Is there any sort of change control documentation available regarding Apple's Programming Guidelines and rejections policies?
In the last few months our apps have been getting rejected for code that hasn't changed since the previous version. The two recent issues are Dropbox and now the in-app restore button. When you have to wait 12 days+, I would like a greater degree of certainty releases wont be rejected.
This are Apple guidelines,
https://developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/guidelines.html
Bare in mind that if apple wants to be stubborn with some things, they will find a way to make you change what they want. Dropbox problem was resolved, and IAP restore button is mandatory though.
Related
I have uploaded a build 4 months ago, and this is my fifth update. All builds approved seamlessly before, however surprisingly apple gave me today surprise reason of City and Profession(from signup form). Now as I don't have any choice, I made some major changes :(
My issue is, why this issue came suddenly, though apple takes such a long tenure of checking and validation(4 days in my case) also we are pledging good amount, unlike android which is far faster and convenient.
Or should I consider, apple indeed failed to work as per their own guidelines at initial level and troubling developers
#iOS developers please comment
It is a common occurrence for Apple to miss something that violates the guidelines initially and reject an app later because of it. I've personally seen a reputable app get rejected for the app icon even though that icon had been in use for months prior to the rejection.
You have to realize that app reviews are done by humans and not nearly as automated as the play store review process. Humans are prone to error and bias. You may have one reviewer that says an aspect of your app follows the guidelines, while another disagrees. You may have a reviewer that doesn't notice an issue at first, but does months later.
The review process can be annoying and inconsistent but it does help Apple to enforce some level of quality in the App Store.
Back in iOS 5 days Newsstand-Apps needed to have a subscription option. Also if the app only offers free issues, there had to be at least a free subscription.
after downloading a bunch of apps from the iOS app store (newsstand section), many of them don't include a option to subscribe. Does Apple accept Newsstand-Apps that don't offer subscriptions?
i can't find any hints in the documentation that handle this topic?
anybody knows whats the current state of this "issue" ?
Yes. There are a lot of Newsstand which do not require subscription. The same topic is discussed here. You can even get a tutorial to develop free newsstand app here.
Hope this helps. Thanks.
I think so apple accepts coz in one of app c&en developed by me doesn't have any free subscription, but app already provide free toc. You can check that app on App Store.
C&EN
I'm developing an iOS app and I'm not sure if some of the things I've done will be approved by Apple. Sometimes the reasons of rejections are very hard to predict and I'd like to know if something is wrong earlier.
Does it make sense to submit an unfinished app to Apple Store with a release date couple months in the future just to get some valuable feedback from Apple? I'm pretty sure they'll reject such an app, because they don't allow beta versions to be submitted to Apple Store. But, will they provide me some valuable feedback, that certain parts of the app or of the implementation need to be changed for the app to be approved when it's finished? Or, will they just reject it because it's not finished and won't provide any feedback about the already implemented parts?
Thanks,
Michal
Tricky. In my experience, if they reject it, they'll reject it for the first problem they find. They won't give you a list of reasons. They won't review it thoroughly once they've seen a reason to say no.
So, while I can't see any harm in doing it, there's no guarantee you'll be rejected in a way that gives useful feedback. More likely they'll pick you up on a simple point, and you'll be no wiser.
Updated
Plus, bear in mind, the review system isn't wholly consistent. I've had apps accepted by one reviewer, only to be rejected next time because the later reviewer is more thorough. You could have your alpha app accepted, only to see the polished version rejected after months of work.
A better approach might be to discuss the specific rule you might be breaking on the Apple Dev Forum.
Prior approval of an app, or a type of app, creates no precedent for future app approvals. Developers have submitted bug fix updates and had that app update rejected for violating some App store rule or guideline completely unrelated to the changes.
However an app rejection will give you valuable feedback. So if you think your app is on the edge of acceptability, a rejection might provide useful information regarding the risk of continued development.
For any submission, you need to make sure the app won't be rejected outright for bugs or crashes or other reasons unrelated to the feedback you are seeking.
And if you are a featured high profile or famous developer, then Apple might contact you regarding feedback on your apps under development.
it's almost never checked for critical bugs, it's checked for using private APIs, breaking license agreements and so on.
I recently got a phone call from Apple saying they would reject our app since there's a problem with the metadata. I asked whether there's a problem with the app itself and she said she doesn't know because she's not part of the review team. She said it should be ok.
So I changed my metadata and resubmit the app, and the status now is in review. According to itunesconnect programmer guide, they will reuse the binary. Does that mean the binary is good? Is it possible that they will take a look at the app again and reject me for some reasons other than they specified in the resolution centre?
I know this is a question that probably only apple can answer, but this is our first app so i don't really know how it works. I asked apple but they didn't tell me anything.
You do not need to upload new binary. They will review it again and approve it (or reject for other reason). It took only few hours in my case. But you can't be sure the binary has already been checked. Maybe they only did the metadata so far and will check the binary after your metadata correction. Anyway, no need to upload anything now.
Usually reviewers stop their review process as soon as they find an issue. This means that the metadata rejection can be the first of a longer list (hopefully no!) or that they reviewed your whole app and found the only issue at metadata level only: in such case fixing your metadata should be enough.
Recently I saw one of my apps rejected due to a mistake in adding an In App Purchase (basically the app was referring to an IAP still not in iTunes). After fixing it (no binary change, just adding the "in app") they found an issue in the app this time and then the binary was submitted. It would have been quite easier for me to know of the two issues together and fix them once, instead the triple-trip delayed my final app submission by 10 extra days (consider 5 days between two consecutive reviews)
From my experience, it doesn't always mean the binary is good. They may have very well reached the point of checking metadata and found an issue without testing the binary itself. Expect the Unexpected with Apple.
This is due to metadata information, no need to upload new binary. They will review it again and approve it (or reject for other reason). In my case, I was using location in background mode but in my Application description did not include the required "battery use" disclaimer, I changed the meta data (Application description only) according to apple message. It took only few hours (hardly 4 hours) and application was live. I was socked :) because some people was saying, It will take upto 7 days(as apple normal process).
Following was reason for app reject in my case(Below was the mail, I received from Apple)
From Apple
* 2.16 - Multitasking Apps may only use background services for their
intended purposes: VoIP, audio playback, location, task completion,
local notifications, etc.
2.16 Details
Your app uses the Location Background mode but does not include the
required "battery use" disclaimer in your Application Description.
Next Steps
Please add the following disclaimer to your Application Description:
"Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically
decrease battery life."
Please see the app store screenshot for confirm.
In my experience, they reject the app as soon as they find a reason and they won't review it any further until next submission. So if the metadata is rejected it does not mean that they have approved the binary.
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Can anybody help me out to know the possible reasons for which Apple store can reject or raise objection to submit any iPhone application.
Here are possible reasons (unofficial, from here):
Vibration. It is not permitted to use continuous vibration in your apps - short bursts as warnings is all that is allowed. Don’t bother trying to set up a timer to keep the vibration going, it will cause your app to be rejected.
Linking to private frameworks. This is obvious, but somehow in playing around with stuff we had linked to the MoviePlayer.framework. That’s a no-no, and cost us about ten days while we unlinked that framework, recompiled, and then resubmitted.
Improper handling of editing in tableview cells. Also obvious, but be aware that if you enable table cell editing, you’ll have to manually specify which cells should respond to editing controls and which should not. We had some random prefs cells in one of our early apps that were able to be swiped to bring up a ‘delete’ badge. Of course it didn’t do anything, but Apple justly considered this poor design and rejected our app.
Icons. Make sure the 57 pixel icon is identical to the 512 pixel version. Also, use a different icon if you are creating ‘lite’ and ‘pro’ versions of your app (i.e., free and paid). Using the same icon for both sends your app straight to … you guessed it … the bin.
Copying existing functionality. This one is much more subtle and insidious, and has probably affected the great percentage of developers. In addition to the widely publicized Podcaster debacle, reports from user comments indicate that Apple is casting a wide net when looking for duplicated functionality. Mini web browsers, or apps that essentially show web pages, seem particularly vulnerable, even if they add new and/or useful functionality. Stay away from email clients as well.
Using appropriate keyboard type. If your app asks for a phone number or other numeral-only input and you present a keyboard that also includes the possibility of entering standard alpha-numeric input … yep. (Thanks Jeremy1026)
Version numbers. If your app is currently at version 0.99 or below, you’d better consider giving it a promotion as Apple seems to prefer 1.0 and above. One of ours was recently rejected for being .016, with a message suggesting that our version number wasn’t even numeric. When we resubmitted the same app from scratch as version 1.0, it went through.
Network Reachability. If your app requires any type of network access you need to make sure it works when that access isn't available. If it doesn't it will be rejected. Apple provides sample code to test this which you can use as-is in most cases: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/samplecode/Reachability/Introduction/Intro.html
And last, but not least:
Flatulence Don’t even try. ;-) UPDATE: sorry, this seems to be outdated by now. Apple makes a lot of money now with "fart apps": see this article.
Edit:
Here is a link to a recent article about ten iPhone Apps That Didn't Make Apple's App Store.
And a tip: Apple has a Mac app called Application Loader that you could install. Once you install it, it analyzes your app's zip file. It verifies all the certificates, icons, and other things are correct before submitting to Apple. Using the Application Loader minimizes your chances of app rejection.
Another interesting resource: App Store Roundtable: Transparency and the Approval System (appleblog.com)
Yet another edit:
New rules by February 2010: "No Swimsuits, No Skin, And No Innuendo" (source: TechCrunch article, Wobble author's blog)
By the way: during the iPhone 3.0 preview event (march 2009), an Apple spokesman told that 96% of all submitted application were approved.
Apple have now (as of 9th September 2010) published their official list of app store review guidelines:
appstore approval guidelines
(apple developer login required)
or a mirror here:
app store guidelines
Will apple want to create an app like that in the future? If (yes) reject.
Do you have a really awesome idea that apple may want to use in the future if(yes) reject
Here's the video of the SDK announcement that describes Apple published list of rejection criteria:
SDK Announcement
As others have noted, Apple also seem to have a bunch of other conditions that they don't publicise. Note that rejection notices are now covered by the NDA.
I can't confirm this but it makes sense, but people are reporting their apps being rejected for being too simple or too trivial.
Just got a bounce for handling network outages badly. If you connect to the network, be prepared to handle any error conditions that may come up.
My paid version of app was rejected by appstore.
After Purchasing and downloading app first screen was "User Agreement" and when user taps on " I agree" only then he is able to continue using app.
Apple described the reason of rejection "when user purchased app from appstore and download in phone then you must not restrict user to Agree with Agreement" instead display your agreement before downloading app in iTunes.
Amazingly, apps can get rejected for trying to keep their interface consistent with Apple's own apps. (ie, using pinch zoom/expand gestures)
There is a site I know which can help you generate great advertising ideas with iPhone. see this site:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/adpack/id359562015?mt=8
I submitted a paid app to app store but get rejected and i learned another possibility of app rejection
My app was Game Center enabled. When app starts first screen was login screen that prompt user to login through GameCenter to continue.
They rejected the app giving reason- As user will not be able to get services of your app unless he is not logged in with Game Center although he paid you to download app. You cannot restrict user to login through Game Center each time before app starts.
From 1st May,2013 onwards if we don't support iPhone 5, your app will be rejected.So iPhone 5 support is must.