An ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest rejection email looks as follows: ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest- Your app includes "<path/to/SDK>", which includes , an SDK that was identified in the documentation as a privacy-impacting third-party SDK. Starting February 12, 2025, if a new app includes a privacy-impacting SDK, or an app update adds a new privacy-impacting SDK, the SDK must include a privacy manifest file. Please contact the provider of the SDK that includes this file to get an updated SDK version with a privacy manifest. For more details about this policy, including a list of SDKs that are required to include signatures and manifests, visit: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. Glossary ITMS-91061: Missing privacy manifest: An email that includes the name and path of privacy-impacting SDK(s) with no privacy manifest files in your app bundle. For more information, see https://aninterestingwebsite.com/support/third-party-SDK-requirements. : The specified privacy-impacting SDK that doesn't include a privacy manifest file. If you are the developer of the rejected app, gather the name of the SDK from the email you received from Apple, then contact the SDK's provider for an updated version that includes a valid privacy manifest. After receiving an updated version of the SDK, verify the SDK includes a valid privacy manifest file at the expected location. For more information, see Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK. If your app includes a privacy manifest file, make sure the file only describes the privacy practices of your app. Do not add the privacy practices of the SDK to your app's privacy manifest. If the email lists multiple SDKs, repeat the above process for all of them. If you are the developer of an SDK listed in the email, publish an updated version of your SDK that includes a privacy manifest file with valid keys and values. Every privacy-impacting SDK must contain a privacy manifest file that only describes its privacy practices. To learn how to add a valid privacy manifest to your SDK, see the Additional resources section below. Additional resources Privacy manifest files Describing data use in privacy manifests Describing use of required reason API Adding a privacy manifest to your app or third-party SDK TN3182: Adding privacy tracking keys to your privacy manifest TN3183: Adding required reason API entries to your privacy manifest TN3184: Adding data collection details to your privacy manifest TN3181: Debugging an invalid privacy manifest

In this post, we'll share tips to help you submit apps that deliver original ideas to your users. When working on your app, focus on creating interesting, unique experiences that aren't already available. Apps that actively try to copy other apps won't pass review, and accounts that repeatedly submit copycat apps or attempt to impersonate a service will be closed. The rules that prevent copycat and impersonator apps from being distributed on the App Store are described in App Review Guideline 4.1: 4.1 Copycats (a) Come up with your own ideas. We know you have them, so make yours come to life. Don’t simply copy the latest popular app on the App Store, or make some minor changes to another app’s name or UI and pass it off as your own. In addition to risking an intellectual property infringement claim, it makes the App Store harder to navigate and just isn’t fair to your fellow developers. (b) Submitting apps which impersonate other apps or services is considered a violation of the Developer Code of Conduct and may result in removal from the Apple Developer Program.(c) You cannot use another developer’s icon, brand, or product name in your app’s icon or name, without approval from the developer. These requirements help make the App Store both a safe place for people to discover apps and a platform for all developers to be successful. Best Practices Here are three best practices that will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1: 1. Submit apps with unique content and features. People want apps that provide unique experiences. Find areas that aren't currently being served and build compelling apps for those audiences. Do: Create apps that provide a new experience or a unique spin on an existing concept. Design original, delightful interfaces that elegantly meet your user's needs. Don't: Don’t imitate the features and functionality of other apps. Don’t copy the look and feel of other apps, such as using an identical user interface design. 2. Make sure App Store metadata only contains relevant information and content you either own or have permission to use. The metadata provided in App Store Connect is used to populate your app's product page on the App Store. People rely on this metadata to learn about your app and what it has to offer. Leveraging the popularity of another brand or app, either by including irrelevant references or protected content, is misleading and won't help your app succeed. Do: Use engaging, descriptive language to describe your unique app. Create original content that best represents your app, such as screenshots showing the actual app in use. Don't: Don't use protected material you do not have the necessary permission to use, such as app icons that are similar to icons of a popular app. Don’t include irrelevant references, such as popular app names or trademarked terms, in any metadata fields. 3. Provide information that is authentic and verifiable. People want to know the developers behind their favorite apps are who they say they are. It's important to continually review and provide up-to-date information, including the developer or company name listed on your Apple Developer Program account, the Support URL listed on your app's product page, and other helpful information. This will enable your users to contact you when they need help and it will also hinder people who may try to impersonate you, your app, or your service. Do: Make sure all information, resources, and documentation related to your account and apps are current and accurate. Don't: Don’t provide inaccurate information or resources, such as directing people to outdated support pages. Don’t provide fraudulent documentation. Accounts that submit fraudulent documentation will be removed from the Apple Developer Program. Support Incorporating these best practices into your app's development will help you submit apps that follow App Review Guideline 4.1. If you need additional assistance, consider taking advantage of one of the following support options available from App Review: If your submission has been rejected, reply to the message from App Review in App Store Connect and request clarification. Request an App Review Appointment to discuss the results of our review. Appointments are subject to availability, and take place during local business hours in your region on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you believe your app follows the App Review Guidelines, consider submitting an appeal to the App Review Board. Resources Learn about foundational design principles from Apple designers and the developer community. Learn how to create engaging App Store product pages. Note that apps that violate intellectual property rights are subject to removal through the App Store Content Dispute process. If you believe an app on the App Store violates your intellectual property rights, you can submit a claim.

Re. APP ID 6758894172 This app was submitted on February 16, and since then it has been showing as waiting for review. I have contacted the support email multiple times as well as requesting the review to be expedited, but no response and no change in app status. Could you please investigate this matter and let me know what the issue is?

I successfully registered an account a few days ago and tested the app internally, but when I published the link, the application automatically expired. When I submitted it again, I received the message: "There was an error processing your request. Please try again later." I have contacted support but have not received a response. Case ID: 102861441465

Hi everyone, My app has been stuck in "In Review" status for over 20 days with no updates. I submitted the app on March 1, 2026, the status changed to "In Review" on March 4, 2026, and after that no changes. App ID: 6755649144 I also reached out to Apple Developer Support on March 15 but haven't received any response. Support Case ID: 102845096494 Could someone from App Review please take a look? Also any advice on how to move things forward would be appreciated. Thank you!

New member here, please be gentle :) I am getting ready for App Review for my first iOS app, and I am curious if ANY level of obfuscation is allowed? Say I had a drone controller App, I might have something like this: struct Drone{ var name : String var forwardVelocity : Double var lateralVelocity : Double var verticalVelocity : Double var receivedSignalStrength : Int var rssThreshhold : Int var gpsCoordinates : Data func reverseCourse(){ //do a 180 //... } } func onUpdateReceivedSignalStength(drone:Drone){ if drone.receivedSignalStrength < drone.rssThreshhold{ drone.reverseCourse() } } But I don't really want to make it easy for someone to pull the strings from the binaries and try and copy my work. I realize it's pretty much inevitable, but it seems sensible to protect my IP as much as I can. Is something like this acceptable? struct D{ //obfuscated Drone var parameter1 : String //name var parameter2 : Double //forwardVelocity var parameter3 : Double //lateralVelocity var parameter4 : Double //verticalVelocity var parameter5 : Int //receivedSignalStength var parameter6 : Int //rssThreshhold var parameter7 : Data //gpsCoordinates func funcSeven(){ //do a 180 //... } } func funcSix(d:D){ //check if signal strength requires a course reversal if d.parameter5 < d.parameter6{ // signal strength less than threshhold d.funcSeven() //reverse course } } The comments make it clear what the similarly-named parameters are doing, and what the functions do. I fully understand that something like the below is a no-no, just writing it made my eyes bleed: struct DDF{ var SXR : String var KYV : Double var GTC : Double var DKY : Double var ENY : Int var WKN : Int var DJV : Data func BDO(){ //do a 180 //... } } func PUL(KHY:DDF){ if KHY.ENY < KHY.WKN{ KHY.BDO() } } Is there any level of IP protection through obscurity that is acceptable? I realize that the more genericized the variable and function names are, the harder it is to debug, but that might be an acceptable trade-off against IP protection. To be clear, my app isn't anything to do with drones, this was just a vehicle to ask the question with. My code isn't currently at all obfuscated, everything is in clear terms, but I am wondering if I could/should obfuscate the critical parts before App Review and release? The reason for my concern is that a key feature of the app is something very novel, and I have filed a patent application for it. The patent (if granted) won't be granted for 18-24 months, so anything I can do to protect the IP seems like the right thing to do. As a complete newcomer to releasing Apps, I have no experience at all, so I would be grateful for any help/steers from those that do have experience in trying to protect their IP while not making life difficult for the App Review team. Thanks in advance! 6502A

Hello, I would like to request an escalation regarding my app review status. My app (Apple ID: 6758756966) was submitted for review on February 24 and has been in “Waiting for Review” status for an extended period, with no progress so far. I have contacted Apple Developer Support multiple times (Case IDs: 102840237455, 102840079647, 102846664998, 102841727941) starting from March 9, but unfortunately, I have not received any response to any of these requests. I have also submitted three expedited review requests, but none of them have been acknowledged. Could you please: • confirm whether the submission is still active in the queue • check if there are any issues preventing it from moving forward • and assist in escalating the review if possible If any additional information is required from my side, I am ready to provide it immediately. Thank you very much for your time and support.

Enviei meu app (xek) pra revisão desde terça feira. Recebi a solicitação de ajustes na quarta e depois de ajusta-lo na quarta mesmo, ele ficou travado em “Aguardando revisão” desde então. Um app simples que está no processo de liberação desde terça e desde quarta sem nenhum retorno da Apple, isso eh normal? Tenho outro app que nunca demorou tanto nas aprovações. mandei mensagem por outros canais e nada. Vamos ver se por aqui tenho algum retorno.

I am having issues getting feedback from Apple review to understand whether the game I created is not unique enough or whether it is something else. My game was inspired by Wordle and uses the idea of marking letters as green/yellow to provide hints, but in my view (and the view of all the testers I've had), creates extremely different and unique experience, which is the core goal of guideline 4.1. Core gameplay: The game is real-time multiplayer (or vs an adaptive difficulty computer that mimics human play), where two players each choose a starting hint word, then based on those hint words (yellow/green letters), in 3 minutes, need to find as many unique words that fit those hints. You see what the player guesses and can't guess the same words. Each word gives 1 point, but the last word and 1 bonus word give +5 points. At 120 seconds, a third hint is provided that limits the number of possible options (making it more likely to reach the very final word with +5 bonus or the bonus word if it wasn't guessed yet). There's a rating system, a customisable reward firework system (which you can show off in multiplayer matches). The game is in Lithuanian only, not targeted globally. When playing with another player, there's a voice chat possibility (initial idea was to create a fun way for friends to have quick voice chats daily who like word games). Screenshots used in store listing attached at the end of the post. App review responses I have had close to 10 back-and forth messages with Apple review, trying to ask which parts are the issue (or whether it's the whole concept of the game), but the responses have always been very abstract and vague, no matter how much I ask for specifics, mentioning metadata and in one message, the screenshots. An example response: Regarding guideline 4.1, the app and its metadata contain content that resembles Wordle without obtaining the necessary authorization. To resolve this issue, it would be beneficial to demonstrate your relationship with any third-party brand owners represented in the app. Additionally, the app’s metadata includes third-party content that resembles a popular app or game already available on the App Store. This content may have been sourced from a developer’s website, distribution source, or a third-party platform. Changes I have made so far/things I checked: No mentions of Wordle anywhere in the metadata The colors in the game are not the same ones that Wordle uses Changed the letter elements to be different from Wordle (circles, not squares). Made the screenshots focus on the fully unique items first (the fireworks system, the multiplayer aspect) Sent video recordings to Apple Review to demonstrate how different the gameplay is compared to Wordle Repeated multiple times there is no association with Wordle. Asked if the name "Žodlė" is the piece of metadata that is causing the issue (I would consider renaming if it is) - but got no reaction to this. I have also submitted a formal appeal through the App Review Board more than a week ago but have not yet received a response. For reference, the same app was recently approved and published on Google Play without any copycat concerns. This has been a hobby project of mine for learning about creating and publishing an iOS app, but has turned into something that quite a few people enjoy, so I would like to make sure that I'm not giving up too early trying to publish it. Would love to hear the opinion of someone with more experience on whether there's a chance to get this published or whether any kind of a game that involves guessing words with yellow/green hints would be considered a copycat of Wordle.

Hello everyone, My app (ID: 6756186616) was submitted on Mar 15, 2026, and has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for over 17 days. I contacted Developer Support (case #20000111565861) and received confirmation that it's proceeding normally, but no update since. On average, Apple reviews 90 percent of apps within 24 hours. However, there might be cases that need more review time, but mine exceeds two week. Any recent experiences with long queues? Thanks!

We are stuck in AppStoreConnect limbo. We have a new subscription group + two Subscriptions in Ready To Review state in appstoreconnect, but Apple Review rejected our latest app version because they weren't included with the version. Our app version has been rejected for a few issues before this which maybe broke something. When I go to edit the version, there is no Subscriptions & Purchases section to add them for review. I tried editing the subscriptions and subscription group localization to see if that got it out of Waiting For Review state or showed the version section but no luck. So we can't add the Subscriptions for review and we are rejected from App Review if we don't. I submitted an Apple support email 8 days ago and haven't received any response. Does anyone know of a way to get this unblocked?

As shown in the image, my application was working normally, then suddenly this happened. I've sent an email to support but haven't received a response yet. Has anyone else experienced this?

Hi everyone, I’m stuck in the App Review process with In-App Purchases (subscriptions) and would really appreciate some guidance. Situation: I have an app with subscriptions (Premium Monthly and Premium Yearly) Both subscriptions are in “Waiting for Review” status I submitted a new app version for review Issue: The app was rejected with: “subscriptions were unavailable at time of review” Before that, I also received a rejection saying the reviewer could not locate the In-App Purchases. What’s confusing: Subscriptions are not yet approved (still “Waiting for Review”) In the current app version page, I do not see the “In-App Purchases” section at all, so I cannot confirm whether they are attached to this build The app correctly loads products via StoreKit, but returns empty when products are not available Questions: Do subscriptions need to be approved before they can be used during app review? Should I reject the current version and resubmit while manually attaching the subscriptions? Is it expected that the “In-App Purchases” section is missing from the version page in this case? Has anyone experienced this “subscriptions unavailable” issue while IAPs are still “Waiting for Review”? I feel like I’m stuck in a loop where: The app needs IAP to pass review But IAP are not available yet during review Any advice on the correct process would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello, since yesterday I've been seeing this error that prevents me from submitting my app for review: "To submit new apps or avoid potential payment blocks, add compliance information for Model Reporting Rules for Digital Platforms (MRDP)." Despite the cryptic information, I've already found the "Model Reporting Rules for Digital Platforms" Compliance documents in the Business section of my account and I've already declared multiple times that no, none of my apps provide personal services in any country or region. And despite that, I still see the damn error. What gives? Is it the same issue I see other users reporting about this DAC7 error? I'm based in the UK. The app is meant to be released in the anglosphere territories of UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. I've managed to submit one version for review but I hadn't linked "In-App Purchases and Subscription" in the review page of the distribution tab, so I had to make a new build to add that and re-submit. This is how I got stuck. Any feedback appreciated. Thanks!

I am unable to submit my app EggZap for review. When I navigate to my iOS App Version 1.0 submission page, I can make all edits and save successfully — screenshots, description, keywords, contact info all save without issue. However, as soon as I add a build to the submission and click Save, the button turns red with a ! error indicator and will not save. Removing the build allows the page to save normally again. The build (Build 51) is fully validated and shows as Complete in TestFlight. It is fully playable via TestFlight on my device. I have tried multiple browsers on multiple devices with the same result. Browser console shows a 409 Conflict error from the PATCH endpoint when saving with a build attached. I have already contacted Apple Developer Support (Case ID: 102858642503) but wanted to reach out to the community as well. I have seen other posts about this same issue but no real answer on how it was fixed. Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestions appreciated.

I am unable to submit my app EggZap for review. When I navigate to my iOS App Version 1.0 submission page, I can make all edits and save successfully — screenshots, description, keywords, contact info all save without issue. However, as soon as I add a build to the submission and click Save, the button turns red with a ! error indicator and will not save. Removing the build allows the page to save normally again. The build (Build 51) is fully validated and shows as Complete in TestFlight. It is fully playable via TestFlight on my device. I have tried multiple browsers on multiple devices with the same result. Browser console shows a 409 Conflict error from the PATCH endpoint when saving with a build attached. I have already contacted Apple Developer Support (Case ID: 102858642503) but wanted to reach out to the community as well. I have seen other posts about this same issue but no real answer on how it was fixed. Has anyone experienced this? Any suggestions appreciated.

Hi everyone, I am experiencing an unusual delay with my app update. I submitted version 1.0.3 of my app, "MarketNow", on March 12, 2026, but it has been stuck in the "Waiting for Review" status for 9 days now. Typically, updates are reviewed within 24–48 hours, so this 9-day wait is quite concerning. I have already sent a formal inquiry through App Store Connect but haven't received a specific update yet. Is anyone else seeing long wait times for updates this week? Could this be related to a backlog before the April SDK deadline, or is there a known issue with the Finance category review queue? Any insights would be helpful. Thanks!

Hi, I’m hoping someone can help clarify the correct entitlement format for the Enhanced Security capability in a macOS App Store build. Context Our app is a sandboxed macOS app built with Xcode 26.4. We enabled the Enhanced Security capability in Signing & Capabilities, and we configured the entitlements based on the current documentation. What’s confusing me The Xcode 26.4 release notes say apps that already adopted Enhanced Security should remove: com.apple.security.hardened-process.enhanced-security-version com.apple.security.hardened-process.platform-restrictions and replace them with: com.apple.security.hardened-process.enhanced-security-version-string with value 1 com.apple.security.hardened-process.platform-restrictions-string with value 2 Reference: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/xcode-release-notes/xcode-26_4-release-notes The entitlement reference pages also seem consistent with that: https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/com.apple.security.hardened-process.enhanced-security-version-string https://aninterestingwebsite.com/documentation/bundleresources/entitlements/com.apple.security.hardened-process.platform-restrictions-string So our app currently uses the new -string entitlements with values "1" and "2". Our App Review rejection said: The app incorrectly implements sandboxing, or it contains one or more entitlements with invalid values. Entitlement "com.apple.security.hardened-process.enhanced-security-version-string" value must be boolean and true. Entitlement "com.apple.security.hardened-process.platform-restrictions-string" value must be boolean and true. That’s the part I can’t reconcile with the documentation. Questions For a Mac App Store submission built with Xcode 26.4, should these two entitlements use the new string-based form, or Boolean true? If the expected format has changed, is there any updated guidance beyond the Xcode 26.4 release notes and current entitlement reference? If Apple staff or anyone familiar with this can clarify what format is currently expected, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

Hello, I submitted my app for review and it was rejected under Guideline 4.2. I believe the rejection was a misunderstanding of my app's functionality, so I filed an appeal through the Resolution Center explaining why I believe my app meets the minimum functionality requirements. It's been passed almost two weeks since I filed the appeal but I've received no response or update on the status. My app is directly tied to an event launching next week, and without a resolution, I will miss the launch window entirely. I'd greatly appreciate any visibility into where my appeal stands, or any guidance on what steps I can take to move this forward. Thank you for your time.

I've been stuck on Guideline 2.3 for two weeks now and I'm running out of ideas. My app is iPhone-only (UIDeviceFamily = [1]) and has been on the App Store since January. Version 2.1.9 passed review fine. The only change in 2.1.10 is adding two DeviceActivity extensions — a DeviceActivityMonitor and a DeviceActivityReport — for screen time-based stress detection. Every build since then gets rejected with the same message: "The UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities key in the Info.plist is set up in such a way that the app will not install on the device used in review." Review devices: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPad Air M3. Here's what I've tried across 13+ submissions: UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities as ["arm64"] (array) — rejected Empty array [] — rejected Removed the key entirely — upload validation fails, Xcode re-injects arm64 anyway Post-build script to force ["arm64"] — rejected Dictionary format {"arm64": true} — rejected Added com.apple.developer.family-controls to extension entitlements — rejected Enabled Family Controls (Distribution) on extension bundle IDs — rejected Fixed CFBundleVersion mismatch between host app and extensions — rejected Set TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY=1 on all targets including extensions — rejected Tried GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE=YES with minimal plists — rejected Tried ExtensionKit type for the report extension — rejected In the exported IPA, every target has UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities = ["arm64"] and UIDeviceFamily = [1]. The entitlements, provisioning profiles, and code signing all look correct. arm64 is supported on every review device they listed. The previous version (2.1.9) without DeviceActivity extensions passes review with the exact same UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities and signing configuration. Has anyone shipped an app with DeviceActivityMonitor + DeviceActivityReport extensions successfully? Is there something specific about these extension types that affects device capability validation? Or is there a known issue with the review system and FamilyControls extensions? I've replied to the review team multiple times asking which specific capability is causing the failure, but the response is always the same generic template. Any guidance would be really appreciated — I'm completely blocked on shipping this update.

My app has the phrase GPT in it as it is an app that runs private open source offline AI models (for free) on the iPhone. The app is called LiberaGPT. I have released my first version without issue and it was distributed to the Mainland China store. I made some small updates including accessibility features etc and released my next version. The reviewer is now accusing my app of using OpenAI's ChatGPT even though they can see the source code and my app is entirely offline using local AI inference rather than cloud inference. It is now a back and forth of me explaining over and over that my app is nothing to do with ChatGPT that GPT is a term used in the field of AI to describe certain types of LLM's and is nothing to do with 'ChatGPT' which is a brand. It is like saying you can't say 'AI' because of 'OpenAI' this makes no sense. I am literally at my witts end as I've poured so much time and energy into developing this app and it is now available on the app store but they won't let me update it and are essentially gaslighting me by saying that the term GPT cannot be used because it belongs to ChatGPT when it doesn't. There are numerous apps (including my previous version which ironically is live in the store that contain GPT in the app name without issue. GPT stands for 'Generative Pre-trained Transformer' and is a description of a technology not a brand. Is there anything I can do? No matter how many times I clarify, provide evidence, try to explain my position, they keep just copy and pasting the same response over and over that my app cannot be published in mainland China as OpenAI's ChatGPT is banned there and that my app is using OpenAI's ChatGPT in the software WHICH IT ISNT!!! THERE IS NO CLOUD DATA CONNECTION. Any help would be greatly appreciated, hopefully I don't pull all my hair out. Thanks, Stephen