App Store Review Guidelines - these four words are quite a magic spell for advanced Apple testers. This doc is no joke! "Guidelines" summarizes Apple's requirements for applications to be placed on the App Store. It is on the basis of these rules that the application is checked by the (Almighty) Review Team. So if you come across the "Guidelines" for the first time, it will be helpful for you to read the following post.
In the Introduction section, the App Store Review Guidelines describes its approach to reviewing applications: "We will reject apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, 'I'll know it when I see it'. And we think that you will also know it when you cross it."
So how, in the name of Apple, are we supposed to know where this line is? Let's see.
Most of the requirements are taken into account and analyzed by the developers at the stage of creating the application. However, we should not exclude the fact that errors may arise during the preparation. Sometimes some insignificant nuances can be crucial when the Apple Team is deciding whether to add an application to the App Store. In this case, after a detailed review of your application (this whole process takes from one day to several weeks), you may receive a rejection due to some missed details, which at first seemed insignificant.
The 5 Main Categories of App Store Requirements#
The document contains 40 points organized into 5 major categories:
1. Safety#
- 1.1 Objectionable Content
- 1.2 User Generated Content
- 1.3 Kids Category
- 1.4 Physical Harm
- 1.5 Developer Information
- 1.6 Data Security
2. Performance#
- 2.1 App Completeness
- 2.2 Beta Testing
- 2.3 Accurate Metadata
- 2.4 Hardware Compatibility
- 2.5 Software Requirements
3. Business#
- 3.1 Payments (including In-App Purchase, Subscriptions, Reader Apps, Multiplatform Services, Hardware-specific Content, Goods and Services Outside of the App, Apple Pay, Advertising)
- 3.2 Other Business Model Issues (Acceptable / Unacceptable)
4. Design#
- 4.1 Copycats
- 4.2 Minimum Functionality
- 4.3 Spam
- 4.4 Extensions
- 4.5 Apple Sites and Services
- 4.6 Alternate App Icons
- 4.7 HTML5 Games, Bots, etc.
5. Legal#
- 5.1 Privacy (Data Collection and Storage, Data Use and Sharing, Health and Health Research, Kids, Location Services)
- 5.2 Intellectual Property
- 5.3 Gaming, Gambling, and Lotteries
- 5.4 VPN Apps
- 5.5 Developer Code of Conduct
What to Pay Attention to Before Submitting#
Despite such a detailed checklist, not all developers completely check the application for compliance with the rules before submitting it for review. We advise you to pay attention to several parameters of your application.
Application Title and English Localization#
Before the application enters the store, it's placed in the so-called "pre-store" area (now called App Store Connect, or TestFlight). So if the App Store Connect name does not match the title that appears on the screen after installation, the application will be rejected. Apple is strict enough to ensure that no extra information appears in the App Store.
Due to its regional characteristics, Apple also carefully checks the English localization of the UI (user interface) and product descriptions. If you are not confident in your English, assign someone competent to take on these issues.
Censorship#
Apple has always been different from competitors in its tough approach to placing applications in the store. In particular, this applies to censorship. Despite the presence of age restrictions and parental control functions, the company has always been very tough on the presence of various forms of unacceptable content in applications. It is easy for the developer to understand whether there is any prohibited content in the application or not, but sometimes unforeseen situations occur.
For example, there was a case when a developer received a rejection from Apple due to the fact that a girl with a kiss print on a T-shirt was depicted in the standard set of the application avatars. One of the most remarkable cases of censorship occurred when a well-known publishing house was denied placement in a store since one of the pages of the latest issue showed a girl in a bathing suit.
Links Inside the App and App Store Connect#
All links inside the application and in your App Store Connect metadata must work correctly and lead to relevant content. Broken links, links to pages under construction, or links that contradict your app's described functionality are common reasons for rejection. Make sure every URL in your app and metadata is live, accurate, and appropriate.