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.

My app is a retro game emulator. It was approved, ran on the App Store through several updates, and then got rejected as design spam. Why? Good question. Resolution Center answers with a template listing every possible cause: maybe the metadata, maybe an embedded binary, maybe I bought an app template, maybe the concept already exists on the App Store. Pick whichever one you like best. When I got that list, I assumed I needed to defend the concept. I recorded ten minutes of video showing myself using the app by hand, added test materials, descriptions, and a letter explaining everything. I got the same list back. Later I thought the cause might be the PSP emulation core — I was using an existing one, because my own wasn't finished yet. I rebuilt, resubmitted, explained. Waited two weeks, requested an expedited review. No email, no confirmation, no denial. Nothing. A week after that, I received a message from review saying the app appears to hide functionality during review. It does not. There are no feature flags, nothing of the kind. There are no dark patterns in the monetization either — no close buttons you can't hit, no trial tricks, nothing of that sort. What exactly they believed was hidden — guess for yourself. Resubmitted again. Design spam again, with the same list of possible causes. But you can't keep guessing forever. So I wrote to support — there is a dedicated form for requesting the specific reason for a rejection. I have been waiting for weeks. No confirmation that my request was received, no denial, no explanation. Nothing. I filed a separate appeal. Again: no confirmation, no denial, nothing at all. Weeks of silence. Meanwhile the app is still live on the App Store, getting thousands of downloads, people are paying for it, and it has bugs I cannot fix because I cannot ship an update. Users hit those bugs, leave bad reviews and low ratings over them, and the rating keeps dropping. I also want to talk about the "concept" item in the design spam list. Where is the line between an app that copies an existing feature on the App Store, and one that improves on what exists? Are there emulators on the App Store? Of course. Are they good? Not really. In my most recent testing, my own core reduced CPU/GPU load by up to 40% compared to emulators still running third-party code. I won't even get into UI quality, because the user reviews speak for themselves. People point out bugs and still leave five stars because of the UX. Does that mean I copied something, or that I improved on it? And on top of that, I didn't copy anything — the emulation core is my own. I know App Review has a huge amount of work right now. But why should that affect support this badly? As a paying member of this program for years, this looks like a completely broken process with no transparency at all. People on these forums say that after a design spam rejection your app goes into some different review queue. But even if that's true — why is that my problem? I have no alert about it, no notification of any kind, and no reason to be ignored for months. Let's be honest. Design spam is bad, no question. But it is a rejection like any other. You tell me what's wrong, I fix it, you re-check. Please don't turn "design spam" into a mark that makes developers want to give up and stop trying entirely. App ID: 6790321094 Submission ID: 883d7004-33a3-4fd7-b229-756a15b51cb9

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.

App stuck in "Waiting for Review" for 3 days — anyone else? My app has been sitting in "Waiting for Review" status for 3 days now with no update. No rejection, no request for more info, nothing. Has anyone else run into this recently? Just trying to figure out if this is a known delay right now or something specific to my submission.

Hello, My app’s first production submission has repeatedly become stuck in “Waiting for Review,” without ever reaching “In Review." App: CornerWISE, App Apple ID: 6799061759, Bundle ID: com.zsolthornok.cornerwise, Platform: iOS, Version: 1.1.13 The previous submission waited approximately 69 hours before I withdrew it. The current submission was submitted on August 25, 2026 at 9:07 PM and has now been waiting for 46 hours. I understand that withdrawing restarts the process, so I will leave the current submission untouched. Although the version is numbered 1.1.13, this is the app’s first production submission. The version and build numbers increased during extensive TestFlight and pre-release testing. There are no unresolved issues, messages, missing metadata, or requested actions in App Store Connect. No account is required, the app does not handle money or offer any purchases, and detailed testing instructions are included in the Review Notes. I opened a Developer Support case on August 26, 2026 at 8:04 AM, but have not yet received a substantive response. Could an Apple representative please confirm that the submission is correctly queued and that no additional action is required from me? Thank you for your help.

Hello everyone! App: Inferno Drive Apple ID: 6791560112 SKU: inferno-drive Bundle ID: com.baalattackgroup.infernodrive I am writing here because I genuinely do not know what else I can do to get our game reviewed. Inferno Drive has effectively been caught in the App Review process for nearly a month, and the situation has now reached a point where it is seriously affecting our launch. For a small development team, having a completed product unable to launch for this length of time has a real impact. Development, marketing, launch planning, and other work surrounding the release all depend on the application actually reaching the App Store. We are not asking anyone to bypass Apple’s review requirements, and we are not asking for the application to be approved without being properly reviewed. We are simply asking for someone to actually review the current submission as soon as possible, Our team is available immediately and will respond to any questions or requests from App Review as quickly as possible. After nearly a month of trying to get this game through the review process, we genuinely need Apple’s assistance in getting this resolved. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you can provide. Kind regards, Rustam

Hello, I would like to ask for guidance regarding the termination of my Apple Developer Program account. The account had been active for over 15 years and was my primary source of income. In November 2025, I received a notice stating: You provided fraudulent and/or false account information, documentation, or otherwise falsely represented yourself or your submitted app to Apple either during the account enrollment process or after the account was created. I take this matter very seriously. I have always used my real identity and valid documentation, and I have never intended to misrepresent myself or my apps in any way. I am fully willing to provide any documents again to reconfirm my identity if required. Over the past several months, I submitted multiple appeals in an effort to better understand the reason for this determination. However, I have only received general responses without specific details or actionable guidance. Six months later, I received a final Notice of Termination. I fully respect Apple’s policies and the need to maintain trust and integrity within the platform. At the same time, it’s been hard to understand what exactly caused this issue or what could have been fixed earlier. If anyone from the App Review Team or other Apple representatives can provide general guidance on (I am posting from the same account/email that was originally used to enroll in the Apple Developer Program.): what types of situations may lead to this kind of determination, or whether there are any possible steps to clarify or resolve identity-related concerns I would be very grateful.

Hello, I’m looking for guidance regarding an unusually long App Review process for my app, Auto Deal. The app was originally submitted on July 2, 2026. It eventually entered “In Review,” but remained there for an unusually long period without any update or decision. After waiting for a long time with no progress, I deleted the submission and uploaded it again. On the second submission, we again experienced a long delay. The app was eventually reviewed and rejected because of an issue that occurred when tapping the “Confirm” button inside the app. I immediately fixed the exact issue identified by App Review and submitted the corrected build. The corrected submission then entered “In Review,” but once again remained there for a long period without any further feedback or decision. After waiting again with no progress, I deleted the submission and uploaded a new build. When the same prolonged delay continued, I deleted that submission and submitted another fresh build. I understand that deleting and resubmitting can restart the review process. However, I only took these steps after repeatedly experiencing unusually long periods in review without any decision or explanation. Throughout this entire process, I have contacted Apple Developer Support multiple times and submitted three expedited review requests, but the issue remains unresolved. The app is complete and already available on Google Play. We have customers waiting for the iOS version, and this prolonged review process has significantly delayed our business launch. I am not requesting another expedited review through this post. I am trying to understand why this keeps happening and whether there is an issue with the app submission, my developer account, or the review process that requires action from my side. If an Apple engineer or App Review representative can look into this situation or advise me on the appropriate next step, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Hello everyone, why should our account with a binary file that is public and all developers can use it be closed according to the 4.3 guideline? But Planet VPN which has more than 11 apps and many other developers can easily use it and there are no problems, be closed? Are these rules only for our company with more than 20+ employees? That our years of effort can end in one day with the decision of an inspector who only checks a system message? Maybe you can check the links: https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/japan-vpn-secure-proxy/id6499425450 https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/vpn-canada-fast-private/id6499426249 https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/vpn-turkey-fast-and-private/id6499426037 https://apps.apple.com/ae/app/vpn-india-private-secure/id6477943653 And you have access to more than 7 other apps and you can see the developer page, blocking an account because of a legal line is not right! According to Apple's fraud or abuse or circumvention rules, this could include account banning, but we can prove with evidence that the reason for marking binary similarity with other developers is simply a public branch that all developers can use on GitHub. Is there really anyone who monitors that the review team does not make dictatorial decisions? If they do not review for more than a month or continue to refuse to accept the developer's application for approval despite explanations and documentation, they have not made a mistake. But if the developers do not change the structure of a public library that is not necessary to build at all due to the similarity of the work, like OpenVPN at its core, they are linking you to other developers who have violated the rules!!! I agree with you, a reviewer whose literacy is at the level of a primary school child. https://github.com/XTLS/Xray-core Many developers may use this core and break the rules. There is no reason why your system should automatically attribute it. You can also impose the same due to the inconvenience and harassment of other developers. You can decide with your own eyes and mind. I wrote this so that maybe a good and responsible person can solve it. Respect to the review team and their senior managers. Regards

Our new app needs an essential Background Assets asset pack (hosted by Apple) to work. The app is currently failing to get through App Review because the reviewer doesn't have access to the asset pack. We submitted the asset pack together with the application for review. The asset pack is already approved. However, the error the reviewer reported indicates that their device can't find or download the asset pack. Or to be precise, on macOS (Catalyst) the model information cannot be fetched—the model is not found. iOS seems to see the model and get the information, but the download fails or never proceeds past the first 0% progress. We already had the same issue with our TestFlight beta (see this post for details). In the end, App Review let it pass through without verification because it was a known issue. This will probably not work for the main app review. We even tried switching the download policy of the asset pack to essential (was preFetch before) in the hope that the reviewer will then automatically download the pack together with the app. But this still didn't work. We can't be the only ones having this problem, right? This is completely release-blocking for us, and we already have a close deadline...

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!

Hi everyone, I’m a developer maintaining an existing app that has been live on the App Store for many years. We regularly submit updates, and normally our submissions are reviewed and approved within 48 hours without any issues. However, I’m currently experiencing an unusual situation and would appreciate some advice. 19 August: I submitted a new version of the app. It went into review but was rejected under: Guideline 1.1 - Safety - Objectionable Content The app’s marketing includes terms or images that reference objectionable content or services. These references can be found in the app’s metadata, including, but not limited to, the following metadata field(s): description and name. I’m not sure what triggered this rejection because the app name and description have not been changed for years. The app has been live and regularly reviewed during that time without this issue. The rejection also did not identify the specific wording or content in the app name or description that was considered objectionable. I responded to the review team explaining the situation and asked them to identify the specific part of the metadata that caused the issue so that we could review and update it if necessary. However, I did not receive any further response. I also submitted an appeal, but I have not received a response after several days. 21 August: Because we still need to maintain the app and release updates, I cancelled the previous submission and submitted a new version for review. However, this submission has also remained pending and has not moved forward to review. 25 August: I cancelled the submission again and created another submission containing both maintenance updates and a big launch for a new country. This update is important for our business because the new operation is scheduled to launch on 1 September. We need the app update to be reviewed and approved before then. I have also submitted an expedited review request and a new ticket, but it still hasn’t moved forward or been reviewed. My questions Is there anything I can do to get the current submission reviewed, given that the previous submission was rejected and the appeal has not received a response? Could the previous Guideline 1.1 rejection be causing the subsequent submissions to remain pending? Should I continue waiting for the current submission, or is there another recommended process for escalating this situation? The delay is now becoming critical because the new country launch is scheduled for 1 September, and not having the required app update available by then would significantly affect our business operations. Any advice from other developers who have experienced a similar situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Our first iOS app submission has been in "Waiting for Review" for 10 days with no status change and no messages in App Store Connect. The submission was made Aug 17, 2026, contains a single app version with no in-app purchases, and has not been cancelled, developer-rejected, or resubmitted at any point. All metadata, screenshots, age ratings, content rights, and App Privacy details were complete at submission. The app is a straightforward sports scheduling app with no unusual permissions or sensitive content. Is 10+ days without a status change expected on a new developer account, or is there something on our end we should be checking? Happy to provide the Submission ID and Apple ID privately to anyone from Apple who can look into it. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice about a recent App Review decision. My app was rejected twice under Guideline 4.3(b). After the first review, we spent several months redesigning parts of the app and addressing the issues that were raised. In the latest review, the other issues appear to have been resolved, but 4.3(b) remains. The part I'm trying to understand is how Apple views the app's main experience. The app includes a daily interactive experience called the Sanctum, where users move through a sequence of different activities and insights. It also contains number-based tools, but those are additional features rather than the main experience. I'm interested in hearing from developers who have dealt with a similar situation. How did you determine whether the issue was the app's positioning, the features themselves, or how the app was presented during review? Any advice would be appreciated.

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.

Hello, My first submission for a new app has been in "Waiting for Review" with no status change and no message in App Store Connect. Anyone knows If there's any issues with publishing apps right now? Usually it doesn't take this long at all. This is very difficult when you've worked really hard for something and is about to launch it. Apple ID: 6802215490 Platform: iOS Version: 1.0 (build 3) Submission ID: 73370ea1-11bf-430f-a877-0489a6df148f Current status: Waiting for Review (never moved to In Review) The submission contains a single item, the iOS app version, with no in-app purchases. There is no rejection, no request for additional information, and nothing in the Resolution Center. The app requires no account or login, so no demo credentials are needed, and the review notes describe how to test every feature. I have not cancelled or resubmitted this submission. I also submitted an expedited review request and have not received a response. I understand review times vary and that there is currently a backlog. I would appreciate it if the App Review team could confirm whether there is extended waiting time right now - or if there's a technical error where my app is "lost" somewhere. That's what I'm worried about. Thank you.

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.

Dear App Review Team, Our app No.IA (Apple ID: 6768742372) has been in "Waiting for Review" since July 20, 2026. This is version 3.1, resubmitted after the App Review Board cleared Guidelines 2.3.1 and 3.2.1 (Appeal Ticket APL509468). All Guideline 1.1 concerns have been addressed: metadata rewritten, in-app labels updated, screenshots replaced. We have tried: Resolution Center reply, expedited review request, phone call to Developer Support (Case 102912803305). All responses have been generic with no timeline. This app has been in review processes since May 19, 2026 — over 75 days. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, Could App Review please confirm the submission is still progressing? App: GrapeMap: Winelands Guide Apple ID: 6802603098 Submission ID: 43018af6-1ff8-43c7-9831-d10f95837a1f 18 Aug - Submitted (v1.0, new app); received Guideline 2.1 Information Needed same day 19 Aug - Replied with all seven requested items, including a screen recording from a physical device; demo credentials are in App Review Information 26 Aug - Sent a follow-up; no response or status change since 19 Aug Free travel guide app, no purchases or regulated activity. Thank you, Riaan Theron