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 apologise for posting here. I know this forum is not a support channel, and I would not have posted if I had another way to reach App Review. Apple ID: 6759336435 Submission ID: 59a73f4a-e83b-4fa4-96dc-4c4b6a0ebcc4 Version reviewed: 1.0 (3) In review since: August 10, 2026 Rejection received: August 20, 2026 Our first submission was rejected under Guideline 4.3(a), on the basis that the app shares a similar binary, metadata or concept with apps previously submitted by a terminated Apple Developer Program account. We have no connection to any terminated developer account. RocketIO is not related to any other app, including the other apps on our own account. It is a separate product that we have been designing and writing for several years, on a different technical foundation: 114,817 lines of Dart across 139 files in Flutter, plus the Swift we wrote for the iOS tunnel host and the Network Extension, 187 tests, and 32 fully translated languages. We believe the binary match is a false positive. RocketIO statically links a publicly available open-source proxy core, as every app in this category does. That core is the largest part of the compiled binary, so any two apps linking the same open-source library will share a large amount of identical compiled code no matter how different their own source is — exactly as apps linking OpenVPN or WireGuard do. We cannot remove it, because it is the reason the app exists. RocketIO is also a bring-your-own-configuration client rather than a VPN service. It ships with an empty server list and does nothing until the user supplies a configuration for infrastructure they already own. We operate no servers, sell no subscriptions and carry no traffic. Among the protocols we have implemented are several that very few clients support on any platform, including DNSTT (DNS tunnelling), AnyTLS, ShadowQUIC, Mieru and Juicity, some of them added only recently. We replied in Resolution Center with all of this in detail, and asked which app or account the similarity was matched against, so that we could respond to the specific finding rather than guess. We are still waiting for a response. We have deliberately not resubmitted. We did not want to place another submission in the queue while this conversation is open, and we did not want to send back something that could reasonably be read as unchanged. We have been waiting since August 10, and we will be honest that it has been a difficult wait. We put years of work into this app and we have users who are looking forward to it, and at the moment we cannot tell them anything, because we do not know what specifically we are being asked to change. Could someone from App Review please reply to us there? We are glad to provide our source repository and its full commit history, to take a call at any time convenient to you in English, and to demonstrate the app live. Thank you for your time.

Hi all, My app has been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status since August 13 (US Time), and today is August 23. It has been 10 days without any status updates or messages from the App Review team. App ID: 6800282515 Submission Date: Aug 13, 2026 Developer Support Request Submitted: Aug 19 (No response yet) Expedited Review Requested: Aug 20 (No response yet) Current Status: Waiting for Review Since both support inquiries and expedited requests haven't received a reply after several days, I am concerned there might be an internal system hold or communication breakdown regarding this submission. Could someone from Apple please look into this or advise if any additional documentation/action is needed from my side? Thanks for your help!

I specifically requested a Developer Support callback for an active App Review rejection, not general Apple Support. My issue wasn’t with my Apple ID, billing, or my account—it was about an App Review clarification that appears to be stuck in a loop. The rejection itself wasn’t because of a crash or missing functionality. It was another request for information that I had already provided in previous App Review responses. It genuinely felt like the reviewer was only looking at the latest message instead of the full review history and previous attachments. To try to resolve it, I called Developer Support and selected the App Review option. I waited on hold for over 3 hours. When someone finally answered, instead of helping with App Review or escalating the case, they transferred me to Apple Account Support. The representative there immediately told me they couldn’t help because my issue had nothing to do with Apple accounts, and they also couldn’t transfer me back to the App Review queue. So after waiting more than three hours, I was effectively back at square one and had to start over. Has anyone else experienced: Reviewers seemingly not seeing previous App Review responses or attachments? Being stuck in repeated clarification requests for information you’ve already provided? Being transferred from Developer Support to the wrong department after waiting hours? I’m trying to figure out whether this is an isolated incident or whether the App Review support process has been breaking down recently.

Hello Apple Developer Team, I’m reaching out regarding a significant delay with the App Review of my new app, Alsaqar. The app has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for several days, even though I have already completed all the actions requested by the App Review team. App Review previously contacted me under: Guideline 2.1 – Information Needed – New App Submission I provided all the requested information, including: A screen recording of the app A physical-device test recording Demo account credentials Tested device and iOS version Detailed information about the app's purpose and functionality Information about external services and SDKs Details regarding the live auction, bidding, and in-app chat functionality The submission is still showing “Waiting for Review” and has not moved to “In Review”. For reference: Apple ID: 6802453859 Submission ID: bc2f6a16-72cd-4c13-91a0-6622596e8a60 Support Case ID: 20000143841837 I have also contacted Apple Developer Support regarding this issue and received confirmation that my support request was received, but I have not received any further response or update. This delay is significantly affecting me and my business, as the application is ready for review and I have already completed everything requested by the App Review team. Could someone from Apple please check whether there is any issue with my submission or whether it is correctly queued for App Review? I would greatly appreciate it if the submission could be reviewed or escalated to the appropriate team. Thank you for your time and assistance.

Our app Blobber (id 6791237124) launched on the App Store on August 2. Version 1.0 shipped with a critical bug: the Attention report — a core feature on the app's main screen — stays locked showing "Screen Time needed" even after the user grants Screen Time permission. Every new download is affected and there is no workaround in 1.0. We submitted the fix (1.0.1, a single-bug release) on August 5. Six days later it is still "Waiting for Review". Version 1.0 was consistently reviewed within 24–48 hours in July, so this delay is unusual for our account, and it lands squarely in our launch window while every new user hits a broken core feature. Is there anything beyond the standard expedited review request we can do to get movement on this? Has anyone else seen multi-day "Waiting for Review" queues recently?

I’ve been waiting over a week regarding an issue that had already been resolved previously, but for which I never received any further clarification. I’ve sent multiple messages to the App Review team, but haven’t received any response. These waiting times are honestly insane. Has anyone else experienced this?

Anyone with the similar experience? Would appreciate the advice: Timeline: Initial submission: ~4 weeks ago First review: Completed after ~2 weeks after we have sent the expedited review request Fixes applied: Completed within 24 hours Resubmission: August 12, 2026 Current status: Still in review - no activity for ~2 weeks We have a planned launch date that's now at risk due to this review delay. The lack of any reviewer interaction on the resubmission is particularly concerning. Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated

Has anyone successfully appealed an Apple Developer account termination under Section 3.2(f)? My individual developer account (about 50 live apps, all my own work, all revenue through StoreKit subscriptions) was terminated effective August 24, 2026 under Section 3.2(f) of the ADP Agreement. I believe it was triggered by internal tooling I built to automate my own App Store Connect workflow — metadata, build uploads, submissions — only on my own apps. I've filed an appeal through the official form, replied to the termination notice, and written to appstorenotices. For anyone who has been through this: Did your appeal succeed, and how long did Apple take to respond? Was the response you received a form letter or specific? Were you able to recover the withheld balance from legitimate sales, and through what channel? Is there any official channel I've missed beyond the appeal form, the termination-notice reply, and appstorenotices? Any firsthand experience would mean a lot. Thank you.

Hi App Review Team, I’m writing regarding my App Store submission that has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for much longer than expected. This is the initial public release. The app was previously reviewed, and I addressed all issues raised by App Review before resubmitting. Since then, the submission has remained in Waiting for Review for several days. The app version and associated subscription items are all still waiting, and there are currently no outstanding actions, new review messages, or metadata issues shown in App Store Connect. I have also contacted Apple Developer/App Review Support for a status update, but I have not yet received a response. I would prefer not to cancel and resubmit if that risks restarting the review queue. Thanks in advance for any insight.

I first submitted my app for App Review on 16 July 2026 and the review process has now been ongoing for more than 5 weeks. During that time, the submission has gone through multiple review cycles. I have made every requested change and answered every question from App Review immediately. The problem is that after waiting several days, I am repeatedly asked a very basic question about how the app works. I answer immediately, but then it takes several more days for the review process to move forward again. I have also: Contacted Developer Support multiple times Opened support case 20000135457439 Had the submission added to the expedited review queue Been told by Developer Support that review times are currently “extremely extended” At this point the submission does not appear to be progressing toward a final decision. Each basic information request seems to result in another lengthy delay before anything happens. Submission ID: 27e289bf-307a-44e9-a285-d8ad94f82be1 Could an Apple App Review staff member please check whether this submission is stuck and escalate it if necessary?

Hi, hoping someone can help with this. I submitted my app on Friday and it was initially rejected asking me to update the privacy policy. I made the changes straight away and resubmitted it. It was then reviewed again and I received another message asking me to confirm whether the pricing was correct. It was, so I replied confirming this within about 20 minutes. Since then I haven’t had any update and it’s now been several days. As far as I can see, there’s nothing else I need to change or submit — they asked for clarification, I gave it almost immediately, and the review now seems to be stuck. The app is already live on Google Play and we’re holding off on marketing and properly launching it until the iOS version is approved, as we want to launch on both platforms together. At the moment, Apple approval is the only thing we’re waiting for. Has anyone had this happen before or know if there’s anything I can do to get it back in front of the reviewer? If anyone from App Review sees this and can help work out what’s happened with the review, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks

Hello, My game was rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) (Design - Spam), with the message stating that it shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept with other apps already submitted to the App Store. The issue is I can’t figure out where this is coming from: No shared source code, template, or assets with any other game. No duplicated metadata. The app’s concept is still fairly niche on the App Store (I could only find around a dozen apps with a similar concept, at most). I’m trying to better understand what might have triggered this rejection, and I’m fully willing to make changes if needed. Has anyone else run into this kind of rejection under similar circumstances? How did you go about clarifying things with the review team, and did requesting an App Review Appointment help in cases like this? Thanks in advance for any insight.

Hello everyone, I'm looking for some advice on how to handle an unusually long app review delay. I submitted my iOS app (Pressie Pro Express) for review on Aug 5, 2026, and it has been stuck ever since. I reached out to Apple Developer Support via the contact form on August 14th to ask for a status update, but I didn't receive a reply. I sent a follow-up message today (August 18th) and am still waiting to hear back. Has anyone else experienced significant review delays or unresponsiveness from support recently? Are there any alternative channels or best practices for escalating a review that seems to be completely stuck? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Gisha

Urgent: App Store review pending with event starting in 2 days — expedited review form shows “No App Information” I am the developer/admin of an existing iOS app for an upcoming college festival at IIT Guwahati. I have submitted a new version of the app for App Store review. This is an update to an already-published version, and the new build has been successfully tested through both internal and external TestFlight testing. The festival starts in approximately 2 days, and the app contains critical festival functionality such as digital entry passes and attendee access. Therefore, having the updated version available before the event is important. I currently have Admin access to App Store Connect, but I do not have access to the Apple Developer account/team's Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles section. Current situation: Existing app is already live on the App Store New version is submitted for review New version has passed internal/external TestFlight testing Festival starts in ~2 days Critical functionality includes digital entry passes Expedited Review form shows “No App Information” What is the correct way to request an Expedited App Review in this situation? Is there another Apple support channel I should use when the expedited review form cannot associate the app with my account? Any guidance on the correct escalation process would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone. I’m looking for some advice regarding repeated rejections under Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam. I’m a solo developer and have been making car simulator sandbox games since 2020. I already have an older game in the same genre on the App Store, and I’ve spent around 2 years developing its sequel. The new game is also available on Google Play, where it has passed 1M installs in its first month and currently has a 4.9 rating. The iOS version has now been rejected 5 times over the last 4 months. Attempt 1: Rejected under 4.3(a) with: "We noticed the app shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept..." I explained what makes the game different, filed an appeal, added a new feature, and submitted again. Attempt 2: Same rejection. I requested a phone call with App Review. During the call, I was told that their system had detected a "binary match" with another developer’s game in the same genre. The reviewer explained that similarities could come from game code, assets, shared engine code, ad SDKs, third-party libraries, etc. When I asked what I could change, the main advice was to change the code. Attempts 3 & 4: I removed unused code and libraries, changed dependencies, reorganized and refactored parts of the project, and also tried obfuscation. The result was still the same 4.3(a) rejection. After that, I spent around 3 months working on a major update. I updated Unity and dependencies, removed anything unnecessary, added new cars, reworked the physics, reorganized assemblies, changed and renamed large parts of the codebase, and did a substantial code refactor. Attempt 5: After 9 days in review, I received a different 4.3(a) message: "This app still exhibits an app with a spam like template that shows similarities in concept and look with apps already on the app store in a saturated category." This is where I’m confused. The previous feedback focused on binary similarity, while the latest rejection seems to focus on the concept and visual similarity instead. The game is not based on a template. It has hundreds of scripts written specifically for the project, a custom physics engine, custom UI, and many systems and features developed specifically for this game. There are also only a few comparable vehicle physics sandbox games on iOS. I have already used the Review Notes to explain what is new in the sequel and how it differs from both my previous game and other games in the genre. I also appealed the first rejection, but the decision was upheld. At this point, I’m not sure what else I can reasonably change or what exactly is triggering 4.3(a). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. App: Crash Test Simulator 3 Bundle ID: com.FozerGames.CrashTestSimulator3

Hello, my first submission for a new app has been in "Waiting for Review" for 12 days, with no status change and no message in App Store Connect. Details: App Apple ID: 6790097966 Version: 1.0 (build 7) Submitted: August 2, 2026 Submission ID: ea22d38a-1444-450e-b335-83d4628d6829 Current status: Waiting for Review (never moved to In Review) There is no rejection, no request for additional information, and nothing in the Resolution Center. Review notes include everything needed to test the app. I also completed an outstanding Digital Services Act trader declaration on my account on 12 August, in case that was blocking the submission although is a free app, but there has been no change since. Is there anything on my side that could be holding this submission in the queue, or is this the current backlog? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I submitted my new dating app and requested an expedited review because we have a launch event planned in a couple of days. Apple accepted the expedited review request, but the app is still “Waiting for Review.” If it isn't reviewed in time, we'll unfortunately have to cancel or postpone the event. Does anyone know if there is a way to contact the App Review team or a reviewer directly, or an email/support channel I can reach out to about the status of an already-approved expedited review?£ Thanks!

We submitted our first iOS app for review on August 4, 2026 (App ID: 6797034989). Today is August 12, and it has now been 8 days in “Waiting for Review”. Apple’s submission confirmation stated that 50% of apps are reviewed within 24 hours and over 90% within 48 hours. We understand that delays can happen, but 8 days is significantly longer than expected. Since August 8, we have also sent 3 emails to Developer Support regarding this issue, but unfortunately received no response. We have deadlines for our app launch and cannot keep waiting indefinitely without any information. Could someone from App Review or Developer Support please take a look at our submission and let us know if everything is OK? We would really appreciate it if the review could begin as soon as possible. Thank you.

Bye for ever! we go to market android !

I’m looking for some guidance on my first public iOS submission, which is currently in Waiting for Review. I submitted the app two weeks ago, and this is now my fifth round of back and forth with the App Review team solving one concern at a time. The previous reviews were responded to in a couple days, but this one has already taken about twice as long. What’s confusing is that I expected this review to be fairly straightforward. The previous issue was a 5.6 guideline related to a feature of the paywall, and rather than modify it and potentially going through another round of review, I decided to remove that paywall feature entirely. I also included a video with the submission showing that the feature is removed. Submission ID: 20261ce3-65a0-41c8-8e2f-db622795a475 Apple ID: 6762278821 I also submitted an expedited review request about two days ago using Apple’s official form. The timing is important because I planned the app’s launch with the start of the school year, and each additional day in review pushes it further past that window. Is there a way to confirm whether the expedited review request is actually on file? I was under the impression that expedited reviews normally required some kind of justification, so I’m not sure if my request went through correctly. I’ve also tried reaching out to Apple by both phone and email regarding the submission, but so far I haven’t been able to get any assistance. If someone from the App Review team is able to take a look at the submission, I’d really appreciate it. Thank you.