Hello everyone, I am reaching out to the community and hopefully Apple representatives because I am currently facing a significant delay that has completely halted my first app launch. Here is the timeline of my submission process: February 1st: Initial submission of my first app. February 3rd: Received a rejection with minor requests for improvement. February 8th: I completed all requested changes and resubmitted the app. Status since then: The app has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" for exactly one month. Actions Taken: I submitted an Expedited Review request. I contacted Apple Developer Support twice via written tickets. I had a phone call with the Apple Developer Support team. During the phone call, I was advised not to withdraw and resubmit the app, as this would move me to the end of the queue. They mentioned they would escalate the issue to the review team. However, despite these efforts and the escalation, there has been absolutely no progress or change in status. This delay has put me a full month behind my launch schedule. I have spoken with several other iOS developers who mentioned their apps are typically reviewed within 1–5 days. This discrepancy is very discouraging. I am not looking for a shortcut; I simply want my app to be reviewed. My app is straightforward and does not contain any complex or controversial features that should justify such a long wait. This situation is unfortunately killing my motivation and excitement for development. Specific Questions: Is there anyone else experiencing a similar "limbo" for this long? Can any Apple representative provide clarity on how long this queue actually is or why a simple update is stuck for 30 days? Is there any other way to get a status update beyond the standard "just wait" response? Case ID: 102829479153 I would deeply appreciate any insights from the community or assistance from the Apple team. Thank you for your time.

Curious what backend others are choosing these days. I am building a vocabulary app and exploring which backend would be a good fit. Considering options like CloudKit, Firebase, Supabase, AWS Amplify, custom servers, or a combination. What are you using and what made you choose it?

Should you rely only on organic installs, or would a mix of strategies work better? Isn’t optimizing keywords and refining creatives essential for higher visibility? Would running Apple Search Ads not further amplify reach? And doesn’t encouraging strong reviews ultimately help in improving both ranking and credibility?

When I update my app name, the App Store URL also changes, and since the app URL contributes to ASO performance, this is a concern for me. I would like to know whether it is possible to change the app name without affecting the URL, or if the previous URL automatically redirects to the new one.

I’m interested in hearing what currently concerns other indie iOS developers, as 2026 feels both exciting and somewhat fragile to me, with the constant worry that an Apple account issue or unexpected rejection could undo years of hard work overnight. AI has made cloning apps easier than ever and even strong niches can quickly attract well funded competitors, so while I’m optimistic about building, these are the realities I often find myself thinking about.

I have been submitting the app multiple times and I keep getting rejected for: Guideline 2.1 - Performance - App Completeness Specifically, the in-app purchase is not available and the app is unresponsive when we tap the Upgrade button. I feel like I am stuck in a circle since it is showing me the pricing is unavailalbe on my subscription page. I have checked and it is wired correctly and works in the google play store. The issue is that my subriptions are not approved yet. But I can't get my subscriptions approved without the app being approved for the first time. So the Upgrade button cannot work, since the subscriptions are not approved, and they can't be approved without the app being approved. I can't test it in the sandbox, since the application is not approved. Anyone know what to do with this issue?

Hi all, Like others my app submission has been stuck in “waiting for review” for weeks. I know initial app reviews take longer than updates, but this has been delayed far too long and makes me concerned about repeating the process in the future. I submitted this app for review back on Feb 10. It was initially rejected for a minor issue, which I resolved and resubmitted the same day. After that, the build remained in “Waiting for Review” for about two weeks with no further communication. At that point I canceled the submission and resubmitted the build, thinking it may have been stuck in the queue (I now know not to do this next time). Unfortunately the new submission has also been waiting for review for another 9 days now with no messages or updates. I’ve contacted app review support as well (case ID- 102826632729). I understand review times can vary, but delays like this make it difficult for developers to plan launches or push updates when the review process is the only path to distributing apps. As paying members of the Apple Developer Program, we rely heavily on this pipeline functioning reliably. Hoping this post will reach someone from Apple who can help move the process along. If any other devs have suggestions/tips that have worked for them, please share so others in this position can become unblocked. Thanks in advance.

Hello, My app, Beezzy - Agenda Digital, had an Expedited Review request approved recently (confirmation received via email). However, the status remains stuck in 'Waiting for Review' for an unusual amount of time, even for an expedited process. This update is critical for our operations and addresses urgent fixes. Has anyone else experienced a delay between the expedited approval and the actual 'In Review' transition lately? Is there any additional step required from the developer side to trigger the priority queue? App ID: 6751509489 Thank you for any guidance.

I need help with Apple Developer Program enrollment. I’m getting “Your enrollment could not be completed at this time.”

Anyone else experiencing crazy delays right now? Submitted an update (bug fixes, nothing major) 13 days ago. It was "Waiting for Review" for 10 days, and now it’s been "In Review" for 3 days. No messages from Apple, no rejection, just silence. Normally my apps go through in 1-2 days. Is there a backlog right now or something? Should I keep waiting or appeal? Anyone got stuck like this recently?

Hello, I’m experiencing a delay with the App Store review process and wanted to check if this is normal. My app was initially approved very quickly (within a few hours after submission). However, shortly after that I noticed a few minor UI bugs, so I fixed them and submitted a new build. The new version has now been waiting for review for about 5 days, and there has been no update since submission. I also want to mention that I have already contacted Apple Developer Support twice about this issue but have not yet received any response. Previously the review happened very quickly, so I’m wondering if something might be wrong with the submission or if this delay is expected.

I submitted a software update for one iOS app several days ago. It was approved two days ago. I received a message about distribution that said The status of your app has changed to Ready for Distribution I happened at the iTunes Connect website at that very moment in order to submit a totally new iOS app to the App Store. Its status said 'Removed from App Store.' I thought it was a rare mistake. Unfortunately, it's not. The one that I was submitting was approved some 15 minutes ago. I received the 'Ready for Distribution' message by email. Yet, it's been removed from the store as you see in the screenshot below. As you see in the 2nd screenshot below, it says that it's Ready for Distribution. But it's not? So is this a new norm? And we have to go back the iTunes Connect website to change the app status every time we submit a software title and then get it approved?

​I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the noticeable and unusual delays in the app and update review process throughout this month of February. ​We have observed that all of our recent submissions have been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status for periods that far exceed the standard App Store review times. This continuous delay is having a direct and negative impact on our workflow, as it is hindering our ability to: ​Release critical updates and timely bug fixes. ​Roll out new features that our users are expecting. ​Adhere to our planned marketing strategies and launch schedules. ​While we highly value your ongoing efforts to maintain the quality and security of the App Store, we kindly request some clarification on the cause of these widespread delays this month. We also urgently request that you expedite the review process for our pending submissions to prevent further disruption to our users' experience. ​Here are the details of the affected I have sent many emails no response

Hi everyone, I submitted a new version (1.4) of my app,last Wednesday at 9:02 AM. It has been in the "Waiting for Review" status for over 5 days now. My previous updates were usually processed within 24-48 hours, so I’m concerned if there might be an issue with this specific build or if there's a general delay in the review queue. Has anyone else experienced similar delays recently? Should I continue to wait, or is it time to contact the App Review team directly?

Hello, I am trying to upload a watchOS standalone app to App Store Connect using Xcode 26.3, but Organizer does not show the “App Store Connect” upload option. It only displays: • Release Testing (Ad Hoc) • Enterprise • Debugging Project setup • Target type: watchOS App (standalone, not companion) • PRODUCT_TYPE = com.apple.product-type.application • PRODUCT_BUNDLE_PACKAGE_TYPE = APPL • WRAPPER_EXTENSION = app • SUPPORTED_PLATFORMS = watchos watchsimulator • Archive configuration: Release • Base SDK: watchOS The app does not depend on iOS. Bundle ID Originally: com.example.app.watchkitapp Recreated as: com.example.app HealthKit capability enabled in: • Developer Portal • Xcode (Signing & Capabilities) Signing • Apple Distribution certificate active • App Store provisioning profile created • Manual signing configured for Release (Apple Distribution + App Store profile) • Also tested Automatic signing • Deleted old Ad Hoc profiles • Cleared Derived Data and regenerated archive App Store Connect • App created successfully using bundle ID com.example.app • Account role: Account Holder • No pending Agreements, Tax, or Banking items Despite a valid Release archive signed with Apple Distribution, Organizer only allows Ad Hoc distribution and never shows “App Store Connect”. Is this a known issue in Xcode 26 affecting independent watchOS apps, or is there an additional configuration step required? Thank you.

Hello everyone, I’m currently experiencing a very long review time and wanted to ask for your advice or hear about your experiences. I submitted my two apps for their initial release 23 days ago. Ever since then, they have been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status. Yesterday, I realized that my "Paid Apps Agreement" and Tax Forms (W-8BEN, etc.) were incomplete in App Store Connect. I immediately filled them out, and now all my banking, tax, and agreement statuses are successfully marked as "Active". My questions to the community are: Since the agreements are now active, will my apps automatically fall into the review queue, or do I need to trigger something? I submitted an "App Review Status" contact form to Apple Support today. Should I just wait for their response, or is it better to "Remove from Review" and resubmit them? (I am afraid of losing my place in the queue). Any insights or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Best, Berkay

Hi, posting here since I cannot get in touch with anyone through Support. I've sent few requests in a week but never heard back. I am trying to get the app 6745905294 approved from the Review team. The last blocker is that This app duplicates the content and functionality of other apps on the App Store This turns out to be because I used to have this app under a different team 3 years ago (app number 1592985083). The app was already out of the store in a long time since I didn't renew that team membership but apparently that's not enough. The Review team suggested me to Remove the old app. But...I can't. Please see the screenshot attached Any idea what can I do? I am completely blocked. I want to submit the app in the store with the new team I am in. The Review team says it can't help me. The Appstore Connect Support team doesn't reply Thanks, Alessandro

The documentation for isEligibleForAgeFeatures states: Use this property to determine whether a person using your app is in an applicable region that requires additional age-related obligations for when you distribute apps on the App Store. But what does "region" mean? Is this going to return true if the user has downloaded the app from the US App Store? Or will it go further and geolocate the user and identify them as being within a particular relevant state within the US?

Hello,I dunno if this is the right place to ask this, but i have tried to enroll for almost two weeks now, and there is no reply at all with next step in the enrollment process, the message says it will be processed within 48 hrs.for reference i am outside the united states. and enrolling as personal developer not an ORG.

Hello. We've developed a compatibility engine for the App Store. We collect very detailed profile information from users and use this information to dynamically calculate compatibility scores with the help of AI, recommending users to each other. The app is newly completed and we don't have any real users yet. My questions are: We are at the initial approval stage, Should we submit a completely empty application, or will the reviewer account create accounts with matching genders? Should we create one or more fake users? We have profiles that we created as demos (to inspire users) and indicated with a badge as "demo"s, but these don't appear in the "Explore" section. Should we add these people to the explore section? Assuming the people appearing in the explore section are demos, should the "request to meet" button be active for these demo content? Should it be possible to chat with demo people? After the submission is approved, will we delete the fake people or remove the demo people from the Explore section again? Is this possible? Which approach is correct to avoid being perceived as "fake content"?