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, Our app has been stuck in "In Review" for 7 days, after being approved. The iOS version was approved on April 9th and the macOS version was approved on April 12th. Since then, both versions show "In Review" and there has been no status changes or messages in App Store Connect. • April 8 ---> Waiting for Review • April 9 ---> In Review (Approved) • ... • April 16 ---> In Review We contacted Apple a week ago (case ids 102865508515 and 102865870578) but there was no response. We also talked to Apple Support, they told us the issue has been escalated to the technical team. There are also leaderboards that were archived before these last versions and they are still showing in the Games App and Game Center. Possibly because of this same issue, we suspect. At this point we don't know what the issue is, how long until these very important updates will go live, or when we can push other updates. App ID: 1611398578 Thanks.

Hi everyone, I'm developing a music streaming app for iOS and I have a question about App Store guidelines before I submit. Here's how my app works: The app has a signup screen and a login screen There are NO in-app purchases at all Users pay for their subscription on our external website (a separate web app) Once they've paid on the website, they log into the iOS app to listen to music The app itself contains no payment flow, just an external link directing users to our website to subscribe My company is based in France (EU/EEA). My questions: Is this external-payment-only model permitted under current App Store Review Guidelines? Since I'm in the EEA, do I need to apply for an External Purchase Link Entitlement (StoreKit External Purchase Link), or can I operate without it since payment happens entirely outside the app? Is there a difference between simply not having any payment in the app vs. actively linking users out to a website for payment? I want to get this right before submitting. Any guidance from Apple engineers or developers who've dealt with this would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Hello Apple Developer commuinty! We have been developing a VPN client app with unique protocol for quite a while, and now it have come to publishing it in App Store/Google play. I know that publishing a VPN service requires organization(which i cant register because of my life situation), that why i have choosen to make a client. User is NOT necessarily required to use official hosting, theres an option of importing external key. App itself, doesnt contain any hardcoded server credentials and such, but it does have option to get free config from website by click. For some reason, my app review have not gone well. Apple have claimed my app have violated Guidelines 4.3(a) and 5.4. In all of my respect for App Review Team, but claim on Guideline 4.3(a) - Spam is completely ridiculous! App was completely written from the ground, not only including protocol, but the design itself. The "MONOGON" style, is unique application style which no other app on app store have seen(featuring dotted ASCII style, with blooms and contrast colors). In a million years, i would never guess what they have seen "identical to other apps on app store". Claim on Guideline 5.4 though, is a lot more reasonable, yet still not exactly correct. My app is mainly a client, not a service. The main function of it - bringing secure d1mension protocol to live on iOS and iPadOS platforms. The first setup, has both link to get official config(completely free without login, similar to AmneziaWG app), or to import own config. The code secures and encrypts packets such a way, that no external server could listen/decrypt it except for the original user destination, which makes it completely secure for the user. The main goal of DrochVPN app, is to bring users freedom in how they connect, to which server they connect. Any sort of help with publishing our app would be greatly appreciated, and we are ready to introduce changes, if they are required. App review identificator: 2f59adfb-ec49-4431-91c0-8e9b1984ad2e

Hi, I’m looking for clarification from folks familiar with CoreHID rather than App Review, as the guys there have not responded to my post (https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/820676) We have a sandboxed macOS app that creates a virtual HID device (HIDVirtualDevice) as described in Creating virtual devices https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corehid/creatingvirtualdevices To work at all, the app requires the entitlement: com.apple.developer.hid.virtual.device With this entitlement present, macOS shows the system prompt requesting Accessibility permission App would like to control this computer using accessibility features. Grant access to this application in Security and Privacy preferences located in System Preferences. when HIDVirtualDevice(properties:) is called. There is no mention of Accessibility in the HIDVirtualDevice documentation, but the behavior is reproducible and seems unavoidable. My question is therefore: Is creating a virtual HID device from userspace via HIDVirtualDevice considered inherently incompatible with Mac App Store distribution? In other words: Is the Accessibility prompt an expected side‑effect of this API? And if so, does that mean using HIDVirtualDevice is only practical for direct (non–App Store) distribution unless the app is explicitly an accessibility tool? I’m not asking about review policy details—just whether, from a technical/system point of view, HIDVirtualDevice is actually intended to be usable by App Store apps. For context, there seem to be public, non‑accessibility uses of Apple’s virtual HID infrastructure, like this recent post: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/820708 and corresponding Github repo this project. I don't know if these intend to use the App Store, but they might end up in the same situation. Any insights from people who’ve worked with CoreHID would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Magnus

I’m trying to submit my app for review, but I’m currently blocked due to a recurring issue with in-app subscriptions. Both of my auto-renewable subscriptions (premium_monthly and premium_yearly) are marked as “Waiting for Review”. However, I am still seeing the blue box stating that “your first subscription must be submitted with a new app version.” Despite creating a new version (1.0.1) and uploading/selecting a new build , I am not seeing the “In-App Purchases and Subscriptions” section on the version page, and I therefore cannot link the subscriptions before submitting. This issue is blocking my ability to submit the app for review. Any help to resolve this would be greatly appreciated.

I’m running into an App Store Connect issue and I’m trying to figure out whether this is a build configuration problem on my side or a backend issue in App Store Connect. When I try to save my app version after selecting a build, App Store Connect fails and DevTools shows this request failing: PATCH /iris/v1/appStoreVersions/ with a 409 Conflict. The response body is: Json { "errors": [ { "id": "af484f56-8f7d-4338-a04a-2aeda858ace1", "status": "409", "code": "ENTITY_ERROR.RELATIONSHIP.INVALID", "title": "The provided entity includes a relationship with an invalid value", "detail": "The specified pre-release build could not be added.", "source": { "pointer": "/data/relationships/build" } } ] } A few details: The issue seems to happen with all uploaded builds, not just one The builds finish uploading and appear in App Store Connect I’ve already checked and corrected my version/build number setup I created a fresh Release archive I uploaded a new build I removed the previously attached build and tried attaching the new one App Store Connect still refuses to save the version once a build is selected I’ve already verified that the app version and build number in the project appear to be set correctly. At this point I’m trying to understand: Any suggestions on specific things to check would be appreciated. Thanks.

Received email from Apple with title "notification of apple Developer Program License Agreement (“DPLA”) violation." We're writing to inform you that your company isn't in compliance with the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA). Section 11.2 (Termination) states: (g) if You engage, or encourage others to engage, in any misleading, fraudulent, improper, unlawful or dishonest act relating to this Agreement, including, but not limited to, misrepresenting the nature of Your Application (e.g., hiding or trying to hide functionality from Apple’s review, falsifying consumer reviews for Your Application, engaging in payment fraud, etc.). Be aware that manipulating App Store chart rankings, user reviews or search index may result in the loss of your developer program membership. Please address this issue promptly. Same day i response that do not did any actions from this list or similar to them, describing every point. Next day i received response Thank you for your reply. As noted in the original notification, manipulating App Store chart rankings, user reviews, or search index is a violation of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA) and may result in the loss of your Developer program membership. We suggest you conduct internal investigations to ensure you and any third-parties you may work with are in compliance with the DPLA and App Store Review Guidelines. We also encourage you to closely monitor your app activities. If you notice any unusual activity in the future, please follow these steps: Sign in to App Store Connect > Contact Us > Report a Concern > Report a Fraud Concern. We are unable to provide additional information at this time. Thank you for your efforts to make the App Store a safe and enjoyable experience for users and a great opportunity for all developers to be successful. I made response, that i checked everything, only one problem was in backend functionality working badly, but already fixed it (it was not about Apple license rules, it is just one of app functionalities returns error instead of answer. And it was fixed) Also i asked if current problem is solved and write emails if something else needs to be fixed. But no any responses was, and in 20 days i received email "Notice of Termination" Pursuant to Section 3.2(f) of the ADP Agreement, you agreed that you would not “commit any act intended to interfere with any of the Apple Software or Services, the intent of this Agreement, or Apple’s business practices including, but not limited to, taking actions that may hinder the performance or intended use of the App Store, Custom App Distribution, TestFlight, Xcode Cloud, Ad Hoc distribution, or the Program…” Apple has good reason to believe that you violated this Section due to documented indications of fraudulent conduct associated with your account. ... "AppStoreConnect -> Contact Us" page not working, because i cannot log in for it. Please help to resolve this problem: How to contact with apple in a fast way to describe that i did not do any actions that are not in compliance and find a way to fix and restore account and app. App used Auto-renewable subscriptions, so we have maximum 1 week to restore app before subscriptions automatically canceling At least, how to get payments for subscriptions that was already collected by app. Apple wrote "If applicable, no further payments will be made to you pursuant to Section 7.1 of the Paid Applications agreement (Schedules 2 and 3 to the ADP Agreement)." But i ready to prove and discuss that I am not at fault, and if there is fault in the third-party companies promoting my app - the promotion will be stoped

Our compliance with the Digital Services Act is still under review after more than a month. We have sent several emails to Apple, but have received no response. Furthermore, we cannot find any information or links to submit new information or restart the review. What should we do? We need to publish our application in Europe.

I had an app rejected for a reason I thought was incorrect. I replied with an explanation and resubmitted, but it was rejected again, so I clicked the link to appeal that went to the link below where I submitted a detailed appeal.https://developer.apple.com/contact/app-store/?topic=appealI did not receive any email confirmation or response from the appeal and can find now way to track the status of the appeal. However, I do now see in iTunes Connect that the app no loger displays the red bar at the top that used to say "There are one or more issues with the following platform(s):1 unresolved iOS issue". Does this mean the appeal was accepted? Is there a way to track the status of an appeal?

Hello, Our application has been stuck in the "In Review" status for 17 days now, and we are looking for guidance on whether this is a known technical stall or an extended policy audit. The Issue: The app moved from "Waiting for Review" to "In Review" on March 25th. Since then, there has been no change in status and no messages in the Resolution Center. App ID: 6753868146 Thanks

Hello everyone, I’m facing an issue with my app "FindUWay" (iOS), and I’m trying to understand if this is related to EU Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance. Current situation: App is approved and published on the App Store All agreements, tax forms (including W-8BEN), and banking info are completed and active App is set to be available in 175 countries, including Malta Issue: The app is NOT available in Malta and shows "App Not Available" on multiple iPhones and Apple IDs. Important detail: In App Store Connect, the only pending item is: Digital Services Act (DSA) compliance → Status: "In Review" since April 5th What I’ve observed: The app works and appears normally in some regions In Malta (EU), it does not open or install properly This seems to affect multiple devices (including iPhone 17 Pro Max) Questions: Is DSA compliance review blocking app availability in EU countries? Is it expected for the app to be unavailable while DSA is still "In Review"? Is there anything else I need to configure or submit? Has anyone experienced delays with DSA review recently? This is impacting my app launch, so any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

ID 6758008521, Dear App Review Team, I submitted my app review and it got rejected for inaccurate screenshot. I have revised the app screenshot and also resubmitted. But it has been 8 days and no response. We look forward to completing the review, thank you.

Hi, My app is waiting for review since Saturday at 5:42 PM, so is TestFlight. It has been rejected a couple of times, and errors were fixed with each update. Is this normal?

I am writing to share my frustration regarding the app review process for my application. My current submission has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for nearly 7 weeks, starting from February 5th. Although I have attempted to cancel and resubmit periodically, there were significant gaps of 10 and 21 days between submissions where no action was taken. Currently, I am stuck again. The situation is critical for the following reasons: Critical Bug: The update includes a necessary fix for an In-App Purchase bug that is preventing users from accessing paid features. No Communication: I have sent four inquiries regarding this delay. I received only one generic response asking me to wait, and my subsequent follow-ups have been completely ignored. Expedited Review Request: My requests for an Expedited Review have also gone unanswered. Apple’s standard review time is typically 24-48 hours, but my experience is far from that. I am not asking for special treatment; I am asking for basic transparency regarding why my app has been stalled for nearly two months. Could anyone from the review team please look into this or provide an explanation? This prolonged silence is causing significant issues for my service and its users. Apple ID: 6752595582 First Submission Date: Feb 5th

Hello Apple Developer Community and App Review Team, I'm writing to seek guidance regarding my app Lookify: AI Virtual Try-On (App ID: 6757718224), which has been caught in an ongoing review cycle since February 15, 2026 — nearly two months ago. Submission History: Date Version Status Feb 15 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Feb 19 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Feb 21 iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 3 (2:21 AM) iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 3 (1:17 PM) iOS 1.1.0 Removed Apr 6 (current) iOS 1.1.0 Waiting for Review Each submission was either self-removed after extended waiting periods with no reviewer feedback, or removed to address potential issues — only to re-enter the queue with the same outcome. The current submission has now been in "Waiting for Review" status since April 6 with no activity, no messages, and no indication of progress. What I've done to comply: Updated the Privacy Policy to be fully GDPR and KVKK compliant Provided clear demo account credentials and usage instructions for the AI try-on feature Ensured all metadata, screenshots, and descriptions accurately reflect the app's functionality Reviewed Apple's App Review Guidelines thoroughly before each resubmission I understand that AI-powered apps — especially those involving visual try-on technology — may require closer scrutiny, and I fully respect that process. I'm not asking to bypass any review step. I simply ask for transparency: if there is an issue with the app, a rejection with specific feedback would allow me to address it immediately. This app represents months of development work. As a small independent developer, prolonged uncertainty without communication makes it very difficult to plan or improve. My request: Could anyone from the App Review team or community provide insight into: Whether there is an active flag or concern on this submission What the expected timeline might be for accounts with this submission history Whether an Expedited Review would be appropriate given this timeline I have also submitted a contact request through the official App Review contact form. I am fully committed to making any necessary changes — I just need to know what they are. Thank you sincerely for your time and assistance. Mustafa Bilgiç Developer, PlayTools

Apple review usually takes a couple hours or even 2 days or less to review my submissions but it’s taking them 4 days to review it I submitted on a Wednesday. should I re-submit?

My app requires Google or Apple login. The App Store requires an active email for review. How can the App review team access my email if it required 2FA? I don't understand how I can get an app reviewed it they need me to provide a code after they login? It seems ridiculous that I need to supply them with a test email, why can't they test with a dummy email? Is it just not possible to get an app reviewed if the app requires Apple or Google logins? Should I temporarily add the option for any email to setup an account and just make a dummy email and then after review asap remove the email login from the app? that seems like a lot of unnecessary programming just because they the need me to provide an email address and login.

Hello everyone, My app (ID: 6756186616) was submitted on Mar 15, 2026, and has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for over 17 days. I contacted Developer Support (case #20000111565861) and received confirmation that it's proceeding normally, but no update since. On average, Apple reviews 90 percent of apps within 24 hours. However, there might be cases that need more review time, but mine exceeds two week. Any recent experiences with long queues? Thanks!

I’m trying to find out whether anyone has seen this kind of App Store Connect issue remain unresolved for this long. This is for a first auto-renewable subscription. Timeline: Original support case opened: Feb 27, 2026 Support initially repeated the normal guidance that the first subscription must be submitted with the app version I explained that the issue was not the process itself, but a stuck review state On Mar 25, 2026, I was told the case had been escalated to the appropriate internal team Since then, I have sent follow-up emails asking for status / owner / ETA As of Apr 12, 2026 (KST), there has still been no meaningful update Current state in App Store Connect: App version 1.0.10 is still “Prepare for Submission” Previous 1.0.10 submissions show as “Deleted” There is no active app review submission for 1.0.10 The subscription previously showed “Waiting for Review” Now the subscription itself shows “In Review” But its localization still shows “Waiting for Review” So the state looks inconsistent: no active app review submission app version still draft subscription partially moved into review anyway At this point I’m not asking about the normal first-subscription submission flow. I already understand that. What I’m trying to understand is: Has anyone seen a case like this stay stuck for 6+ weeks? Has anyone had Apple say it was escalated internally and then go silent for weeks? Did Apple eventually fix it manually? Is this something that can remain stuck indefinitely unless the internal team intervenes? Any comparable experience would be helpful.

Hello everyone, I am currently developing a smart camera app for iOS that recommends optimal zoom and exposure values on-device using a custom Core ML model. I am still waiting for an official response from Apple Support, but I wanted to ask the community if anyone has experience with a similar workflow regarding App Review and the DPLA. Here is my training methodology: I gathered my own proprietary dataset of original landscape photos. I generated multiple variants of these photos with different zoom and exposure settings offline on my Mac. I used the CalculateImageAestheticsScoresRequest (Vision framework) via a local macOS command-line tool to evaluate and score each variant. Based on those scores, I labeled the "best" zoom and exposure parameters for each original photo. I used this labeled dataset to train my own independent neural network using PyTorch, and then converted it to a Core ML model to ship inside my app. Since the app uses my own custom model on-device and does not send any user data to a server, the privacy aspect is clear. However, I am curious if using the output of Apple's Vision API strictly offline to label my own dataset could be interpreted as "reverse engineering" or a violation of the Developer Program License Agreement (DPLA). Has anyone successfully shipped an app using a similar knowledge distillation or automated dataset labeling approach with Apple's APIs? Did you face any pushback during App Review? Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!