App Store rejection guide

How to reply to an App Store rejection, and when to appeal

Last reviewed 18 October 2026

What you write back to App Review matters almost as much as the fix. A clear reply can get an app approved faster, and sometimes without a new build. Here’s how to reply, when to appeal instead, and the other options Apple offers.

Short answer

Reply first, inside App Store Connect, with exactly what you changed or what the reviewer missed. Appeal to the App Review Board only after replying, and only if you still believe the app follows the guidelines. If you want advice before resubmitting, request a 30-minute appointment with App Review.

1. Read the message properly

The message from App Review in App Store Connect names the guideline, explains what the reviewer saw, and often attaches screenshots or crash logs. Find the guideline in the guides and decide which of three cases you’re in:

The reviewer is right. Fix it, reply with the changes, resubmit.
The reviewer missed something, such as a feature they couldn’t find or a concept they misread. Reply with an explanation, a demo account or a screen recording. Sometimes no new build is needed.
You’ve replied and still believe the app follows the guidelines. Then consider an appeal.

2. Reply to App Review

Use Reply to App Review on the app’s App Review page in App Store Connect. Apple says it’s the best way to get help with an ongoing submission, and a specialist familiar with your app will answer (Apple’s guidance).

Be specific: name the guideline, the feature and the exact step.
List changes as numbered points, with the build number they’re in.
Add evidence: a working demo account, a short screen recording, or documents such as licences or partner authorisations. Attach files in App Store Connect and mention them in the review notes.
Keep it short and polite. The reviewer is reading many of these.
Don’t use the reply to appeal or to ask for an expedited review; Apple has separate forms for both.

A reply that tends to work:

Hello App Review team, thank you for the feedback on version 1.2.

We’ve addressed Guideline 2.1 in build 46:

1. Fixed the crash on launch on iPad (the screen layout no longer assumes an iPhone width).
2. Updated the demo account in App Review Information. It has no expiry and includes sample bookings.
3. Attached a 40-second recording showing the booking flow from sign-in to confirmation.

Please let us know if you need anything else.

3. When to appeal

Apple’s App Review Board handles appeals when you believe your app follows the guidelines but was rejected or removed, when your account faces termination, or when you believe the review was unfair (Apple’s appeal guidance).

Reply first. Apple asks you to clarify the issue in App Store Connect before filing.
Give specific reasons why the app complies, guideline by guideline.
Answer any information requests before you appeal.
One appeal per rejected submission.

“Submit only one appeal per submission that didn’t pass review.”
Apple, App Review: Appeals

Don’t file an appeal to get a status update, to speed up review or to reinstate an account that has already been terminated.

4. Talk to App Review before you resubmit

Apple offers 30-minute video appointments with App Review to discuss the guidelines, what to expect in review and common rejection reasons (request an appointment). It’s worth it for a borderline concept, or before building something you’re unsure Apple will accept.

5. Expedited reviews and bug fixes

Expedited review is for a critical bug fix (include steps to reproduce it in the current version) or a release tied to an event you’re directly associated with (include the event, its date and your connection). It isn’t for ordinary deadlines (Apple’s guidance).
Bug fix submissions: if your app is already on the store, Apple won’t hold up a bug fix over a guideline issue unless it’s a legal or safety problem. Reply in App Store Connect to accept, and fix the issue in your next submission (Apple’s guidance).

Questions founders ask

Will replying or appealing slow my app down?

Apple says apps repeatedly rejected for the same guideline take longer to review, so fix what you can before resubmitting and keep appeals for real disagreements.

How long does an appeal take?

Apple doesn’t publish a timeline for appeals. Keep replying to any questions in App Store Connect while it’s open.

Can we phone App Review?

There isn’t a phone line for active submissions. Reply in App Store Connect, or request a 30-minute App Review appointment if you want to talk it through.

More rejection guides

Based on Apple’s App Review Guidelines as last updated by Apple on 16 October 2026. Apple changes them from time to time, so check the current text on Apple’s developer site.