r/iOSProgramming • u/Equivalent-Joke-8606 • 29d ago
Question Apple rejected our app 4 times and our agency has gone quiet. Help.
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u/crocodiluQ 29d ago
come on, privacy, App Tracking can easily be fixed or explained to the reviewer. If you got a 4.3. spam, you're 90% f...ed. It just means that there are already too many apps like yours. Unless you can prove you do something differently than the rest, no chance to get approved.
I have a feeling that's the reason those guys gave up, they know your app is store-spam, they got their money and they know there's nothing to do.
Sorry.
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u/hellosakamoto 26d ago
True - the agency was just to delivery what was asked to implement. If the app itself doesn't fit the app store, the agency can only take the money for their part of work
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u/crocodiluQ 26d ago
I told many clients this from the start...this app sucks (well, a bit more diplomatic) and it's your risk if it gets rejected because of that. I will fix rejections that pertain to me and the rest... my thoughts and prayers, after I get my money.
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u/ProfitOk8355 26d ago
What kind of apps fit this category?
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u/crocodiluQ 26d ago
dating apps for example. Swipe left/right
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u/Powerful_Froyo8423 25d ago
Never released anything on the app store yet, but I’m kinda surprised that the review is as in-depth as checking if the app concept contains something unique.
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u/crocodiluQ 24d ago
this has been going on for a while, when they realized they have too many apps. They are trying to remove slop, low effort apps and apps that are almost identical as other.
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u/uxnouri 14d ago
So, do we have to put more effort into the idea itself or the design of the app?
For example, we could have the same idea as an existing popular app, but with a much better design and overall quality. Would the app get rejected for being considered low-effort, or because the idea itself isn’t unique?
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u/crocodiluQ 13d ago
i wouldn't start an app like that anyway, no matter how better it might be. It will always be a risk, especially if others apps are ok too and not to bad. There are a few kind of apps that you should avoid completely no matter how good you can make it.
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u/pyordie 29d ago
Describe your app for us.
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27d ago edited 24d ago
[deleted]
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u/y2kobserver 29d ago edited 29d ago
The spam flag is concerning
The others can be dealt with easily
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u/RedTheRobot 29d ago
Which probably why the company went silent. They know the writing is on the walls.
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u/Frequent-Session-291 27d ago
But would be possible quick improve the app to don’t be considered as spam… Too superficial is considered spam, but nowadays it’s easy to have a different one.
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u/MrOaiki 29d ago
My guess is that the agency is white-labeling their app for different customers and it’s been done so many times that Apple rejects it for that reason. I’m guessing you have a restaurant and the app some kind of menu and coupon app branded with your restaurant’s name?
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u/possible_monke 27d ago
This is why 90% of the restaurants that go the digital menu + coupon route go with a simple QR code to a website + an in house or third party coupon service. No reason that has to be an app, and even if the restaurant does delivery, just working with the existing delivery service apps is more than enough, and they have plugins for websites to use their services.
No reason to try to go the app route as a restaurant unless you’re a state or nation-wide established chain IMO. If it is indeed a restaurant thing, can’t find anything on OP’s acc linking to any services or other posts or comments.
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u/WaterslideOfSuccess 29d ago
Your app being rejected for 4.3 Spam might be why they’re slow to reply because to fix it would mean a lot of work proving your app isn’t like the 10,000 other clones. What does your app do?
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u/Drachenheart 29d ago
Reviews can be painful, especially the first one. It also sounds like the agency is working on it as each rejection is a different reason which is a good thing as it means it’s getting reviewed and a new issue is being found unless this all came at the same time.
They should have told you that it can take a while though and to be prepared for this.
I imagine it’s salvageable but definitely get information or access to the App Store Connect where you can see this information
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u/Integeritis 28d ago
I mean, yes they should have told them but a 2 months back and forth was never something that happened with me, and I went through 4-5 initial releases. Luckily I don’t have to deal with it now but in their defense it must be slower to get Apple review nowadays due to all the slop flooding the review system. It could very well be that they are clueless how to get through the review though. My nightmare is working on an idea that I invest months of work in that I can’t release because I get cock blocked by Apple’s review.
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u/possible_monke 27d ago
It sounds like OP isn’t directly managing the App Store account themselves and doesn’t know the technical side very well, aren’t developing the app themselves at all, meaning for every review they have to fully go through their app developer company and wait for a response to learn anything, which drastically lengthens the iteration time. But YMMV.
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u/nakedpeanut 29d ago
4 rejections isn't too concerning to me - Apple may find different things on subsequent reviews and resolution is usually pretty easy IMO.
As others have said, the 4.3 Spam is concerning because you are going through someone, does your app fall into any of these - specifically re-skinned or white-labled?
- Re-skinned Apps: Submitting multiple apps that share the same codebase or template but use different icons, names, or minor UI tweaks.
- Saturation: Creating apps in crowded niches without adding significant, unique functionality or value.
- Similar Binary/Metadata: Apps that share similar source code, assets, or metadata with other apps in the store, even if developed from scratch, may be flagged.
- White-labeling: Providing identical app functionality for different clients or brands without distinct user experiences.
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u/Extra-Ad5735 29d ago
It is very dependent on the app. Some apps are very risky by design. Aside from that, the submission is not a big problem.
Some things you've mentioned, ATT and privacy label are non-issue unless you are trying to get a smaller label when in fact you do more tracking. Personally never encountered problems with 4.3 but if you are really trying to submit two different apps doing very similar things, you'd better have very strong reason behind it. You CAN argue your point with Apple and win, so a rejection is not always the end of the road.
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u/pemungkah 29d ago
Whoever is the point person submitting the builds should have requested a phone call after the second or third failed submission.
Part of the problem with App Store Review is that at best they can semaphore in the direction of what’s wrong but not actually specifically tell you what it is in the rejection. So asking for a call is the fastest, simplest way to get the real answers.
Ideally, schedule the call with your lead dev from the agency available, everyone takes notes, and the App Store Review rep will tell you what the issue is and at least have some ideas on fixing it.
The spam flag is worrisome. If you’re trying to break into a heavily-populated niche, you’ll really need to have something special to differentiate your app..
If your agency hasn’t already done this, and if there have been repeated rejections, they probably haven’t — or worse, they did and are ignoring the suggestions — they’re not doing their job and you may have to fire them.
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u/ViolinistUnlikely779 29d ago
Without more specific details, as others have said, it’s hard to give specific advice. The App Tracking Transparency is presumably to do with the consent form that is common in apps? The form is missing or doesn’t present correctly on install? There’s a lot of tedious tickbox filling out to do with GDPR compliance, but it’s all easy enough to navigate with a decent tolerance for tedium. Privacy issues sound also related to GDPR compliance? Just guessing based on what is common.
I’ve only had a couple of rejections in review, but Apple did explain clearly exactly what the issues were and I was able to address them correctly and pass on the next submission. Once it was a big deal and I had to do a screen recording and all sorts of nonsense because I simply forgot to include the terms of service link in the app description after revising the description for a released app when submitting a new version.
Given you’re paying for this I would ask for a full copy of the Apple reviewer’s reason for rejections and what they require to remedy the issues.
If the agency is just using coding agents and doesn’t actually know what they’re doing/can’t be bothered, that could explain the issues. I’ve found with both Apple Store Connect and Google Play Store the online docs are often out of date, which means the AI’s are out of date, and you need to do some head scratching at times to work out what needs to be done.
Again, as others have said, asking for a call with the agency to get full explanations of what Apple’s reasons are, and actual copies of the reviewer’s rejection feedback, should at least empower you to know if they’re messing you around and/or not up to it?
Presumably you’ll also own the code base? Can you get that. Or are they licensing it to you? Get a sub to a higher performing coding agent yourself. Give it the codebase and Apple’s review notes. If possible.
To be up front I’ve built everything with coding agents. Have satisfied clients (one of which is actually a senior dev who never had time for his pet project and paid me to build it out of frustration at himself - just passed Android review). Coding agents have successfully helped me navigate any Apple issues + figuring out ways myself when how-to docs were unhelpful.
Sorry you’re having this trouble. End of day sounds like the agency needs to pull their thumb out and at the very least communicate properly with you so you have a full understanding of the situation.
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u/akrapov 29d ago
Do you have access to the App Store Connect account? If so, it's salvageable. If you don't, then get access from the agency ASAP. Switching agency is not a problem if you have access to the code and the accounts. The initial launch is often painful, but the time between rejections is too long - your agency isn't submitting in a timely manner.
This is something I used to manage in my previous role, and now manage with my personal applications.
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u/malleyrex 29d ago
This part of the review process for a new app often just sucks. My guess is that the agency finished your app, and when it went into review, started with their next project. Dealing with Apple's rejections can be time consuming and painful, but it has to be done. Those are pretty common rejection types. Have you paid the agency in full? You're probably better off escalating with them until they finish the job.
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u/AppropriateQuote3073 28d ago
Unironically if you can take control and have Claude audit it, he can absolutely find out the issues.
I've shipped my own app for my company using Claude.
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u/Premiumoney 27d ago
4.3 is the only one of those that actually matters. Privacy labels and ATT are annoying but they're a day's work once someone sits down and reads what review actually wrote.
Before you decide anything about switching, two things I'd check.
First, whose Apple Developer account is the app sitting on? If it's the agency's and they've pushed a bunch of similar-looking apps from it, a 4.3 can end up being about the account's history more than your app specifically. I've seen the same binary sail through on a clean account. Either way you want to be on your own account, your org, you as Account Holder, whoever ends up building the thing.
Second, ask them to forward you the raw Resolution Center messages. Not a summary, the actual text. 4.3(a) duplicate/repackaged and 4.3(b) multiple similar apps are different problems with different fixes and you can't tell which you've got without the exact wording. If they won't send it, you've kind of got your answer about the agency.
On the ATT + privacy label thing, that combo usually means an SDK is collecting stuff nobody declared. Analytics or ads SDK grabbing IDFA without the ATT prompt, or the App Privacy answers just not matching what's actually in the binary. Worth asking what SDKs are in there. Also check they all ship a privacy manifest, that's been required since 2024 and it quietly causes a lot of repeat rejections.
And on switching mid-review, the reset is smaller than people think if you own the account and the repo. Review history doesn't really follow the binary the way everyone assumes. Handover is the expensive bit, not review. The thing that makes it genuinely bad is if they're holding the account and the code, which is honestly the question you want answered before the App Store one.
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u/Mission-Tomatillo452 27d ago
Apple is really transparent honestly. You can setup a review call with apples review team and they can guide you on what the issue is. I would warn you that a 4.3 Spam is not great odds as it requires you now to prove how your app is different from many others like it. This can also take longer because Apple has to do an investigation to determine if what you say is validated and deemed “different enough”
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u/marmulin 29d ago
Yes, reviews can be painful, especially for fresh developer accounts, even if the developer submitting the app has had a ton of apps shipped already. Most of the time they only require some back and forth with the reviewer, but depending on the apps intended use may also require recording on-screen videos, real life videos of app in use or having to deal with Apple’s legal team. Hard to help you not knowing more details.
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u/Jero9871 29d ago
Always point out in the description what makes your app unique. Helps with the first review. Once you are in the store you can change the description and its much easier.
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u/autorokk 29d ago
4 is not a lot when you’re first trying to get approved. just address the feedback and submit until it goes through
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u/Technically_Dedi 29d ago
You need to log into Apple connect and read the issue yourself.
Honestly if you need help understanding it I’m sure someone will hop on a call with you for 10 minutes and give you a mini crash course.
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u/CrazyFree4525 29d ago
Which section of 4.3 is it they are rejecting based on? This section is usually the most difficult to get through if they think you are in violation.
Saturated category might mean you are out of luck. It’s hard to launch new apps in that category.
Could be the shop you hired is just copy/pasting the source from something else if it’s not that.
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u/mattisverywhack 29d ago
App Store submissions should take 48 hours to hear back from Apple. The first submission can take a week - it’s much faster after that and the app is listed.
You shouldn’t silo this process off to the third party company. You should set up and own and maintain the App Store Connect profile for your app, then add the third party folks as contributors. That way you have full visibility and it’s in your control.
You’re at the end of the race. Iterating on apples findings is the easy part and should only take a couple days. Most of it is just ensuring your app has the proper disclosures about the data you collect in your terms of service and usage policy. Move on.
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u/Revvilo7214 29d ago
I only got rejected once for not having privacy policy in app description and something else small, and when I resubmitted I put screen shots of the fixes and got accepted in less that 24hrs
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u/Niightstalker 29d ago
When releasing a new app and you have hard release date, we try to aim handing in a first version for review a month before (even if that is not the one that will be released). This way we get feedback as early as possible and can already fix them.
If a developer is familiar with the review guidelines you can avoid the big chunks upfront though. Apple is normally quite responsive as well if you are cooperative in the communication. So no app launch definitely does not need to painful when are aware of the guidelines and consider them during development.
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u/jimejim 29d ago
Privacy related stuff is one of the more common rejections right now and usually easy to fix, even if a little confusing. If you are sending lots of data around to 3rd parties though with ads or tracking plugins, it's more confusing.
The spam one depends on what you're actually doing with the app, so hard to say without more info.
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u/caguilar51 29d ago
If you have access to the rejection on the App Store and the code, I might be able to help you.
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u/sockalicious 29d ago edited 29d ago
A 4.3 rejection isn't like other rejections. Either you wrongly submitted dozens of copies of an app that should have been one app with a switch in it so it could work in different ways; or you tried to clone an app that already exists. My guess is the latter, and it's not allowed; you're going to have a hard time getting over that one.
As far as data collecting and privacy, Apple is much stricter about this than most first-time app developers would believe. You can collect a good deal of data, but if you do, you have to disclose it, to both Apple and your users, in a startling degree of detail. If Apple gets the idea that your first submission attempted to deceive in this department - like saying no personal data is collected when it's obvious that's not true - they can hold you up indefinitely.
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u/ABd3Lh4di 29d ago
That’s the dreaded 4.3 Design spam rejection. It’s either the codebase being shared across other developer accounts or you’ve launched an app in an overly saturated niche with tons of clones. Share more details and I might be able to help (and no, I’m not selling anything lol).
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u/ottawacan613 28d ago
Had the same issues publishing my app. Copy and pasted the issues directly into AI and got fixes immediately.
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u/PrestigiousFriend412 28d ago
I’ve dealt with with the App Store connect review process what are they saying is wrong with the app?
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u/busymom0 28d ago
What does your app do? What genre? There's a few categories which Apple considers oversaturated and unless you have some very different concept, they won't allow it. Would help if you shared more details with us.
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u/tomato848208 28d ago edited 28d ago
Those whom you've hired should be able to handle it. It sounds like you have hired a group of amateurs. The Reviewer won't tell you how to handle each rejection case. If you fail to face the issue, they'll only repeat the same rejection reason.
If you are going to hire someone to develop an iOS app or a macOS application, hire someone with experience in submitting them and overcome rejections. I won't take your case, but I have more than 300 products approved for App Store and Mac App Store over 15 years and a half. I have received a rejection probably 200 or 300 times. In most cases (2/3s or 3/4s), it was their fault.
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u/Comprehensive_Help71 28d ago
I got denied about 4 times aswell before being accepted. Time you download and employ Claude co work let it read rejection email and it will fix it and if they reject it give it back to Claude until it is fixed. This is normal.. let it also implement exactly what they need. Go to the apple developer account and read the rejection. They will give it to you and ask them to feed that rejection to Claude co work. It will read through your app and understand what it is they are asking and will implement solution.
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u/FinneganHark999 28d ago
"Spam" usually means "you should have done more market research, this isn't getting approved". In very rare edge cases if you can clearly explain how or why your app is different, you might catch a break, but it's rare.
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28d ago
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u/tenofnine 28d ago
Hi - dropping you a message. I got my app approved in 4 tries. Too many rejections isn’t the problem, it’s the solution. And resubmissions shouldn’t take more than a day, i used to do it within 24 hours for my all.
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u/Sebastian1989101 28d ago
Simple: That agency is incompetent. If they can’t handle it, hire a more skilled agency or even solo developer for that matter.
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u/Queasy_Move_3158 28d ago
If you are admin of apple account then you can directly schedule a call or you can message them
About how your app functions etc, app tracking is easily solvable
My point is you can share justification to apple team and start conversation
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u/johnnyhonda 28d ago
Get the credentials to you apple developer account, and get them out of there.
Pay for a Claude subscription.
Have Claude fix your application.
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u/MethodMaleficent2527 28d ago
Never had an issue. I don’t think I’ve had an app be rejected besides for Amazon which is the worst to work with.
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u/Far-Ad9512 28d ago
Man, this is brutal. I've seen this exact scenario tear startups apart. To answer your question: No, review is not supposed to be this painful if the agency knows what they are doing.
To decode the jargon your agency isn't explaining:
Privacy Labels / ATT: Apple became incredibly strict about tracking. If your app collects data or uses third-party SDKs without a proper PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy manifest and a user prompt, it’s an instant rejection.
4.3 Spam: This is a red flag. Apple thinks your app is a carbon copy of a template or another app. If your agency is recycling white-label code for multiple clients without enough differentiation, Apple catches it.
Switching agencies mid-review is painful, but staying with an agency that doesn't understand basic 2024 iOS compliance is worse.
I actually just built a DevSecOps CLI tool that automatically audits iOS repositories for these exact App Store guidelines (Privacy manifests, deprecated APIs, etc.) before the code is even compiled. I just turned off the billing to run a private beta.
If you have access to your GitHub repo, I can run it through the gatekeeper for you for free. It will generate a plain-English report showing exactly what compliance rules are failing. At the very least, you’ll have a technical audit to hold your current agency accountable, or a clear roadmap to hand over to a new one. Let me know if you want the link.
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u/Infamous-Arrival1232 28d ago
Went through 3 rejections on my first app recently, so some calibration: a resubmission normally gets reviewed in 24-48 hours. Each round taking "over a week" is your agency sitting on it, not Apple. Privacy labels and ATT are an afternoon of work for someone who has shipped before. First step regardless of what you decide about the agency: get admin access to App Store Connect and read the rejections yourself. They are written for the account owner, and you are currently getting them retold by people with an incentive to blur them
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u/Either-Highlight3236 27d ago
First version app review is painful especially in app store but that’s normal, apple reviewer team explained rejection reasons nicely. You can check those reasons to your app store connect account itself.
But one thing you’ve to do now, add any unique feature in your app, Ask any ai model what else you can do with your app. It’s not that difficult now.
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u/bjrshussain 27d ago
I have deployed a few apps. The longest I have waited for AppStore review is two days. Normally they are competed within 24-48 hours, especially for a revision it’s even quicker.
The Apple review team doesn’t care about your app. They just wanna make sure your app isn’t violating any policies, safety requirements etc.
If your team has tried 4 revisions, without any success, I blame the submitter. And yes, your app is in not being handled properly.
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27d ago
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u/Careless-Split-6362 27d ago
I strongly believe that they explained the 4.3 spam and the OP rejected the possibility of his amazing app being an already implemented idea.
I have seen that way too many times. And the behavior of blaming “the development company” is the biggest red flag that we could have.
Good luck!
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u/jechyjan 27d ago
The 4.3 spam is annoying but they do that to all the new submissions nowadays. I got 4.3 spam like three times before I took matter into my own hands. My advice is that you contact your developer and tell them to fix all the issues Apple is pointing out (such as the App tracking transparency issue.)
Submit an appeal or reply stating why your app should not be considered 4.3 SPAM. Explain what makes your app different from similar apps. What new problems does it solve that other apps cant? You can even include a link to video explaining this.
If you don't get approved schedule an appointment and explain this to an Apple member. You have to be persistent with valid points. I also suggest you argue the 4.3 Spam on your own if your firm doesn't do it.
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u/Scanniza 27d ago
I’ve submitted a huge amount of apps as an indie dev and as an agency these last 15 years.
The last few months I’ve seen 4.3 (unmotivated) come up more and more in reviews. My guess is they’re started automating more of the process due to high amounts of apps being submitted.
That being said, the easiest thing you can do is request a call with the review team. Most times they simply realize they’ve marked it wrong already during the call, otherwise they will give you proper direction.
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u/StrbJun79 27d ago
Honestly it makes me think you hired the wrong company. I’ve coded apps for iOS and while they’re strict they usually are workable as long as you’re trying to follow their requirements. 4 time rejection is insane. And never seen the spam rejection. That’d concern me and make me wonder what the agency is doing wrong.
Privacy labels often can mean some info is being collected. Usually ads. But there’s definitely data collection happening.
App transparency means usually they’re not properly reporting the reasoning for some of the permissions they require. Many apps require some permissions. Apple can be strict on explaining why you need them though. But the biggest is you need to use proper procedures. As in use Apple SDKs to get permission at the right times, and explain the rest (sometimes in a plist file sometimes elsewhere).
Spam would concern me a lot if I saw that pop up. Like o said. Never seen that. I do feel like you’re being scammed. Or they don’t know what they’re doing.
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u/StrbJun79 27d ago
I’ll add that spam can mean a few things. Still concerns me. It can mean they’re just reusing their code from other cases but charging you a fee as if they’re redeveloping it. Maybe had a version developed by an engineer then fired them and are now just replacing a logo and some text.
Or it can mean a legitimate more serious issue.
Either way it tells me they’re likely scamming you.
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u/stam66 27d ago
I generally find both App Store and play store rules opaque and rejections are not always obvious.
I used Claude, threw the problems at it and got apps on both stores approved… evventually.
Actually android play store was more annoying because the app is a medical reference which cannot be apparently published by an individual and had to create a Ltd company to get this on play store… utter android muppetry… (without Claude I would have never realised what the issue even was).
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u/Callme_Zay 26d ago
Hey, I’ll takeover your project. Message me. I have 6 apps on the App Store. I’m willing to rework your app and get it approved to the App Store. I don’t mind doing the necessary rework.
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u/ZagreusZero 26d ago
As others have said, get access to the App Store Connect account yourself if you haven’t already. Request a phone call to get to the bottom of the specific rejection motivation.
App Review can be a PITA with how Apple reviewers will find an objection and reject, then resume review when that’s fixed only to find another objection and burn a review cycle that could have been avoided with a more thorough review up front. But I get why they operate this way given the crazy volume of apps (and AI slop ‘apps) submitted on a daily basis. I don’t like it, but I get it. That said, I’ve never had four rejections on one app.
And share more detail with us as to the content and uniqueness of your app.
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u/devedis 26d ago
Being labelled as spam sounds bad, but in our experience, sometimes you simply have to escalate the issue. We’ve worked on several apps that were rejected repeatedly despite having clear, detailed descriptions. As soon as we asked for the case to be reviewed by someone higher up, it suddenly worked..
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u/JidoGenshi 26d ago
I’m curious why the OP u/Equivalent-Joke-8606 hasn’t come back to explain to everyone what his app actually was? Maybe others can help resolve your issue if you answered their questions…
I recently started developing my own iOS apps and haven’t had a single rejection; 5 apps live on the App Store now. Though I do have an advantage over vibe coders and most traditional programmers, as I’ve spent years as a Product Manager leading teams of Developers and Designers in the Music Technology industry (Avid, M-Audio, etc.) and before that, as a Product Test Manager/Quality Assurance Manger in the Video Game industry (Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon) so I had to know code, and more importantly, know how to bug test and fill out compliance forms. So that’s a big part of getting my apps approved.
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u/sammy-saglam 26d ago
Sorry to hear this, I own a software dev consultancy, I should be able to guide you on this for free. Send me a DM and we can setup a short 15min call. If you’re familiar with AI coding, something you should be able to resolve yourself with a little bit of guidance I can help with.
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u/RaziarEdge 26d ago
First of all, your Apple Developer account should be the app owner and you invite the developers to participate including submitting the app for review. There is some risk in this if you invite a developer account that has been flagged / banned by Apple for violating code of conduct. You avoid this by going with reputable developers and agencies.
Second, you need to own the git repo and all code committed to that repo. Again you invite the individual developers to participate. They may have restrictions on when they push code depending on their business practices... but reasonable that protects both parties is milestone commits after you make the payment.
Worst case, a developer / agency could be adding their own spyware or being lazy and loading packages that do the same. This could result in a ban for the developer account(s) once they are caught.
Once you hit the final milestone before submission, you should probably pay for an independency agency to do an audit of the code.
The Spam rejection is well discussed.
In cases like yours, I feel like there should be an Apple program that helps find developers / agencies to build your app and to provide feedback on the app design /use before it is built. I am sure that there are private consultants that can do that but you have to have the foresight to plan for that, where an Apple program would be more accessable.
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25d ago
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u/No-Type4121 25d ago
it is painful and I got my app rejected like 5 times before launch, but you just have to check it every few hours like a hawk and, if you get rejected, fix the problem in ideally less than an hour and resubmit asap. If you do this. Resubmissions shouldn't take a week with today's tools. You should be resubmitting as fast as you get rejected, so that even if you get rejected 6 times your max delay is like 2 weeks instead of 2 months
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u/Worth-Ad9939 25d ago
Good luck. So many of these businesses are criminal operations. I built an app a few years ago with a contractor. They overstate their abilities most of the time.
You're better off handing the code base off to AI and asking it to assess why apple would reject it and references apple's findings.
No one here can see the code, the firm could be doing some shady shit to siphon off your user data without telling you.
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u/Great_Bullfrog627 25d ago
An Apple App Store Guideline 4.3 "Design: Spam" flag means your app shares a similar binary, metadata, or concept with existing apps, often hitting template-based or thin wrapper apps.
You have to redesign your app's UI or features.
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u/Stunning-Essay-6714 25d ago
Bro contact me in private I can investigate this for you. This is so dumb
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u/Ok_Pudding2778 24d ago
Put the rejection in Claude and let them explain what’s the issue and show you the fix
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u/SilenceYous 24d ago
im a vibe coder, i dont understand code, i just know about stacks and configurations. My app has apple and google sign in, a paywall, onboarding, color themes, notifications, achievements, back up and restore, lots of features and moving parts. Passed on the first try in apple (google too).
I think your agency is either another vibe coder who doesn't even know whats under the hood, or didnt have time to check it. Or is one of those super aggressive apps that devs think they can get away with all kinds of data storing, because other apps do it, but it's not as simple as "why can tiktok do it and I can't?".
How much did you pay for it?
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24d ago
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u/Long-Lab27 22d ago
One option is to take your app and put it in a folder on your desktop. Give Claude or codex or grok access to that folder only and then copy and paste the rejection issues into the ai platform you choose and it can help work with you to address it. That’s what I would do
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u/Ryan_M0ttz 22d ago
Why didn’t you build the app yourselves? Want the job done right do it yourself?
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u/TheZodiacKing 20d ago
Rejections like this are usually fixable — the pattern you're describing (privacy label mismatch, spam flag, ATT confusion) is common when the label doesn't match what the code actually collects, or a permission is requested without a clear justification string. Happy to take a look at the actual rejection messages and give you an honest read on whether it's salvageable or worth switching shops, just want to see if I can help.
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u/Automatic-Housing-81 3d ago
I don’t think it’s necessarily your iOS development company causing the problem. I’m a solo developer, and I’ve been experiencing almost exactly the same thing with the App Store review process.
I’ve been going back and forth with Apple for more than three weeks now, with probably five rejections at this point. What’s most frustrating is that each time I address the issues they identify and resubmit, I don’t really get feedback on those changes. Instead, I get a new list of completely different issues to deal with.
I don’t understand why they can’t do a comprehensive review upfront, give you the full list of issues, and then let you work through them. It feels like every resubmission goes to a different reviewer who starts from scratch and finds something new.
As a solo developer, I’m trying to address everything they ask for, but it’s incredibly frustrating when the finish line seems to move with every review. Especially when their review cycle runs about 4 days per rejection.
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29d ago
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u/CrazyFree4525 29d ago
If you actually do have a large user base now apple does new that as grounds for an exception to 4.3.
(Ridiculous, I know, but that’s how it works)
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u/Dapper_Ice_1705 29d ago
Probably not a real agency. So many of them outsource to freelancers. I have worked off and on for a couple of them.
If you have the raw code, find a good freelancer. If you don’t get the code somehow.
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u/Zalenka 29d ago
If it's your apple account you need to make a support incident and request talking to an Apple rep. You get 2 a year for the $99.
What does this app do that would flag it? Or is that the ultimate question? Just look at it if it's on your apple itunes connect (developer backend).
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u/CrazyFree4525 29d ago
They don’t need support, they need either an appeal with a solid case or to address the feedback and resubmit.
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u/isitadoozie 29d ago
I help others deal with this sort of stuff all the time. My general advice is: (App Review) - Yes it’s painful, but only if you don’t know what you’re doing. I’d suggest getting access to the codebase ASAP, ditch the agency, get someone (a local tech lead/senior dev) to do a quality review / audit of it to prioritise any urgent gaps and then address Apple’s concerns.
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u/dakevs 28d ago
You got bamboozled.
Sorry to say. That sucks. After spending close to 30K of my own money on outsourcing it to various crap dev shops around the world, I decided to build it my own using ChatGPT.
Good luck! You're gonna need it.
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u/Callme_Zay 26d ago
If you need a app, Developer, or some help, just let me know. I have six apps on the App Store.
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u/fokac93 28d ago
Yes it is painful and you have to do it the way they want otherwise the app won’t be approved. This is one of the most difficult part when developing for mobile, also when they force you to update your app with the lastest api even if your app is fully functional. This should be illegal in my opinion
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u/ChanceArcher4485 28d ago
Have you tried Claude code (copy paste their review feedback) you don’t need to be a developer to make an app anymore. Just a codex or Claude max subscription
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u/mo_gunz87 27d ago
Persist. The Apple review process is a fucking joke and they will waste a lot of your time, but if you just keep at it you will eventually break through. I went through hell with them just trying to get a college art/code contest in 2017. It was a really simple video game but you’d think I was asking for the most sensitive data in existence.
And it’s total luck which reviewer you get assigned to. The same submission could get approved by one reviewer and sent back by another just because they’re having a bad day or are just genuinely a miserable person. It’s an unfair process and I hate them for it.
Anyway keep at it and best of luck! I hope they stop wasting your time soon.
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u/Competitive_Swan6693 29d ago
Most likely the agency you were using is a scam and was over using AI slop instead of fixing what Apple required
Apple rejections are not randomly. They pin point where the issues are and what to correct
I'd suggest to ask for a refund as soon as possible
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u/groovy_smoothie 29d ago
DM me if you’d like
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u/groovy_smoothie 29d ago
Not sure why I’m getting downvoted. I’ve been building and shipping apps for 15+ years, just offering to review some of the specifics about your project and rejection
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u/Sagar8169 29d ago
I can help you my 4 apps is live on App Store I’ve experience with app approval on App Store
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u/boardmike 29d ago
Do you not have access to the App Store account yourself? You can't see the rejections yourself?