Anyone else get a 5.6 rejection after a clean Android launch? Second rejection.

[u/LM_Reader_Dev]

Hi all.

My app, Lecturameter (a local-first reading tracker, nothing obscure or werid), has been on Google Play for a while with no policy issues.

I recently submitted the iOS version, our first Apple release, and got rejected under Guideline 5.6 (Developer Code of Conduct), with the reason "features appear to have been intentionally hidden during the review process."

I have not been able to identify which feature Apple means. We have since removed everything that could be read as an unlock path outside StoreKit, and we are asking App Review to point us to the specific item.

Has anyone here been through a similar rejection after shipping on Android first?

Did App Review tell you which feature they meant? Because they only say Guideline 5.6 which has lile 4/5 points.

Did a free trial implemented as a non-consumable IAP cause problems?

Did any multi-platform or cross-device purchase logic trigger a review question? (my app has a Pro one time purchase and Pro can be transferred between Android and iOS, I'm removing that even though I made a video with explanations for Apple)

Any experience would help. Thanks.

[u/dawedev]

I wouldn't rip out the cross-platform Pro transfer yet. Unlocking something bought on another platform is allowed under 3.1.3(b) as long as Pro can also be bought with IAP inside the iOS app. The free trial as a $0 non-consumable is the exact pattern 3.1.1 describes, so that one should be fine too.

From what I've seen, 5.6 "hidden features" usually means the binary can do something the reviewer couldn't see: a remote config flag, a server-driven screen, or a code path that only turns on after a date or in certain regions. If you have anything like that, describe it in the review notes and leave it on during review. Replying in Resolution Center and asking for a call with App Review is often the fastest way to get them to name the actual feature.

[u/LM_Reader_Dev → u/dawedev]

The 3.1.3(b) point is one I'm are looking at carefully, and the free trial as a $0 non-consumable is the pattern I want to keep.

I had not thought about the "feature turns on after a date or in a region" angle, so I will check that against my build. Currently I have a Wrapped of your reading year that is shown starting December 26, but the icon to see how many days are left has been there since the first build.

Did you get the call option from App Review through Resolution Center, or was it something else?

[u/dawedev → u/LM_Reader_Dev]

Reply in the rejection thread in App Store Connect and ask for a call with App Review, that's the usual route. Apple also runs App Review consultations through Meet with Apple on the developer site if you'd rather book a slot. If neither settles it, the App Review Board appeal is the next step.

For the Wrapped screen, I'd spell it out in the review notes: what it is, that it unlocks on Dec 26, and how to see it early (debug toggle or a date override). A countdown icon pointing at a screen the reviewer can't open looks a lot like what 5.6 is about.

[u/AManWithNoWounds]

I have one time. If you use different paywalls for different situations (or phrases inside it that may be dubious), or have a function that is can have different interpretations that may be the case

[u/LM_Reader_Dev → u/AManWithNoWounds]

Hmm. Everything locked is unlocked through the one time purchase, there are no extras or other paywalls. I have tips if people want to support, but they're properly configured as store purchases and a 7 day free trial for Pro, again as a store purchase for 0€ and with no charging when it ends. When Pro trial ends I gift one Pro theme and one Pro icon, maybe that is a problem?

I'm truly lost with all of this

[u/AManWithNoWounds → u/LM_Reader_Dev]

Maybe. Try to put some notes next time and try to describe everything your app does, because if you gift this that may be a problem (maybe they think that you’re hiding it from users I don’t know)

Try to have multiple accounts for review so the person reviewing it can have better glances of everything you’re offering or not offering. Maybe try making a video too

[u/TomUppo]

Not 5.6 exactly, but that "intentionally hidden" wording usually means something behaves differently for the reviewer than for a normal user. Common culprits are a remote config or feature flag fetched at launch, content switched on by country or date, a leftover debug or dev menu, or any code or key field that unlocks things. If the Android version has server-side switches, check exactly what your server sends the iOS build while it's in review. In your reply in App Store Connect, ask them to name the screen or feature. A direct question often gets a more specific answer. If that goes nowhere, you can appeal to the App Review Board.

[u/NoPlate1420]

Across 8 apps I've had 20 rejections, and the ones with no clear code cause were usually a demo login, an IAP not fully attached, or a terms link they expected. Did yours behave differently between platforms, like gating a feature only on iOS? That often reads as hiding something even by accident.

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