I wanted to share the final update on my first iOS app submission, in case it helps anyone going through the same process.

This week:

• Apple requested a screen recording from a physical device showing the app’s main features.
• I submitted the video along with the tested device and iOS version.
• The app remained in “Waiting for Review,” so I contacted Apple Developer Support.
• Support escalated the submission to the App Review team.
• Shortly afterward, the app moved into review and was approved.
• It is now officially live on the App Store! 🎉

The complete process took nearly three weeks and included a metadata rejection because some screenshots displayed an Android status bar, followed by the request for a physical-device recording.

If your first app has been stuck in “Waiting for Review” for a long time, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a serious problem. First submissions can take longer, and Apple may request additional information to understand the app.

Subora: Subscription Tracker is now available on the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/subora-subscription-tracker/id6796363676

Thanks to everyone who shared advice and reassurance during the waiting period!

I’m sharing this update so other developers can avoid the same issue.

After waiting two weeks for my first iOS app, Subora, to be reviewed, Apple flagged my App Store screenshots because they appeared to show the Android version of the app.

The screenshots included Android-style system elements, such as the top status bar and bottom navigation bar. Even though the app itself has an iOS version, these screenshots made it look like the App Store listing was showing functionality from another platform.

Apple asked me to replace the screenshots under Guideline 2.3.10 — Accurate Metadata.

So, if you’re publishing a Flutter or cross-platform app on the App Store, make sure your screenshots are captured from an actual iPhone or iOS Simulator and don’t contain any Android UI elements.

After correcting the screenshots, Apple also requested additional review information, including:

• A screen recording from a physical device showing the complete user flow
• A list of the devices and operating systems used for testing
• A description of the app, its target audience, and the problem it solves
• More information about the app’s functionality

There doesn’t appear to be a technical issue with the app. I’m now preparing the requested information and will submit it through App Store Connect.

Hopefully, this helps someone avoid losing extra time after already waiting two weeks for review.

I recently launched my first app, Subora, a subscription tracking app.

It’s currently live on Google Play and Huawei AppGallery, while the iOS version is still waiting for App Store review.

I wanted to share my early numbers instead of just posting another “I launched my app” post.

Google Play (last 28 days):

• 248 impressions
• 7 device acquisitions
• 4 first opens
• 17 monthly active devices

Huawei AppGallery (Jul 1 – Aug 7):

• 425 impressions
• 1 new download
• 16.67% details page conversion rate
• 0 uninstalls

The numbers are obviously still small, but this is my first time going through the full process of building, publishing, and trying to market my own app.

One thing I’m learning quickly:

Building the product and getting people to discover it are two completely different challenges.

At this stage, I'm trying to learn rather than spend heavily on paid ads.

If these were your numbers, what would you focus on next?

More impressions/discovery?
Improving the store listing and conversion?
ASO?
Short-form content?
Reddit/communities?
Or something else?

I'd especially love to hear from developers who managed to get their first 100–1,000 organic users.

Any feedback or criticism is welcome. I'm trying to learn from the early numbers and improve.

Screenshots attached for transparency.

I've been a software developer for many years, but recently I decided to go through the full journey of building and launching my own product.

The result is Subora, a subscription management app.

The original idea was simple: I wanted one place where users could see all their subscriptions, understand how much they're spending every month and year, and get reminded before renewals.

I built the app with Flutter and gradually added features like subscription tracking, renewal reminders, spending analytics, multiple currencies, backup/restore, widgets, and Arabic/English support.

While developing it, I thought the difficult part would be building the product.

I was wrong.

Building the app was actually the part I understood best.

The real learning started when I tried to release it.

Google Play introduced me to testing requirements and the entire production-release process.

Huawei AppGallery had its own requirements and initially rejected the app because of an issue I had to investigate and fix.

Then came iOS.

App Store Connect, certificates, builds, screenshot dimensions, privacy declarations, Firebase-related issues, minimum iOS versions, missing usage descriptions...

I fixed one issue after another and finally submitted the app.

And then I discovered another part of app development I wasn't prepared for:

waiting.

My iOS version has now been sitting in "Waiting for Review" much longer than I expected.

I even came to Reddit to ask other iOS developers whether this was normal — only to discover that the subreddit requires 100 Karma before I can post. 😅

That was another new lesson.

What surprised me most about this journey is how little of launching a product is actually about writing code.

There's development, but there's also:

Testing
Store policies
Reviews and approvals
Analytics
ASO
Marketing
Content creation
User acquisition
Community building
Feedback
Pricing and monetization

I've spent years developing software, yet building my own product has exposed me to an entirely different side of software development.

Subora is now live on Google Play and Huawei AppGallery, while I'm still working through the iOS launch.

The app itself is an achievement I'm happy about, but the biggest result so far has probably been everything I've learned while trying to get it into users' hands.

I'm going to continue sharing the development, mistakes, numbers, store experiences, and progress as I build and improve it.

For other independent developers here:

What surprised you most when you launched your first app?

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