Navigate the App Store landscape. Share strategies for app submission, distribution, marketing, and user acquisition. Discuss best practices for getting your app discovered and downloaded.

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Sandbox Test Error
I have a few issues. Support consultants responded to my review file by saying they wanted the image. 1- I logged in with the sandbox account I used for testing and took a screenshot of the Paywall screen. However, they said this screenshot wasn't accepted. The documentation explains how to log in to Testflight with a sandbox account and test it, but even though I tried testing on two different devices, I couldn't log in to Testflight or get the image they requested. 2- I closed my privacy policy and terms of use, and there's no problem. What else should I do? I'm stuck on the Testflight and sandbox sections. Can you help ?
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Payments paused
I got this email from Apple "Due to the discontinuation of content associated with your vendor number x, your payments have been paused. We will continue to monitor this account and release your payments once customer refunds have been settled." Does anyone know what happened? I didn't discontinue any content.
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How to remove app from app store without access to original account
Hi there, the company I work for recently decommissioned our app. Unfortunately, due to an acquisition a couple of years ago and staffing changes, we no longer have access to the original account that would have posted our app on the app store. Any idea how we can go about getting the app removed so we don't continue to have clients downloading an app that no longer works? Thank you!
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Successfully uploaded iOS app builds don't appear in App Store Connect
Since 1st of September archives uploaded via Xcode 26 beta 7 or builds distributed via CD (fastlane deliver) don't appear in App Store Connect. No errors reported during/after upload process, no e-mails with errors received. Xcode reports successful upload (with a few warnings regarding dSYM) I'm not getting any e-mails with ITMS errors Builds don't appear at in App Store Connect in TestFlight section (not even in "Processing" or "Failed" states). For me it seems like App Store Connect outage but all statuses in https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/ are green.
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Can I Update App Store Screenshots & Text Without Submitting a New Build?
Is it possible to submit updates to our App Store content (such as new screenshots, Promotional text, or description) using a previously approved build, without submitting a new binary? Essentially, we want to ensure that metadata updates can be reviewed independently and won’t need to be coupled with a feature update. This is primarily because we’d like to avoid a situation where a feature update gets delayed or rejected due to issues in the metadata. Could you please confirm if this is supported? And if so, are there any best practices or guidelines we should follow when submitting metadata only updates?
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App Store reviews are typically quick, but my Product Page Optimization remains stuck in review
This is my first iOS app release and I’m a bit confused. The initial version was reviewed in under 12 hours (rejected), and the corrected version was approved just as quickly. But my Product Page Optimization with only screenshots has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for four days. Do these get reviewed only with new versions, or should I just wait it out?
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Still waiting for IAP review
It's been more than a week since the App was validated and published. Yet, the IAP (subscriptions) are still waiting for review. I've sent an email to Apple 5 days ago on the topic and i'm still waitinf or an answer. I have to ship a complete version to my client quickly, can anyone do something, like an admin passing by by any chance ? Or does anyone have a tips/trick to unstuck me ? :') Note : I've tried to send another version with a note saying "please review my IAP", the version got accepted but the IAP are still not reviewed... Thanks in advance, Have a good day.
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Clarification on Guideline 5.1.2 – Public Data Aggregation App
Hey Everyone! I recently submitted an app that aggregates publicly available information from the web. The app does not access device contacts, social graphs, or any private user data. Instead, it only takes user-inputted queries (such as a name and location) and organizes information already available on public websites. During review, I received feedback under Guideline 5.1.2 (Privacy – Data Collection and Storage), stating that the app collects information about third parties without consent. I want to make sure I fully understand the scope of this guideline. Since the app is only aggregating information that is already public, and not accessing private sources or contacts, does this still fall under 5.1.2? If so, are there recommended approaches or wording changes to make sure such apps are compliant? Any insights from other developers or Apple staff would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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App Review Stuck in Extended Review for almost 2 weeks (After “No Additional Info Required” Message)
Hi, We’re reaching out to the community because we’re stuck in a situation that’s becoming critical for our launch timeline and could really use some advice. We submitted our app on August 11, 2025. Over the following days, we worked closely with App Review, made revisions, and provided every piece of information they requested. On August 19, 2025, we finally received this message: “Your submission’s review will require additional time as we take this new information into account. We do not require any further information at this time. Once we have thoroughly reviewed your submission, we will either contact you in App Store Connect to communicate any issues found, or your submission will be approved.” We followed up days later and got this response: “We apologize for the delay. Your submission is still in review but is requiring additional time. We will provide further status updates as soon as we are able.” It’s been 12+ days with no updates, and the app is still stuck in “Unresolved Issue” status. This delay has now pushed us past our launch deadline, and we’re unsure why the process is taking so long. We completely understand that expedited reviews aren’t always possible, but given the urgency and importance of this project, we’re doing everything we can to move forward. If anyone from App Review happens to see this, or if any developers have gone through something similar and can share advice, we’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
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apple In App Purchase always response 20112
Hi,I am facing the 21002 issue.Have you went through it? If you have resolved it, please dive me a hand. Below is my code,and I Have tested in sand box environment. NSURL receiptURL = [[NSBundle mainBundle] appStoreReceiptURL]; if (![[NSFileManager defaultManager] fileExistsAtPath:[receiptURL path]]) { SKReceiptRefreshRequest receiptRefreshRequest = [[SKReceiptRefreshRequest alloc] initWithReceiptProperties:nil]; receiptRefreshRequest.delegate = self; [receiptRefreshRequest start]; return; } NSData data = [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:receiptURL]; / receipt_data/ NSString *receipt_data = [data base64EncodedStringWithOptions:0]; After I test the purchase procedure, use the above receipt-data to verify on the server https://sandbox.itunes.apple.com/verifyReceipt,which always response 21002.I have no idea to deal with it.Thanks.
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Does a Delivery App with Commission & Subscription Plans Require IAP?
Hello everyone, I’ve been struggling with App Store Review regarding my delivery app, and I’m hoping someone here can shed light on whether my app actually requires In-App Purchase (IAP) under Apple’s guidelines. Here’s my situation: My app connects riders with delivery jobs. We have two rider payment models: Commission Plan (10%) – Riders don’t pay upfront, but 10% is deducted per completed delivery. Fixed Subscription Plan – Riders pay a fixed monthly fee in advance, which allows them to keep 100% of their delivery earnings. The challenge: Apple Review has rejected my app multiple times, insisting that I must use IAP for these payments. I’ve written back and forth with them several times explaining that: The commission plan isn’t a digital feature, it’s simply a revenue share from physical delivery work. The fixed plan is more like a business service fee for using the platform, not for unlocking content or digital features. Despite this, the Review Team continues to state that my app “requires IAP.” My questions are: Based on Apple’s official guidelines, do apps like mine (delivery/logistics with commission/subscription for riders) really fall under IAP rules? Has anyone here had a similar issue with a marketplace or service-based app? If this does require IAP, what’s the reasoning — since the payments are tied to real-world services, not digital content? I’d appreciate advice, shared experiences, or even clarification from someone who has successfully passed review with a similar model. Thanks in advance!
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Expo-store-review request for user to add review not showing up
I use import * as StoreReview from 'expo-store-review'; In my onboarding I do: const requestAppRating = async () => { try { console.log('Requesting app rating via StoreReview'); if (await StoreReview.isAvailableAsync()) { console.log('Store review is available, requesting rating'); await StoreReview.requestReview(); } else { console.log('Store review not available on this device'); // Fallback: show alert encouraging manual rating Alert.alert( 'Rate Oddible', 'Enjoying the app? Please take a moment to rate us on the App Store!', [ { text: 'Maybe Later', style: 'cancel' }, { text: 'Rate Now', onPress: () => { console.log('User chose to rate manually'); // You can add a link to the App Store here if needed }} ] ); } } catch (error) { console.error('Error requesting app rating:', error); } }; This works perfectly in my development build but my production build in the app store does not pop up to request a review from a user. Any idea why this could be the case?
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Rejected under Guideline 4.3(a) after legal doc request
Hi everyone, We’re a U.S.-registered company and just submitted our primary app for review. We tried to be proactive: our initial submission included very detailed Notes to the Reviewer to avoid back-and-forth. Despite that, our first rejection asked for items we had already covered in Notes. Within ~30 minutes we replied in the Resolution Center with expanded details. The app went back to review and about 90% of the concerns were resolved. After that, we could see from our logs that the reviewer actively tested the app and requested additional legal documentation. We provided everything promptly, but the next response was a rejection under Guideline 4.3(a) – Design – Spam. There was no additional explanation tying 4.3(a) to anything specific in our binary or metadata, and this guideline hasn’t come up for us before. Here’s what we already provided via the Resolution Center: Test credentials and clear steps to access all app areas Detailed terms and in-app disclosures Executed agreements with our partners Copies/links to partner licenses Given that context, a 4.3(a) outcome is confusing. We don’t publish template/duplicate apps, and we’re not keyword-stuffing metadata. The reviewer who requested legal docs appeared to be actively testing, but the final 4.3(a) decision didn’t include clarifying notes. We’re very concerned about this situation and would truly appreciate your advice on how to move forward.
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TestFlight Beta Build Webhook Events Missing (Shown in WWDC25 but Not available in API/Portal)
I am trying to add webhook subscriptions for TestFlight build processing completion and TestFlight beta build review completion events. These were showcased in the WWDC25 session: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/324/ Currently, I am able to receive webhook events for distribution updates, and the corresponding checkmark option is available in the App Store Connect portal. However, there is no checkmark option in the portal to subscribe to beta build-related events. In the video, there is clearly a checkmark option for the beta review event subscription (at 4:55). The current documentation also does not mention beta processing and beta review event subscriptions. It only lists the event types that are visible in the web portal: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appstoreconnectapi/webhookeventtype When I try to add the BUILD_BETA_DETAIL_EXTERNAL_BETA_STATE_UPDATED event (as shown in the video at 6:10) via the PATCH API request, I get the below error. "errors": [ { "id": "****-****-****-****-*********3851", "status": 409, "code": "ENTITY_ERROR.ATTRIBUTE.TYPE", "title": "An attribute in the provided entity has the wrong type", "detail": "'BUILD_BETA_DETAIL_EXTERNAL_BETA_STATE_UPDATED' is not a valid value for the attribute 'eventTypes/3'.", "expectedValues": [ "APP_STORE_VERSION_APP_VERSION_STATE_UPDATED", "BETA_FEEDBACK_CRASH_SUBMISSION_CREATED", "BETA_FEEDBACK_SCREENSHOT_SUBMISSION_CREATED" ], "source": { "pointer": "/data/attributes/eventTypes/3" } } ] } The App Store Connect web portal also does not provide a checkmark option for subscribing to this event type. My questions are: Are the TestFlight build processing completion and beta build review completion webhook events coming soon, or do they already exist? Are there any other ways to get beta build events apart from polling?
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