App Store Review Rejection Reasons (and How to Avoid Them)

Rejection is routine. Every team that ships regularly has had apps rejected, and it says little about quality. Most rejections fall into a small number of categories, and nearly all of them are avoidable if you know what they are before you submit.

The most common causes

No working demo account
If your app requires login, the reviewer needs credentials that work. This is the single most avoidable rejection. Provide a demo account, check it works the day you submit, and keep it active until review completes.
Crashes and obvious bugs
Reviewers test on current devices and current iOS. Anything that crashes on launch is an immediate rejection. Test the actual release build via TestFlight, not just a debug build in the simulator.
Incomplete information
Placeholder text, screenshots that do not match the app, broken support or privacy URLs, missing configuration for a feature you reference. Reviewers check these.
Minimum functionality
Apps that are essentially a wrapped website, or offer very little beyond what a browser does, get rejected. The app must justify being an app.
Privacy and permissions
Every permission request needs a clear, specific usage description explaining why. Vague strings get rejected. Privacy labels must match what the app actually does.
Payment rules
Digital goods and services consumed in the app generally must use in-app purchase. Linking out to your own payment flow for digital content is a frequent and expensive rejection.
Sign in with Apple
If you offer third-party social login, you generally must also offer Sign in with Apple.
User-generated content without moderation
If users can post content, you need a way to report it, a way to block users, and a stated moderation process.

A pre-submission checklist

Demo account created, tested, and active
Release build tested on a real device via TestFlight
Every permission has a specific usage description
Privacy policy URL live and reachable
Privacy labels match actual data collection
Screenshots reflect the current app
No placeholder text anywhere in the listing
Sign in with Apple present if other social logins are
Digital purchases use in-app purchase
Reporting and blocking exist if users can post content

What to do when rejected

Read the cited guideline carefully. The rejection names a specific guideline number. That is the actual issue, not your interpretation of the summary.

Ask if it is unclear. Resolution Center is a conversation. Asking a clarifying question is faster than guessing and resubmitting twice.

Fix only what was cited. Changing unrelated things adds new surface area for a second rejection.

Appeal when genuinely wrong. Reviewers sometimes misunderstand. There is a formal appeals process, and it does sometimes overturn decisions. Use it factually, not indignantly.

Reducing the risk structurally

Submit your first version early with tight scope, so account and metadata problems surface before you are under launch pressure. Keep the demo account permanently active. Re-read the guidelines for your category before a major submission — they change. And build a small buffer into launch plans for one rejection round trip.

Frequently asked questions

Why was my app rejected by Apple?

The most common reasons are a missing or non-working demo account, crashes on current devices, incomplete or placeholder metadata, insufficient functionality beyond a website, vague permission usage descriptions, and using external payment for digital goods instead of in-app purchase.

How do I avoid App Store rejection?

Provide a working demo account, test the actual release build on a real device via TestFlight, write specific usage descriptions for every permission, ensure your privacy policy URL is live, make privacy labels accurate, and use in-app purchase for digital goods.

Is app rejection common?

Yes. Every team that ships regularly has had apps rejected. It is a normal part of the process and usually reflects a specific fixable issue rather than overall quality.

Can I appeal an App Store rejection?

Yes. You can reply in Resolution Center to clarify or contest, and there is a formal appeals process. Appeals do sometimes succeed when a reviewer has misunderstood the app.

What should I do after a rejection?

Read the specific guideline cited, ask for clarification in Resolution Center if it is unclear, fix only what was cited, and resubmit. Changing unrelated things adds new risk of a second rejection.

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