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

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

I'm building a custom keyboard extension that offers voice dictation. Because keyboard extensions are constrained (memory cap ~30–48 MB, restricted audio session access), I delegate recording to my container app: User in a host app (e.g., Safari) taps the mic in my keyboard extension. The keyboard calls extensionContext.open(URL("myapp://dictation")) to launch the container app. The container app records audio via AVAudioEngine + SFSpeechRecognizer, writes the final transcript to the App Group, and signals completion via a Darwin notification. 4. The user is expected to be returned to the original host app (Safari) automatically so they can keep typing. The problem (step 4): On iOS 26.4 I can no longer identify which app was the host. Every previously-known path returns nil for the keyboard extension's host: parent.value(forKey: "_hostBundleID") → returns the literal string parent.value(forKey: "_hostApplicationBundleIdentifier") → returns NSNull xpc_connection_copy_bundle_id on the underlying XPC connection (via PKService.defaultService.personalities[…]) → returns NULL NSXPCConnection.processBundleIdentifier on extensionContext._extensionHostProxy._connection → returns nil proc_pidpath(hostPID, …) → EPERM from the keyboard sandbox LSApplicationWorkspace.frontmostApplication → selector unavailable from the extension RBSProcessHandle.handleForIdentifier:error: → returns an RBSServiceErrorDomain error Without the host's bundle ID, the container app has no way to call LSApplicationWorkspace.openApplicationWithBundleID: (the technique that worked on iOS 25 and earlier). UIApplication.suspend() correctly sends the container to background, but iOS treats us as a "fresh launch" — it returns the user to the Home Screen instead of Safari, because the container app was launched by an extension, not directly by Safari. KeyboardKit's maintainer reached the same conclusion (issue #1014) and shipped 10.4 without the feature. My questions: Is there a public, App-Store-safe API in iOS 26+ for a custom keyboard extension to identify its host application, or for the container app (launched via the extension's openURL) to identify which app initially hosted the extension that opened it? UIOpenURLContext.options.sourceApplication reports the extension's own container, not the actual host. 2. Is there a public mechanism for "return to source app" when the container app was launched by an extension's openURL? Equivalent to the ← Source affordance iOS shows for normal inter-app openURL, but triggered programmatically by the launched app. 3. Some popular keyboards (e.g., 微信输入法 / WeChat Keyboard) still appear to round-trip through their container app on iOS 26.4 and return the user to the original host — including the iOS ← WeChat back affordance in the host's status bar afterward. What's the recommended approach to achieve this? If it requires a specific scene-activation flow, NSUserActivity pattern, or extension-context configuration, please point at the relevant docs. 4. If there is no public path today, is FB22247647 (or a related radar) the right place to track this? Should developers in this position migrate to in-extension audio capture (which has its own significant constraints in keyboard extensions)? I'd much rather not rely on private APIs. Concrete guidance — or even an acknowledgment of which direction Apple intends — would help thousands of custom-keyboard developers who currently have a degraded voice-input experience on iOS 26.4+. Tested on iPhone 12 Pro Max running iOS 26.4.2 (build 23E261), Xcode 26.x, Swift 5. Thanks!

Hello, My app Jewel Coloring Go! (App ID: 6785241915) appears to be stuck in the App Review process, and I would like to check whether there may be an issue with this submission. The current version was originally planned for release on July 31, 2026. However, today is Auguse 9, 2026, and the app is still in "Waiting for Review." Current status: Waiting for Review No messages in Resolution Center No requests for additional information We have also submitted multiple Support inquiries but have not received any response so far. This version is particularly important to our team, as it is tied to a planned release schedule and user acquisition activities that had already been prepared in advance. Given the unusually long delay, we are unsure whether the submission is proceeding normally or if there may be an issue requiring attention. If an Apple staff member could help check the status of this submission, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and assistance.

Hello, I currently have two apps submitted for App Store review, and both have remained in “Waiting for Review” for an unusually long time without moving to “In Review.” In the past, my submissions have generally moved through the review process much faster, so having two separate apps waiting at the same time for this long seems unusual. There are no messages from App Review, no requests for additional information, and as far as I can see, there are no actions required from my side in App Store Connect. Both submissions simply remain in “Waiting for Review.” I’ve also noticed several recent posts from other developers reporting similar delays, so I’m wondering whether there is currently a larger backlog affecting App Review. Has anyone else experienced unusually long review times over the past few days? Is there anything we should do when an app remains in “Waiting for Review” for an extended period, or is it better to simply leave the submissions untouched and wait for the review queue to move? I understand that review times can vary and that the App Review team handles a large number of submissions. I’m mainly concerned that the two submissions may have become stuck in the queue. Any information from Apple or experiences from other developers would be appreciated. Thank you.

apple claimed that the game will be after review in 48 hours, i'm waiting for 2 weeks and i feel like i got scammed by apple. this is crazy! no response to emails and opening tickets. no one to talk to! its just an app update and its crazy! Date Submitted Aug 3, 2026 at 9:04 AM Submission ID b43c94ac-78a1-4e20-8da1-09f160b47313

I am facing a nightmare scenario with Apple and need some advice or insights from anyone who has experienced something similar. The App Review Board is going to terminate our account because a new app has been rejected multiple times in the review process and remains unresolved. （4-5 times) No specific instructions or evidence provied, only guidelines (Section 3.2(f)) which are vague. We are very shocked that they are terminating our account because of an unreleased app (not visible to any user). We publish apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. The Android version of this app was already released and has been running for half a year. We understand Apple has its standards, so we kept revising it in the review process. Google Play also has its own review process; a successful launch means the app couldn't have any serious problems. Our Apple developer account is 15 years old. We have always played by the rules. There are 10+ apps with many users. For the past month, all our update reviews have been paused because of this "flag for termination". If they actually terminate the account, does it mean they will permanently hold all our pending payments and delete/remove all our existing 10+ good apps? What's wrong with our existing apps that have been running for over a decade, and what about our dear users? Is this all because an unpublished app failed multiple times in the review process (but was released on Google and has been running for more than half a year)? We are very confused. What other department could we seek help from at Apple? Apple ID of the app: 6757391175 【Why mention Google's Play Store? It's not just app review rejections. (Different stores, different rules) 2. And It's not single app termination 3. It's account termination. It must mean the app violate rules seriously. But it's published on Google, so the app is a normal app. That's the reason mentioning it. 】

Pending Termination Notice Under Section 3.2(f) – Seeking Guidance Regarding Developer Identity Verification Hello, Case ID: 20000132641773 I am seeking guidance regarding a Pending Termination Notice that I recently received under Section 3.2(f) and App Review Guideline 5.6.2 (Developer Identity). I fully respect Apple's policies and have always tried to operate within the App Store guidelines. However, I am struggling to understand the identity-related concerns mentioned in the notice. My Situation I enrolled in the Apple Developer Program as an Individual developer. I completed the standard enrollment process and paid the membership fee. My developer account was approved and activated by Apple. During enrollment, I was not asked to upload a passport, National ID Card, driver's license, or any other identity verification documents. The account has been active for several years. I have multiple published applications and have invested significant resources into their development and growth. My Main Concern The notice states that Apple believes fraudulent or false identity information may have been provided. However: I have never intentionally misrepresented my identity. The name on the account belongs to me. I am fully willing to complete any identity verification process. I can immediately provide my Passport, National ID Card, Driver's License, proof of address, or any other documents Apple may require. Significant Business Impact The termination notice has affected all applications associated with my account. As a result: App transfers are disabled. Earnings payments are paused. Existing applications are impacted. Ongoing user acquisition and marketing campaigns have been disrupted. I have invested heavily in growing these applications, including substantial advertising spend through Meta Ads and other marketing channels. I can provide supporting evidence of advertising activity, installs, traffic, and user acquisition if requested. Questions Has anyone successfully resolved a similar Developer Identity (5.6.2) issue through additional verification? Has Apple allowed developers to submit identity documents after receiving a Pending Termination Notice? Is there any recommended approach when the developer is fully willing to verify their identity but was never previously asked to submit identity documents? I have already submitted an appeal and expressed my willingness to provide any form of identity verification required by Apple. Any guidance from Apple staff or developers who have experienced a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi all, I’m hoping someone from Apple or the community can help. Our app Lazy Watch (Bundle ID: app.lazywatch) was submitted for App Store distribution review and was rejected on Sunday, August 2. We reviewed the feedback from App Review, fixed the issue, and resubmitted the app the following day, August 3. It has now been 6 days since the resubmission with no update or movement. Details: • Original rejection: August 2 • Issue identified by App Review: Fixed • Resubmitted: August 3 • Current status: Waiting for Review • No further communication from App Review • Unable to reply to the original App Review message in App Store Connect • Updated submission was successfully submitted for review We understand that review times can vary, especially after a rejection, but we’re concerned because there has been no movement or communication since the resubmission. We also cannot reply to the previous review message through App Store Connect, so we’re unsure whether there is anything else expected from us or whether the new submission is simply still waiting in the review queue. Could someone from App Review or WWDR take a look, or point me to the appropriate escalation path? We’re happy to provide any additional information needed. Thanks in advance.

Hello, My QueenBoard app update was submitted more than four days ago and is still awaiting a review decision. There are no messages in the Resolution Center and no requests for additional information. Details: App: QueenBoard - Logic Puzzle Games Apple ID: 6774414102 Platform: iOS Version: 1.2.4 Build: 26 Submitted: July 26, 2026 at 6:40 PM Current status: In Review Submission ID: 1d5aa681-6804-4aab-9a2c-50c411d856de This is an update to an existing app that has already been approved and published. All required app information has been completed, and I have not received any notice indicating that action is required from me. Could someone confirm whether the review is proceeding normally or whether there is anything I need to provide? Thank you for your help. Best regards, Tim Nguyen

Hi everyone, I submitted my first iOS app for App Review over 72 hours ago, and the status is still “Waiting for Review.” I contacted Apple Developer Support about 30 hours ago regarding the delay, but I haven't received a response yet. I understand that review times can vary, but the app hasn't moved to “In Review” at all. I haven't removed or resubmitted the app because I don't want to restart the review process. Has anyone experienced similar waiting times recently? How long did it take for your app to move from “Waiting for Review” to “In Review”?

My APP already waiting 7 days in the state - "Waiting for Review", which is much longer than I expected. Anyone have their status share ?Seem nothing you could do rather than just wait, isn't it ?From my opinion, why don't provide a estimated waiting time for developer reference, base on the current queue status.

Hi Apple team, App: DEADGRID Version: 2.0.1 App Apple ID: 6790152649 I'm reaching out in the hope that someone from the App Review team can take a look at my submission or advise whether there's an issue with it. My app has been in "Waiting for Review" for over a week and has not yet entered the "In Review" stage. I understand review times can vary, but this is significantly longer than what I've experienced previously. I've done my best to follow all App Store Review Guidelines and have provided complete review notes. As far as I'm aware, there isn't anything unusual about this submission that would explain the delay. Unfortunately, this update contains a fix for an issue currently affecting my users. While it's waiting to be reviewed, I'm seeing a decline in daily active users and user retention because I'm unable to release the fix. If someone from Apple is able to check whether my submission is simply waiting in the normal queue or if there's another issue preventing it from being reviewed, I would be very grateful. I'd also be interested to hear from other developers: Have you experienced similar review delays recently? Is there anything that can help move a submission forward when it's been waiting for this long? Are there any common reasons for an app to remain in "Waiting for Review" for more than a week? I appreciate the work of the App Review team and understand the volume of submissions you process every day. I'm mainly hoping someone can verify that my submission hasn't become stuck or overlooked. Thank you for your time. Afonso Quinaz

Hello, My app MGY Fit (Apple ID: 6793196121, iOS, version 1.0.0, build 11) was submitted for review on July 23, 2026 and has remained in "Waiting for Review" ever since. It has never moved to "In Review". There are no messages in the Resolution Center and I have not received any request for additional information. Export compliance, content rights, and advertising identifier questions were all answered at submission, and the Review Notes include demo account credentials and steps to reach the main flows. This is the first submission for this app and for my developer account, so I understand a longer wait is expected. I wanted to check whether the submission may have been routed in a way that needs attention, or whether this is simply current queue volume. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

My app was rejected July 16 under Guideline 2.1 (Information Needed) with four questions about the Clinical Health Records API. I replied in full the same day in the Resolution Center, and followed up in that thread on July 22. It has now been 12 days with no response from App Review. I have also contacted Developer Support (case 102942988807), which replied twice but could not provide status on the submission. I have not clicked Resubmit, since Apple's message asked me to reply, and I understand resubmitting closes the correspondence thread. Is there anything further I should be doing, or is a reply alone sufficient to return the submission to the review queue? Submission ID: bc855e56-3ef8-482d-96b0-4380d3fc4a68

Hi, I currently have several iOS and macOS submissions on the same developer account that have been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for between 5 and 9 days. None has moved to “In Review,” and I haven’t received any messages or requests for action. Also one of my macOS app on the same account has been unresolved for about four weeks. I submitted it on July 10, it was rejected on July 15, I appealed to the App Review Board on July 23, and contacted Developer Support on July 31. I still haven’t received a meaningful response. I’m seeing many similar reports here. Does anyone know what might be causing these delays or what I can do to get the submissions reviewed? Thanks.

And there is no one reply my case. I don’t know what is happening here and I have to post in forum since I can’t reach out to anyone.

Hi everyone, Our app has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for over 48 hours now. We've submitted an expedited review request multiple times, but we haven't received any response or update on the status. ID Submission: 03283827-82c0-4b0d-ae33-bf551af11389 We haven't resubmitted the build to avoid resetting the queue, and we don't see any issues on our end (agreements, contracts, and account status all appear in order). Has anyone else experienced similar delays recently? Is this a known queue issue at the moment, or is there something else we should check on our side? If anyone from the App Review team sees this, any update or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

Hello, I’m wondering if anyone has experienced something similar or can tell me if I’m handling this incorrectly. I originally submitted my app on July 21. (Apple ID: 6765766932) It remained in Waiting for Review for about 10 days, so on July 31 I contacted Developer Support. I was advised to submit an expedited review request. I submitted the expedited request on July 31, and less than two minutes later I received a rejection under Guideline 4.3(b) - Spam. I was surprised by the decision because the app contains proprietary content developed specifically for the product, along with functionality that strongly differentiate it from other apps in the category. We also already have a waitlist and customers who purchased subscriptions prior to launch. I responded through the Resolution Center that same day with additional context and immediately resubmitted the app. I received no response, so on August 4 I also submitted an appeal because I wasn’t sure whether the Resolution Center message was awaiting review. It is now August 7, and I still haven’t received an acknowledgment, response to the Resolution Center message, update on the appeal, or movement on the resubmitted version. At this point I’m unsure what the correct next step is. Is it normal for a resubmission and appeal to remain without any acknowledgment for several days? Should I be waiting for the App Review team to respond in the Resolution Center, or is there another process I should be following? I’d really appreciate any insight from Apple or from developers who have dealt with a similar situation. Thank you.

I'm distributing a Unity-built game on the Mac App Store and I've been rejected twice under Guideline 4 (Design) with the same wording: "We still noticed that the app presents a window that does not contain the necessary title bar buttons and includes an interface window but is missing the required App Menu and Dock Icon or Menu Bar Extra." I'd like to hear from anyone who has hit this with a Unity (or otherwise non-native) macOS app and got it resolved. What I'm seeing: When the game runs, the macOS menu bar is displayed, but it only shows the app name and a single "Window" menu. The standard menus Apple expects (App menu with About/Quit, Edit, Window, Help) are not there. Unity does not populate the native macOS menu bar on its own, and there's no Player Setting that generates these menus. What I've already tried: Switched the app from borderless window to a standard windowed mode, so the window has its title bar and close/minimize/zoom buttons. Confirmed the Dock icon appears with the running indicator in standard windowed mode. Verified there is no LSUIElement key forcing the app into accessory mode in Info.plist. Despite this, the rejection came back identical. My questions: For those who passed review, did you populate the full native menu bar (App / Edit / Window / Help), or did Apple accept the app another way? Is a complete standard menu bar strictly required, or does shipping the app in fullscreen — where macOS hides the menu bar by design, as with most Mac games — satisfy the reviewer on this point? For the "title bar buttons" and "Dock icon" part of the rejection specifically: what exactly does the reviewer expect to see, and does fullscreen change how they evaluate it? If you resolved this, did you mention the change in the App Review notes, and did that help? Any concrete experience — especially with games that launch fullscreen — would be very helpful. Thanks.

hi,my app is still in review process since 3 days. is it normal? i have 4 apps on app store and they took maximum 1 day to be reviewed.

I have been waiting a week since I initially posted my app for review. since then there have been no emails, updates, or progress. I tried sending an email through the contact us page in App Store Connect with no response. I even tried calling and I sat on hold waiting for someone to pick up for 4 hours before I had to get off. Case ID: 20000128292512 what else can I do in order to get the ball rolling on this? I need to get it live soon