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.

hi all Hi all, ClubDraw (App ID: 6761770554) has been in review for 4+ months across 6 submission cycles. Resubmitted 18th August with a formal App Review Board appeal the same day - 16 days with no response. The core issue: Apple are applying Guideline 5.3.4 (gambling licence) to a B2B SaaS platform. ClubDraw enables UK grassroots sports clubs to run their own weekly lotto draws. The clubs are the licensed operators under the Gambling Act 2005. We charge a flat subscription fee only - all draw revenue goes directly to the club. We are not a lottery operator. ClubZap (App Store ID: 1004097048) operates an identical model and is live on the App Store. We've cited this in every response. ClubDraw is also live on Google Play UK without any licence requirement. Guideline 3.1.1 has also been raised - Apple say our club admin subscription must use IAP. It's a B2B SaaS fee charged to club administrators, not a consumer purchase. All other guidelines (2.1, 5.2.1) are fully resolved. The problem: App Review Board appeal not acknowledged. Message thread locked in App Store Connect. Direct emails bounce. Has anyone successfully escalated past the App Review Board? Any advice welcome. Thanks in advance.

Calling AppStore.requestReview(in:) with a valid, foreground-active UIWindowScene never presents the rating/review sheet on iOS 27 Simulator. The identical code works correctly on iOS 26 and earlier Simulator runtimes. Repro: if let windowScene = UIApplication.shared.connectedScenes .compactMap({ $0 as? UIWindowScene }) .first(where: { $0.activationState == .foregroundActive }) { AppStore.requestReview(in: windowScene) } Fresh Simulator install (Erase All Content and Settings first, to rule out the 3-per-365-day throttle). Run on iOS 27 Simulator → no sheet appears, no error, no console output. Run the identical build on iOS 26 Simulator → sheet appears as expected. Also tried: The SwiftUI @Environment(.requestReview) action (RequestReviewAction) instead of the UIKit windowScene call — same result, no prompt on iOS 27 Simulator. Ruled out an Xcode/Simulator-runtime version mismatch: reproduces both with an older Xcode + separately-downloaded iOS 27 runtime, AND with the matching Xcode 27 beta + its bundled iOS 27 Simulator. Checked the iOS 27 beta release notes — no mention of requestReview/StoreKit review prompt changes. Environment: Xcode [fill in version/beta] iOS 27 Simulator (beta [fill in]) Simulator device: [e.g. iPhone 16] Expected: Review prompt presents (subject to the documented frequency limit), matching iOS 26 behavior. Actual: No prompt, no error, on both the UIKit and SwiftUI review-request APIs.

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.

Hello, My app has now been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for more than 66 hours after resubmission, with no status change. This is the first public release of the app. I have also experienced unusually long review delays on several previous submissions. In one previous case, the submission remained stuck for nearly a week, and a Contact Us support request also went unanswered for about a week. Once the app actually enters “In Review”, the review itself is usually completed very quickly, which makes me concerned that the repeated delay may be related to queueing or routing rather than the review itself. I replied to App Review and resubmitted the app three days ago, but there has been no further response or progress since then. A priority / expedited review had previously been approved, so I am also concerned that the current resubmission may have lost its priority or may not be correctly routed in the review queue. Could an Apple Staff member please help confirm whether this submission is correctly queued for review, and whether there may be a routing or processing issue affecting it? Submission ID: cb8ae2c6-94ab-463d-b9a6-e218179ecefc Thank you very much for any assistance.

Dear Apple Support Team: My app was submitted for review on August 22nd and has been "under review" for 12 days. I have emailed once with no reply and called twice with no helpful information. I also applied for expedited review on August 22nd LATER, but it is still "under review". If App Review team could respond and help out in any way that would be greatly appreciated, thank you. Case ID: 20000152255277 Submission ID: 091e18de-92b5-4384-9b5c-408467358dfa

Hello, Our developer account (Team ID S9D9F72QF8) was terminated on August 24 under Section 3.2(f) for "documented indications of fraudulent conduct." We received no prior warning, no pending termination notice, and to this day no specific reason: not which app, not which action, not which signal. This account was not a side project. Our whole company, our team's livelihood, and six live apps with real users were built on it. All of it stopped overnight. We take Apple's rules extremely seriously. We have never bought or manipulated reviews, ratings, or downloads, never used misleading metadata, and never operated any other developer account. We submitted a reinstatement petition (Case 20000145868954) with a compliance improvement plan, and we offered full supporting documentation, including our trade registry records and a notarized declaration that we have no connection to any other account. We are not asking Apple to skip its process. We are asking for two things any developer would ask for: Human review of our file and petition. The specific conduct at issue, so we can respond to it with evidence. If a mistake was made on our side, we want to know it, fix it, and prove the fix. If this is a false positive, we want the chance to show it. If anyone from App Review sees this, we would be grateful for any update on our case. And if other developers have resolved a similar situation, we would appreciate hearing what helped. Thank you for reading.

Hello, We submitted an appeal regarding the rejection of our app on July 17th, but haven’t received any response so far - it's been 7 days. Does anyone know what the typical timeline is for hearing back on appeals recently? And at what point should we reach out to Developer Support directly? Thank you, serge_o

Hello, I’m posting here to ask for guidance and to see if anyone has experienced a similar situation. More than 30 days ago, I submitted an appeal to the App Review Board after receiving a Pending Termination Notice for my Apple Developer Program account. However, I have not received any response or update since submitting the appeal. In the notice, Apple mentioned that my account was associated with “dishonest or fraudulent activity” related to app submissions. I want to clarify that I did not intentionally attempt to bypass the App Review process. The only change I made around that time was editing some app metadata (subtitle keywords) while trying to optimize my Apple Search Ads campaign. Looking back, I now understand that some of those keywords may have been interpreted as referencing content that Apple considers inappropriate for the App Store. After realizing this might have caused an issue, I immediately: Canceled the latest app submission that contained those metadata changes Explained the situation clearly in my appeal to the App Review Board Confirmed that I would avoid using similar metadata in the future Despite providing this explanation in my appeal, I have not received any reply or update for over a month, so I’m unsure about the current status of the appeal. If anyone here has gone through a similar process, could you share: How long it took to receive a response from the App Review Board? Whether it’s normal for appeals to take this long? Also, if any Apple staff happens to see this post, I would sincerely appreciate any guidance on whether my appeal is still under review or if there is anything further I should provide. Thank you very much for your time and help.

I have received Guideline 4.3(a) rejections on five apps in the space of a week, and I would like help understanding what my account is being compared against, because I am now guessing. The app I most recently resubmitted is Real Cost: Loan Calculator (Apple ID 6804081720). WHAT I CHANGED BETWEEN SUBMISSIONS After the first 4.3(a) I accepted that the reviewer was right about what they were shown: the one thing my app does that the category does not was behind the in-app purchase, so the app opened as yet another loan calculator. I made that feature free for everyone with no limit, rewrote the metadata, added an app preview, and lowered the price. I received the same rejection. WHAT I MEASURED BEFORE POSTING The app is 5,054 lines of Swift across 39 files. Zero remote package dependencies, no third-party frameworks, no advertising SDK, no analytics, and no network calls of any kind. It ships with 118 unit tests written against its own loan math and document parser. I compared every non-comment line of Swift across my own projects. Real Cost's highest overlap with any other app I have submitted is 6.9%, and that fraction is ordinary SwiftUI scaffolding. I surveyed 181 loan and debt apps in the US store. None of them reads the lender's own paperwork, which is the feature this app is built around and which is free in the current build. THE PART I CANNOT EXPLAIN The rejection text changed between submissions. The earlier ones said the app shares a similar binary, metadata and/or concept as apps submitted "by other developers". The most recent one says "by you or other developers". I do not know whether that wording is meaningful or simply a different template. If it means my own apps are the comparison, I would like to know which ones, because the measurement above says they do not share code. WHAT I AM ASKING Could someone tell me which specific app or apps my submissions are being compared to, or which part of the binary or metadata is triggering this? I replied in Resolution Center several days ago asking the same question and have not had an answer yet. I would rather make one real change than keep guessing and resubmitting, which I understand is the behaviour the guideline exists to stop. Thank you.

First iOS game stuck in “Waiting for Review” since August 28, 2026 App: Hornbills Version: 1.0 First public submission Submitted: August 28, 2026 Current status: Waiting for Review Developer Support case already opened There are no Resolution Center messages or outstanding actions visible in App Store Connect. I have not withdrawn or resubmitted the submission. Could App Review please confirm whether the submission is correctly queued, or escalate the existing support case if necessary? Thank you.

Our first submission has now been rejected under Guideline 2.1(b), with the message: "the in-app purchases do not load successfully." Each review was performed on an iPad Air 11-inch (M3) running iPadOS 26.6. The app sells only auto-renewable subscriptions. We cannot reproduce the failure, and we have verified every part of the configuration we can think of. WHAT WE VERIFIED (via the App Store Connect API, not just the UI) Two subscriptions in one group, state READY_TO_SUBMIT Product IDs exactly match what the app requests Available in 175 territories, including the United States Prices set, en-US localizations present for both products and for the group App review screenshots attached to both, state COMPLETE Both subscriptions are included in the review submission (READY_FOR_REVIEW) Paid Apps Agreement: Active. Bank account: Active. Tax forms: Active. WHAT WORKS On our own devices, installed via TestFlight (sandbox environment), the products load correctly and a purchase completes and activates as expected. This works on both a real Apple ID and a Sandbox Tester account. WHAT WE OBSERVED FROM THE REVIEW SESSION We use RevenueCat. Their server-side API returns our offering with both packages and the correct product identifiers, so the offering metadata is fine. Our backend also shows that the reviewer's session reached our servers and signed in successfully at the review timestamp, so the device had working network connectivity. That leaves StoreKit itself returning no products on the reviewer's device, which is what empties the offering. QUESTIONS Are there known conditions under which StoreKit returns no products in the App Review sandbox for subscriptions that are in "Ready to Submit" and are attached to the same submission as the binary? For an app that has never been approved, is product loading during review handled differently from a normal sandbox session on a released app? Is there any way to obtain diagnostics from a review session, or to ask the reviewer for a screenshot of the failing screen? Replies in Resolution Center so far have only repeated the original rejection text. Is there anything specific to iPadOS 26.6 that could affect StoreKit 2 product lookups? For the next submission we have added a timeout and automatic retries around the product lookup, plus a visible retry control instead of a spinner, in case the failure is a transient cold-start timeout. But we would rather understand the actual cause than keep guessing. Any pointers appreciated.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here has seen something similar, or maybe someone from the App Review team can shed some light on this. I have a small game, Cryospire, that shipped as 1.0 earlier this year. App ID is 6794310965, bundle ID com.janewilliams.cryospire. I submitted version 1.1 on August 12, 2026 at 9:34 AM, and it went into “In Review” at 11:19 AM the same day. At the time I thought that was a good sign, but it’s now September 2 and the status hasn’t changed since. So it’s been sitting in review for 21 days. I’ve checked the Resolution Center and there are no messages or open threads. I’ve also checked my email (including spam) and haven’t received anything from App Review. The update itself isn’t a major technical change from 1.0. Same entitlements, no new permissions, no new SDKs. It’s mainly new features. Has anyone else had a build stay “In Review” for three weeks recently? I’m trying to figure out if this is just an unusually long review or if the submission might be stuck somewhere. Also, is there any way to reach an actual person about this besides the regular Contact Us form? And if someone from App Review happens to see this, I’d really appreciate it if you could take a look at the App ID above. Thanks!

Hey guys, quick question My game Astral Drop — Merge Puzzle (App ID 6792792341) has had a few updates approved before, usually within a day or two. Version 1.3 has been stuck this time though. I submitted it on Aug 20, it only moved to “In Review” on Aug 27, and it’s still there as of today. No messages in the Resolution Center, no rejection, nothing unusual in the update either. Is anyone else seeing really long review times lately? Also, is it worth contacting App Review at this point, or does that not really help? If someone from the App Review team sees this, I’d appreciate a look. Thanks!

TLDR: My app was rejected and i re-submitted a fixed build. Now i still keep seeing that red badge and im worried that i need to act on something but i can't figure out what it is. The actual status is "Waiting for Review" and inside the rejection thread i replied to their message and there is no red mark in there and it's all saying "Waiting for Review" in there too. I also don't want to just cancel and loose my potentially still active queue spot.. so i wonder, is this common? Background: New app, first ever submission, iOS 1.0. Aug 22 -> First submitted for review. Day 4 -> Reviewed and rejected on two guidelines: 5.1.1(iv) for the wording of the location permission primer, and 5.6 for the renewal price not being displayed as clearly as the first-year price. Day 4, about three hours later -> Both issues fixed, a new build uploaded, and the submission sent back. It kept the same submission ID. Day 5 to Day 11 -> No change at all. Still "Waiting for Review". It has never shown "In Review". So the first review was done in 3 days, and the resubmission has now been waiting more than twice that: 7 calendar days/5 business days.

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!

Hello, I am facing a recurring issue during the review process of my app, FlexicX, and I am struggling to understand the exact concerns raised by the App Store Review Team under Guideline 4.3. Each time I submit my app, I receive a response stating that it duplicates the content and functionality of other apps already on the App Store and is therefore considered a form of spam. However, no specific examples or comparisons are provided to help me understand which parts of my app are considered problematic or why. I submitted an appeal over a week ago but have not received any substantive response. Each time I contact support, I receive nearly identical replies, reiterating that the app duplicates functionality, but no clarification is given as to what exactly they believe is duplicated. This lack of detail is incredibly frustrating and makes it feel like the guidance is to simply “throw out the app and remake it,” which is neither realistic nor fair. FlexicX is a highly innovative game that has already garnered a large following. It has hundreds of thousands of downloads on Google Play and a growing community eagerly awaiting its release on iOS. The game has a dedicated YouTube channel where players share their excitement, gameplay, and feedback. Our game offers unique and groundbreaking features, including: • A proprietary softbody physics engine that delivers realistic, real-time deformation and energy transfer. • The ability to grab, drag, and manipulate vehicles with a finger, providing unparalleled interactivity. • Advanced replay functionality, allowing players to save and review their gameplay. • The option to program movements for AI-controlled bots, creating dynamic and engaging scenarios. • A variety of realistic crash scenarios and customizable vehicles for players to experiment with. • High-performance softbody physics that run smoothly even on mobile devices. • A focus on realism and creativity, enabling players to explore car destruction in ways not possible in any other app. Despite these unique features, I continue to receive feedback asking me to make the app “unique.” However, without clear examples or detailed explanations of what aspects are being flagged, it is extremely difficult to understand how to address this feedback. I understand the importance of maintaining a diverse ecosystem on the App Store, but our app is truly one of a kind. While some apps may claim to have “softbody” physics, their implementations are often superficial or static. FlexicX is the only app that provides a full-fledged, real-time softbody physics experience, delivering unparalleled realism and excitement to players. Our community is eagerly waiting for the iOS version of the game, and it is disheartening to be unable to move forward due to vague and unclear feedback. Could anyone provide advice or share their experience in addressing such issues? Is there a way to request more detailed feedback or examples from the review team to better understand their concerns? Without this, it feels impossible to know how to proceed. Thank you for your time and support!

Hello, I am posting here because I no longer have access to the communication channels that were previously available to discuss my developer account with Apple. My appeal was denied, but Apple informed me that I could submit a reinstatement request after addressing the concerns that had been identified. Following that communication, I spent considerable time reviewing my applications, metadata, screenshots, codebase, user flows, and business practices. Although I do not believe my account was involved in dishonest or fraudulent activity, I nevertheless made extensive changes in an effort to address any potential concerns Apple may have had. The main difficulty is that the specific conduct that led to the termination decision was never clearly explained to me. Apple cited Section 3.2(f) and provided examples of prohibited behavior, but did not identify which specific action or activity was associated with my account. As a result, I was left attempting to correct every possible issue without understanding what the actual concern was. In addition, throughout my participation in the Apple Developer Program, I had never previously encountered a notice, suspension, or similar action of this nature. This made it even more difficult for me to understand what specific issue Apple believed had occurred and how best to address it. While I was still implementing changes and preparing what I believed would be a reinstatement submission, I received a termination notice. Since the termination, I have lost access to the Contact Us page and the communication channels that were previously available to me. I would therefore appreciate guidance from Apple or from developers who may have experienced a similar situation: How is a developer expected to submit a reinstatement request after termination if the Contact Us page is no longer accessible? Is there an alternative channel through which reinstatement requests can be submitted? Has anyone successfully submitted a reinstatement request after account termination and received a review? I am not asking Apple to reverse its decision through this forum. I am simply trying to understand how a developer is expected to submit a reinstatement request after termination when the previously available communication channels are no longer accessible. Thank you for your time.

Hello, I’m hoping someone from Apple can help with our developer account, which is currently under a Pending Termination Notice under Section 3.2(f). We submitted an appeal to the App Review Board almost 30 days ago and have not received a response or request for any additional information. We have been part of the Apple Developer Program for approximately 8 years and really want to get this resolved properly. We are happy to provide Apple with any additional information or documentation that may be needed. At this point, I’m mainly hoping someone from the Apple team can help confirm that our appeal has reached the appropriate team and is still under active review. If there is anything else we should be doing while we wait, I would really appreciate the guidance. Organization: Live it Tech LLC Team ID: GBNG5A4K8Y Thank you for your help.

Hello, We have submitted our app on August 10th, and still "Waiting for Review" for over 20 days. Can anyone help us resolve this issue?

Hello, Our app has been in "Waiting for Review" since August 18, 2026 at 6:51 PM, and has never entered "In Review." It has now been 10 days. Apple ID: 6768989011 Version: 1.0 Platform: iOS Submitted: August 18, 2026 Current Status: Waiting for Review I have already confirmed the following on our side: No messages or requests for additional information in Resolution Center Agreements, Tax, and Banking are all Active Age Rating questionnaire and Export Compliance are complete App Review Information includes demo credentials and detailed review notes No in-app purchases pending review I understand review times can vary, and I can see from recent posts in this forum that other developers are experiencing similar delays with first submissions. Could someone from the App Review team please check whether this submission is progressing normally, or escalate it if necessary? Thank you for your time.