Apple ID: 6802762195) uses a standard encryption algorithm, instead of using or accessing the encryption within Apple's operating system. So Apple requires you to fill out and submit App Encryption Documentation on appstoreconnect. Well I did that on Sept 5th 2026 and it is now Sept 21 2026 and Apple says “still in review.” So I contacted Apple Support on Sept 12. Asked why "still in review" on Sept 12. Their first reply is on Sept 15: “Your inquiry will be forwarded to Apple’s Export Compliance Department team for review and response.” A week passes and I hear nothing. So I email support again (Sept 18) and their second reply (Sept 21) is: “We currently do not have the right tools to share you the exact information you are looking for. if the status shows "In-review" for you that means "Your binary is currently being reviewed by Apple. If you want to remove your binary from the App Review queue, click Reject Binary". But if I remove the submitted App Encryption Documentation (“binary”) the app will be rejected. So I am kinda confused by Apple’s answers and advice so far. Anyone else have this issue? How did you resolve it? Why is Apple telling me "they don't have the right tools" to investigate the App Encryption Documentation on their own AppStoreConnect? Any input would be amazing... Because I've tried Apple and get no answer... or an answer that would make my app ineligible. Thanks in advance community!

Hello App Review team, PerseusTV+ version 2.0.0 (build 23), App ID 6751275926, has been Waiting for Review since September 17, 2026 at 8:46 PM (GMT+7). As of September 21, review has not started. Previous updates were usually reviewed much faster. We requested expedited review on September 20, contacted Developer Support, and sent a follow-up. We have not received a request for additional information. Android V2 went live on Google Play last week, but iOS users are still waiting for this update, delaying our cross-platform rollout. Could you please check that the submission is correctly queued, advise whether anything is needed from us, and update us on the expedited request? Have other developers experienced similar delays with updates recently? Thank you for your help.

Hello, I'm hoping someone from the App Review team can take a look at our submission. App name: Happyy UAE Latest submission date: 10 September 2026 Current status: Waiting for Review We have been trying to publish this app for more than two months. We addressed the feedback from previous reviews before resubmitting, but the latest submission has now been waiting for 11 days with no feedback, questions, or status change. This delay is holding up our launch. Could someone please check whether the submission is stuck, or let us know if anything else is needed from our side? Thank you for your help.

Hi everyone, I'm posting here because I honestly don't know where else to get answers anymore. I've been trying to release my first app for about 2–3 months now, and the review process has been, frankly, a disaster for us. As a first-time publisher I've genuinely tried to do everything by the book — I've read the guidelines carefully, prepared reviewer notes, a demo account, sign-in instructions, everything that's recommended. But here's the pattern I keep running into: Every submission sits in "Waiting for Review" for around two weeks — currently even longer. I know the official expectation is that most apps are reviewed much faster, but that has never once been our experience. When the review finally happens, it stops at the first issue found. Instead of reviewing the whole app once and giving me a complete list of everything that needs fixing, I get exactly one rejection point, I fix it, resubmit — and then wait another two weeks just to learn about the next issue. If I got all findings in one pass, I could address everything in a single build. This one-issue-per-cycle loop is what turns a fixable week of work into months. Right now I've been waiting 2.5 weeks for a metadata-only change (updated store screenshots). No binary change at all. I've contacted App Review support to ask for a status update and have received no response. For context: the same app has been live on Google Play for several weeks and is doing well there. We're not trying to sneak anything past review — we want to comply. We just need to actually be told what to fix, ideally all at once, and to not lose two-plus weeks per iteration. So my questions: Is there any way to get a complete list of issues in one review pass instead of one rejection per cycle? Is a 2+ week "Waiting for Review" time normal right now, or is there something about our account/app that could be causing this? Is there any effective way to get a status update when support doesn't reply? (Expedited review requests haven't helped either.) I understand App Review has to handle enormous volume, and I'm not looking to bash anyone — but as a small developer, this process has been demoralizing. Any advice from people who've been through this, or any pointers from Apple folks who read here, would be hugely appreciated. Thanks.

Hello everyone, This is my first ever game submission to the App Store, so I’m honestly very excited to finally be at this stage. I’ve spent a lot of time working on the game, and seeing it reach the review process for the first time is a really exciting moment for me. The app has now been in “Waiting for Review” for around 5 days. I completely understand that the review process takes time and that Apple’s review team has many submissions to handle. At the same time, since this is my first game and I’m really looking forward to launching it, I’m starting to get a little concerned about the waiting time. I wanted to kindly ask if there is anything I can do from my side to help move the review forward, or if there is any possibility of requesting an expedited review in this situation. I absolutely understand that the normal review process needs to be followed, and I’m not expecting any special treatment. I would just be very grateful if there is anything I can do, or if someone could let me know whether a faster review might be possible. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and thank you to everyone who can share their experience or advice. It’s my first game, so I’m both excited and a little nervous about seeing it finally go live. :)

Could someone from the App Review team please check whether this submission is currently blocked internally or requires any further action from our side? I’ve been dealing with App Review for almost a month now. We’ve already made multiple changes based on the review feedback, submitted new builds, followed up, and tried to clarify everything they raised. Now it’s been several more days with no update at all. At this point, I’m genuinely frustrated and pretty discouraged. This isn’t a small update for us either. We potentially have hundreds of thousands of users waiting for this release, and every additional day matters. What I really don’t understand is how larger apps — especially games that ship frequent updates — seem to manage the review process without getting stuck for weeks like this.

Hello, I originally submitted my app for review on August 30th. After waiting 12 days, I eventually closed that review request since it was so far behind in updates and published a new app review request. (I recognized after the fact that this was probably a mistake.) After waiting another 5 days, I eventually found that I could request an expedited review, which did have a quick turn-around in terms of feedback. Unfortunately, that was a rejection. The rejection reason is: "Since the app includes tips, tools, predictions or other information related to real money gambling, real money betting, or real money skill-based gaming, you must select 'Yes' for 'Gambling' in App Store Connect." This explanation contradicts what the metadata selection criteria is in the form, which states: "Betting or wagering using real money or in-game currency that may be exchanged for real money." The info icon also states: "May include: casino or card games, sports and non-sports betting, or lotteries and raffles." I originally selected "No" to "Gambling" because my application does NOT allow any form of gambling, and the TOS is clear that no gambling, raffles, or anything else of that nature is allowed on the platform. The application is a poker social network, and it does not provide any more capability that Facebook Instagram, X, or any other social network insofar as gambling goes. Nonetheless, I updated my application metadata to change "Gambling" to "Yes" 3 days ago, almost immediately after I was asked to do so. (Hopefully answering yes does not bite me in the review process since the application does NOT allow gambling.) I have heard nothing more since then, and I'm wondering how long I should wait again to expect to have my app reviewed. Altogether, it's been 21 days so far, and I'm essentially blocked at this point since I am trying to market the app, but have nowhere to point potential users who have Apple devices. Can anyone help get things moving forward for my application? Thank you! Application Name: PokerNexus Application Bundle: com.pokernexus.app Application ID: 6800184564 Currently Unavailable App Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pokernexus/id6800184564

Hello, Our app (Apple ID 6797897487) is an internal operations tool built under contract for a single business. It was rejected under guideline 4.3(a) on 29 August. We replied in App Store Connect on 31 August and on 10 September, adding that Apple had approved unlisted app distribution for the app on 8 September, but we have not received any response since. What is the recommended next step here? Should we resubmit the same build with the updated information, or wait for a reply to the existing messages? Thank you.

Hi everyone, I'm hoping App Review can take a look at our case, or help us get a call. Our app FlightCue: Flight Tracker (App ID 6790973619, version 1.0) was rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) – Design – Spam on September 9 and, after a resubmission with new features, again on September 19, 2026. Timeline: September 1: submitted for review. September 9: first 4.3(a) rejection. September 9: we replied in App Store Connect, asked which of binary / metadata / concept applied, and requested a call (with our phone number, hours and language). We did not receive a call. September 17: App Review replied to our message that the app "still provides the same feature set as other apps submitted to the App Store for review." September 18: we resubmitted with the two feature areas we had been building: (1) a Turbulence tab on every flight screen – a segment-by-segment turbulence forecast along the actual route, headwind/tailwind and its effect on arrival time, thunderstorm areas the route crosses, nearby pilot reports (PIREPs), and takeoff/landing conditions at both airports; (2) a Price Tracker tab – fare-drop alerts for a route or a specific itinerary, re-checked daily by our backend, with price history. September 19: rejected again under 4.3(a), this time with the Extended Review note. FlightCue is a single app from a single developer account, developed in-house. Our next build (not yet submitted) also adds a flight by scanning the boarding pass. We are not resubmitting until we hear back. We have filed an appeal with the App Review Board, and we would be very grateful for a call so we can understand which part of the app or the listing is considered similar and change the right thing. Submission ID: 16908a41-1139-4832-bee7-87bce3bc6acd Thank you for your time Ercan Garip

Hi, Our submission has been in "Waiting for Review" for 11 days with no status change, and I would like advice on whether to keep waiting or to submit a newer build. Details: App: StarTarot: Your Day, Charted Apple ID: 6807977612 Version / build: 1.2.6 (39) Submission ID: 24f9028e-038f-4d18-9eaf-9a3ca0ccdd70 Submitted: 9 September 2026. It has never moved to "In Review". I also contacted App Review Status through the Contact Us form on 18 September 2026 (Case ID 102967722276) and have not received a reply yet. Background, in case it matters: an earlier submission of this app was rejected under Guideline 4.3(b) as duplicating widely available astrology apps. We did not resubmit the same thing. We reworked how the app presents itself and submitted a new build, because the part that makes it different was not visible from the product page. The app is built around "Today", a daily practice that works as a loop rather than a one-off reading: a digest computed for that specific date from the user's own birth chart (Swiss Ephemeris, NASA/JPL DE440); on some days one small concrete action chosen to fit the day, including the weather and daylight where the user lives; an evening check-in, after which the app asks whether that action happened and adapts what it suggests next; a memory of short facts that the user can review and erase, used only with explicit consent; and an astrologer the user can talk to about timing, a decision or another person. Elsewhere in the app there is astrocartography drawn on a world map, a Human Design bodygraph, recognition of a physical tarot deck photographed with the camera, and eclipse and planet visibility computed for the user's own coordinates. Our 78-card text corpus is published openly under CC BY with a DOI. My questions: Is 11 days without moving to "In Review" expected at the moment, or does it suggest this submission needs attention? We have a further updated build ready (an interactive calendar among other changes). Should we wait for the current submission to be reviewed, or replace the build? We would rather not resubmit repeatedly, since that is discouraged. Thank you.

Hello everyone, I've seen quite a few recent threads from developers stuck in long review queues, so greetings to all of you in the same boat. Our iOS app has remained in "Waiting for Review" since its initial submission, with no movement, feedback, or messages in App Store Connect. Timeline: Submitted: Aug 20, 2026 Submission ID: 8ae4090b-e099-4eb1-8868-fc34af838cb2 App ID: 6783428217 Current status: still "Waiting for Review" (9+ days) Steps already taken: Verified all agreements are accepted and there are no pending compliance items or messages on the submission Opened a support case on Aug 27 (Case ID: 20000148931150) — no response yet Filed an expedited review request, as our planned Aug 30 launch date is at risk We haven't received any rejection or request for additional information. Could the App Review team please check whether this submission is stuck in the queue, and advise if any action is needed on our side? Has anyone made it through a similar delay recently? What ended up unblocking it for you? the support case, an expedited request (if you had a planned release date?), or posting here? I'll keep this thread updated with every step we take and every response we get, so others hitting this have a reference.

Hi Apple Developer Community, Our app has been going through App Review since September 13. We have addressed every issue raised by App Review. Importantly, the most recent review issues were primarily metadata-related. The latest screenshot issue was specifically stated by App Review as eligible to be resolved in our next update, but we nevertheless fixed it immediately and submitted on September 18. Our expedited review request was also accepted and confirmed by a Senior Advisor from Apple Developer Support. The app and all associated subscriptions are now back at “Waiting for Review.” Submission ID: 6b3c0adc-e145-4329-91cf-811c92e25a7b Given that the recent issues were metadata-related and have all been addressed, is there anything else preventing the expedited review from proceeding? If an Apple staff member could check or internally escalate the existing review, we would greatly appreciate it. Our team is standing by and can respond immediately to any additional requirements. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I'm planning an iOS app that provides a personalized invitation-card creation service, and I'm trying to determine the correct payment method before starting development. The flow would be: User selects an invitation template. User enters their event/invitation details. The app generates a watermarked preview. User proceeds to checkout. User pays for the creation of the final personalized PDF. After successful payment, our backend places the request into a processing queue. The PDF is generated asynchronously on our server. Once completed, the user receives a notification and can download the final PDF. The purchase does not unlock an app feature, subscription, membership, or ongoing access to digital content. The user is paying for a specific personalized invitation document to be generated based on their selected template and information. Each template can have a different price. My question is: Would this type of personalized document-generation service be required to use Apple's In-App Purchase, or could an external payment processor such as Razorpay be used? I have reviewed the App Store Review Guidelines, particularly the sections concerning In-App Purchase and physical goods/services, but I'm not certain how Apple classifies a personalized digital document-generation service like this. If anyone has implemented a similar business model or can point me to the relevant Apple guideline or an official Apple clarification, I would really appreciate it. I'm asking before development so that the payment architecture can be designed correctly from the beginning. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I'm planning an iOS app that provides a personalized invitation-card creation service, and I'm trying to determine the correct payment method before starting development. The flow would be: User selects an invitation template. User enters their event/invitation details. The app generates a watermarked preview. User proceeds to checkout. User pays for the creation of the final personalized PDF. After successful payment, our backend places the request into a processing queue. The PDF is generated asynchronously on our server. Once completed, the user receives a notification and can download the final PDF. The purchase does not unlock an app feature, subscription, membership, or ongoing access to digital content. The user is paying for a specific personalized invitation document to be generated based on their selected template and information. Each template can have a different price. My question is: Would this type of personalized document-generation service be required to use Apple's In-App Purchase, or could an external payment processor such as Razorpay be used? I have reviewed the App Store Review Guidelines, particularly the sections concerning In-App Purchase and physical goods/services, but I'm not certain how Apple classifies a personalized digital document-generation service like this. If anyone has implemented a similar business model or can point me to the relevant Apple guideline or an official Apple clarification, I would really appreciate it. I'm asking before development so that the payment architecture can be designed correctly from the beginning. Thanks!

What's the guidance on submitting new builds for App Review that include support for iPhone Duo/iPhone resizability? Will they work when building with Xcode 27 + if available for 27.1 or do we have to wait for new Xcode release? Any guidance from Apple and timeframe on build submission if our updates are ready and undergoing testing in simulator? Thank you.

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?

My first app (version 1.0, iOS) was submitted on 12 September 2026 at 01:01 UTC and has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" ever since. Eight days later it has still never moved to "In Review". There are no messages from App Review in App Store Connect: no rejection, no request for information, nothing. I have checked everything on my side and it all looks correct: Paid and Free Apps agreements: Active Banking and tax forms: Active EU DSA trader status: completed, shows as Active (this one had already blocked an earlier submission for four days without any email from Apple, so I know to look there) App Review Information complete, with notes explaining that the app ships with a built-in sample mailbox "Sign-in required" is unchecked, so no demo account is needed to review it Metadata, screenshots, age rating and export compliance all complete A valid build is attached I also deleted an empty submission draft that had been left behind by the App Store Connect API One thing I am unsure about: while preparing the release I cancelled and resubmitted the version several times to swap the build, and the submission history now shows a number of entries marked "Removed". Does cancelling a submission and resubmitting send the app back to the end of the review queue? I have opened a support case as well, but I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has seen a first submission sit this long, and whether it eventually cleared on its own.