Apple rejected nearly 2 million app submissions in 2024 — about 25% of everything submitted. Most rejections are for preventable reasons. Knowing what Apple (and Google) look for saves you days of delays and frustration.
Here are the most common rejection reasons and how to avoid each one.
Privacy violations — the #1 reason
Apple has gotten increasingly strict about privacy, especially in 2025 with AI transparency requirements and enhanced age verification.
What triggers rejection: No privacy policy (or a broken link to one). Not clearly explaining what data you collect and why. Requesting permissions without clear justification (why does a calculator need camera access?). Not disclosing AI-generated content where applicable.
How to prevent it: Include a working privacy policy link both in-app and on your App Store listing. Clearly explain every permission request in context. If your app uses AI features, disclose what’s AI-generated. Test all privacy policy links before submission.
Performance issues
Your app needs to work. That sounds obvious, but a significant number of rejections happen because the app crashes during review, loads too slowly, or has dead links.
What triggers rejection: Crashes during the review process. Excessive battery drain or memory usage. Links that go nowhere. Features that don’t work. Slow loading times.
How to prevent it: Test on real devices, not just the simulator. Test on the oldest device your app supports. Make sure every link works. Test every feature path, including edge cases. Keep your crash rate below 1%.
Design and UI problems
Apple cares about design quality more than Google does. Apps that look unfinished, have broken layouts, or contain obvious spelling errors get flagged.
What triggers rejection: Spelling and grammar errors in your metadata or in-app text. Layouts that break on different screen sizes. Missing core functionality. Content that looks incomplete or placeholder-ish.
How to prevent it: Have someone else proofread all text — metadata, descriptions, and in-app copy. Test your UI on multiple screen sizes. Remove any “coming soon” sections or placeholder content before submission. If a feature isn’t ready, don’t include it.
Misleading metadata
Your store listing has to match your app. If your screenshots show features that don’t exist, or your description promises something the app doesn’t deliver, you’ll get rejected.
What triggers rejection: Screenshots that show different functionality than the actual app. Description promising features not present in the current version. Video previews that misrepresent the product. Misleading titles or categories.
How to prevent it: Only screenshot real, working features. Only describe what’s currently in the app. Make sure your category is accurate. Update your listing every time you update the app.
In-app purchase issues
Subscription apps get extra scrutiny. Apple wants clear, honest pricing with no surprises.
What triggers rejection: Paywall appearing before any value is demonstrated. Hidden or unclear subscription terms. No “Restore Purchases” button (required for all subscription apps). Hard-to-find cancel information. Pricing that doesn’t match what’s shown on the paywall.
How to prevent it: Show value before the paywall. Include clear subscription terms on the paywall screen (price, duration, renewal terms). Add a “Restore Purchases” button in settings. Make cancellation information easy to find. Match all prices exactly between your paywall and App Store Connect.
Lack of originality
Apple rejects apps that don’t bring anything new. If your app is essentially a clone of an existing popular app with no meaningful differentiation, expect a rejection.
What triggers rejection: Too similar to existing apps without clear differentiation. Minimal unique value. “The 10,000th flashlight app.”
How to prevent it: Clearly communicate what makes your app different in your metadata and in your response to reviewers. If your app is in a crowded category, your listing should immediately make the unique angle obvious.
Intellectual property problems
Using assets you don’t own is an instant rejection — and potentially a legal problem.
What triggers rejection: Copyrighted images used without permission. Competitor logos or brand elements. Unauthorized use of celebrity images. Brand name conflicts in your title.
How to prevent it: Only use assets you own or have licensed. Double-check that your app name isn’t trademarked by someone else. When in doubt, create original assets.
What to do if you get rejected
Don’t panic. Read the rejection reason carefully — Apple provides specific, not generic, feedback. Address the exact issue they flagged (not a different interpretation of it). In your resubmission notes, clearly describe what you fixed and reference the original rejection.
Resubmit quickly to avoid losing momentum, but make sure the fix is thorough. Repeated rejections for the same issue slow down your review queue.
The review timeline
Initial review typically takes 24-48 hours. If rejected, you fix and resubmit. Resubmissions sometimes take slightly longer, especially if the initial rejection was serious. Plan for the possibility of 1-2 rejection cycles in your launch timeline.