iOS App Rejected from the App Store - Common Reasons and How to Fix Them

The Most Common Reasons for App Store Rejection

Apple has strict guidelines, and even small issues can result in rejection. The most common problems I see are:

• App crashes or bugs during testing
• Broken links or incomplete features
• Outdated SDKs or deprecated APIs
• Missing privacy policy or incorrect permissions
• Login issues (especially if reviewers can't access your app)

In many cases, the rejection message doesn't clearly explain the root cause, which makes it harder to diagnose without experience.

App Crashes During Review

This is one of the most common reasons for rejection. The app might work fine in your testing, but fail on Apple's devices or under different conditions.

Typical causes include:

• Uninitialised data
• Network timeouts
• Differences between development and production environments

If your app is crashing, the first step is to reproduce the issue and check crash logs. Sometimes this requires connecting the app to Xcode and analysing device logs directly.

Guideline 2.1 - App Completeness Issues

Apple often rejects apps under "Guideline 2.1 - App Completeness". This usually means something doesn't work as expected.

Common examples:

• Buttons that don't do anything
• Placeholder content left in the app
• Features that require backend services which are unavailable

Even small issues like a missing image or a non-responsive screen can trigger this.

Login and Account Issues

If your app requires login, Apple needs a working test account.

Apps are often rejected because:

• No login details were provided
• The account expired or was disabled
• Two-factor authentication blocks access

This is one of the quickest fixes once identified.

Privacy and Permissions Problems

Apple is strict about privacy. If your app requests permissions (camera, location, etc.), you must explain why.

Common mistakes include:

• Missing usage descriptions in Info.plist
• Descriptions that are too vague
• Requesting permissions that aren't clearly needed

How to Fix and Resubmit Your App

The key is to address the root cause properly rather than guessing.

A typical process is:

• Review Apple's rejection message carefully
• Reproduce the issue locally
• Fix the underlying problem (not just the symptom)
• Test thoroughly on real devices
• Resubmit with clear notes explaining the fix

When you resubmit, it helps to explain exactly what was fixed. This reduces the chance of repeated rejection.

Why This Happens So Often

Many apps are built and then left for months or years without updates. During that time:

• iOS versions change
• SDK requirements are updated
• Backend services evolve or break

So when you finally submit an update, multiple issues appear at once.