Why Apple/Google Rejected Your App & How to Fix Policy Violations Fast

Just imagine! You’ve spent months designing and coding a complex app that is expected to cross hundreds of downloads and the next morning, your mailbox got bombarded with an app rejection email. According to research stats, Apple rejected more than 2 million apps from the App Store and Google rejected 1.75 million apps from the Play Store. That app rejection phrase sounds like a death note to a developer. Primarily, the core reasons why Apple or Google may reject your apps are related to policy violations. The reasons can range from simple minor metadata issues to complex privacy guidelines. In this guide, I’ll thoroughly cover the top 10 reasons for app rejection, common mistakes developers make, why Apple/Google rejected your app & how to fix policy violations fast with a final, quick resubmission checklist.

Quick Answer

Apple and Google may reject your app due to breaches of policies related to app completeness, metadata, incomplete information, privacy & data collection, minimum functionality, IAP violations, misleading or spam content, IP and copycats, UGC, software requirements and content rating. You can fix policy violations by reading the exact guideline citation, isolating root cause from surface symptoms, auditing privacy and data declarations, fixing payment or login conflicts, testing on real devices and submitting with clear notes.

A Quick Look at the Top 10 App Rejection Reasons

Considering the millions of apps rejected by the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, it is estimated that nearly 23% of iOS apps and 8% of Android apps got rejected in recent times.

Before we deep dive into app rejection reasons, let’s have a look at the side-by-side comparison of the top 10 reasons against Apple and Google policy, along with common estimated rejection rates.

Understanding Why Apple/Google Rejects Your App

Both Google and Apple reject apps when developers fail to meet their standard app store guidelines. The common reasons include metadata, IAP violations, missing review credentials, misleading content, and privacy and data mismatches. Each rejection results in a temporary delay and allows you to fix the problem with respect to their policy gaps in your app.

Trango Tech has successfully developed 500+ mobile iOS and Android applications with a 98% partner win rate. Our mobile application developers understand Apple and Google submission guidelines deeply and have elaborated on 10 common rejection reasons in simple words below.

1. App completeness & metadata

The main factor contributing to your app rejection falls under clause number 2: Performance of Apple and Metadata of Google. At the time of submission, make sure your app has complete and accurate details, app descriptions, does not have spammy keywords, bugs are tested, has relatable content, a fully functional URL and meets the live experience needs to ensure compliance.

2. More information needed

Next comes the lack of data. When users don’t find the relevant information, have difficulty using the app or finding tools, when backend services are working or when the app asks for irrelevant hardware access, these factors irritate users and may repel them. All data throughout the app should be recognizable; an easy-to-find feature and visually appealing design help to gain users’ trust and maintain the security of users.

3. Privacy & data collection

The app may have failed to meet data accuracy and secure environment protocols. The possible reasons include negligence of guidelines such as how the app connects with 3rd party tools, how the data is collected and stored, the confirmation before sharing users’ data, and clear demonstration of data retention and deletion policies. Apps failing to meet these requirements are seen as deceptive as per policies.

4. Min. functionality

Your app should meet the functionality standards and user expectations, not like a thin wrapped website in a sea of native iOS or Android features. Neither Apple nor Google allows crashing apps, running with no purpose or offering poor performance. Your application should provide a unique value, as there is no place for copycats on both stores. Apple also enforces the need for different app submissions to respective storefronts. For example, a simple book app should be submitted on the Apple Books Store, not the App Store.

5. In-app purchase (IAP) violations

Both Apple and Google offer native billing systems. If your app redirects to 3rd-party payment gateways or external payment links for transactions, then it leads to an IAP violation. However, Google may allow certain eligible countries to connect alternative payment gateways due to legal settlements. Meanwhile, Apple mandates the need for an IAP system for features like unlocking content, tips, digital gift cards and loot boxes inside iOS. As per clause 3.1.1 (a), US developers can ask permission to apply an external link to purchase a digital service or content.

6. Misleading/content spam

App spammy behavior, misleading or duplicate content leads to deception and ultimately app rejection. Repeated app behavior violates the Apple Developer Program and unclear 3rd-party SDKs, ads and services lead to fraudulent behavior, which Google forbids. In simple words, do not keyword-stuff in titles and descriptions, and do not promote false advertising; otherwise, both stores’ actions would be penalized.

7. IP and copycats

Apple and Google stores discourage the same ideology apps. Apple rejected these apps under clause 4.1 Copycats and Google under the impersonation & intellectual property policy. Make sure your app adds a unique user interface and new value to the world that makes it different from other existing apps. You are not allowed to use other apps’ icons, images or product names without their consent.

8. User Generated Content

All apps should be two-sided, while your services make sure to provide users with rightful channels. Features like leaving reviews for a product or service, a help desk to contact the team behind it, and options to report content due to inappropriate factors make the user feel connected, valued and heard. Apps with objectionable content, such as pornographic content, bullying or physical threats, may result in the deletion of the app without prior notice.

9. Software requirements

The app should meet the requirements of current times, such as complying with Apple and Google Store updated policies, support architectural needs and proper usage of hardware features such as the camera or Bluetooth. All Android apps are required to target a recent API level, as this software protects users’ data security and overall improves the quality of the application.

10. Content rating

Apple encourages clause 5.1 Privacy, as rating is tied to age suitability. In contrast, Google enforces content rating to meet the IARC (The International Age Rating Coalition) standard to exist on Google Play. In both cases, incomplete or conflicting ratings and questionnaires related to open internet access or chat features may violate the store content rating policies.

What You Need to Know Before Fixing Policy Violations

Before you submit the appeal to Google Play and the Apple App Store to fix policy violations, make sure to meet the following required prerequisites for submission.

• To manage policy violations and appeals, you must have an account with full administrative credentials for both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
• Make sure to keep the rejection documentation or policy issue in the exact wording or the same notice sent by either store. Find the iOS notice in the Resolution Center and the Android app notice in the Policy Center dashboard.
• Keep a record of visual evidence of policy correction, either in the form of screenshots or recordings. This proof should clearly demonstrate why your app behaves in a certain way and the compliance resolution.
• Update the app’s privacy policies and store listing compliance asset materials that violate those specific rules and guidelines, belonging to either data safety, UGC or terms and services.
• Provide access and contact info to the respective platform testing team, such as usernames or passwords. This way, reviewers can seamlessly access your app to test functionalities.

How to Fix Policy Violations Fast?

To fix Google Play and Apple App Store policy violations, look for app behavior that violates policy regulations, data declaration and your position. In order to effectively address policy violations fast, follow this 6-step resolution method.

Step 1: Read the Exact Guideline Citation

Instead of blind guessing at possible reasons, go through the guideline citation for righteous correction. Open the Apple review guideline for developers and find the clause matching your exact policy violation factor. Review one section at a time, including safety, performance, business, design or legal issues.

Open the Google Play Console developer policy center and find the violations of their policies. The policy parameters include restricted content, impersonation, intellectual property, privacy, deceptive and device abuse, use of SDKs in apps, monetization and ads, store listings and promotions, spam, functionality and user experience, malware, mobile unwanted software, families, enforcement, and other programs.

Step 2: Isolate Root Cause vs. Surface Symptoms

Often reviewers highlight a problem that underlies the architecture instead of surface symptoms. Apple is likely to reject your app due to broken links or incomplete data; upon root cause analysis, you’ll find the problem is more related to the unhandled API error that breaks the user interface than actually incomplete data.

The best practice is to check server logs at the same time as reviewers test your app. Diagnose and track the IP ranges coming from Apple’s Cupertino and Google’s Mountain View.

Step 3: Audit Privacy and Data Declarations

Users’ information privacy and data declarations are the most common factors in app rejection from Play and App Stores. Google’s Data Safety form and Apple’s App Privacy Nutrition Labels mandate the need for data transparency. In case of integration with external tools, your app should clearly mention that the respective SDKs collect data for connection.

If your app needs access to phone hardware or sensors, such as the camera, microphone, Bluetooth, contacts or location. It should be clearly mentioned in the store listing, privacy policies and inside the app user interface.

Step 4: Fix Payment or Login Conflicts

If your app restricts itself behind the payment wall or login friction, it will definitely be rejected by both Play and the App Store. Build a test review profile and remove profile authentication processes for this profile, such as MFA or phone number verification sign-in. Just provide a bypass code for verification; this way reviewers can easily log in without hitting verification loops.

Suppose your app includes premium features or functionality, such as subscriptions, game levels or unlocking advanced features. Make sure it meets the in-app purchase billing system unless your app offers a physical product or service. The pay screen should clearly display service pricing, subscription terms and restore purchases if applicable.

Step 5: Test on Real Devices

The professional viewers and app testing simulators run tests on real devices. Ensure the app is cleanly installed, and clear the cache or history for seamless results. Before the app is submitted for review, test app compatibility on different devices and use TestFlight for beta testing.

The Apple reviewers use the most recent version of Internet Protocol, IPv6. Make sure your app smoothly handles IPv6 traffic and doesn’t crash during the review phase.

Step 6: Submit with Clear Notes

While resubmitting your app to the store review, clearly mention in the note which section is met with evidence. For example, “To resolve Section 2, clause 2.1 app completeness issue, we’ve updated the trial credentials and removed extra background placeholder text.”

As proof, add supporting documentation and a video showing the user flow on a real device. Thus, assuring recurrence of such circumstances is not likely to happen again and paste the video link in the App Review notes.

| Bonus Read: The complete guide to the mobile app development process

Common Mistakes Developers Make After Rejection

Here, we’ve listed the common mistakes that developers usually make after app rejection. Have a quick look at each to avoid repeated errors and prevent delayed results.

1. Don’t underestimate the rejection details, as making irrelevant changes won’t help your app resubmission approval.
2. Do not resubmit the application without testing it on different devices. Address and resolve each newly detected error.
3. Always document what you’ve changed so far, following the policy guidelines, and add it to the app review notes.
4. The simulators and human reviewers thoroughly test the app; frequently submitting without completely fixing the issues will ultimately lead to rejection.
5. Sometimes, developers confuse the surface symptoms with actual architectural problems. To fix a certain problem, it is important not to misunderstand the guideline scope and relevance.
6. Do not let your months of development struggle turn to dust by delaying the resubmission response, as after some time, the review window expires.
7. Mistakes can be made by any of us. Do not unquestioningly trust the rejection reason; conduct tests and identify the root cause of the reviewer’s decision. Formally settle the resolution process.
8. Sometimes, developers assume that similar niche apps bypass the same policies, but in reality, this mindset doesn’t help.

Expert Tips: How to Avoid Future App Store Rejections

Our practitioners follow these 7 strategies to avoid app store rejections. For a smooth app release on app stores and the submission process, I’ve outlined below a prevention plan with those proactive approaches.

1. Before sending the app to the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, double-check the submission review checklist.
2. As most apps get rejected due to negligence in privacy compliance, make a separate checklist related to privacy rules and check it before submitting.
3. To eliminate the possibility of app rejection, stay updated on Play Store and App Store policies.
4. Try to build personal and cooperative relationships with the review teams to prevent future rejections.
5. Test your device compatibility by using TestFlight for beta testing and internal testing to validate policies and ensure compliance.
6. Make a habit of documenting everything: all testing, submissions, and practices. Documentation practices speed up future reviews.
7. It is highly recommended to read the Apple and Google official guides before submitting an application to avoid any delays.

App Resubmissions Checklist

At the end, mark the app rejection fix and submission list belonging to pre-fix, violation identification, fix implementation, submission preparation, post-submission and prevention checklist. Go through the following checklist points for app rejection fixes and resubmission.

• In the pre-fix checklist, check documentation related to problems and access readiness.
• The violation identification checklist should categorize problems into technical, policy and user experience points.
• The fix implementation checklist should verify all highlighted rejection reasons along with tests and verifications.
• The submission preparation checklist should contain ready notes and updated app versions.
• The post-submission checklist should contain app monitoring status along with follow-ups.
• The prevention checklist should contain ongoing compliance practices and implementation.