Why apps get rejected on Google Play and the App Store, and how to fix it

Read the rejection first

Both stores tell you which policy you broke, but rarely where. Copy the exact message, note the policy name, and check whether the problem is in the app, in the listing, or in a form you filled in. Most rejections we fix are in the forms, not the code.

The usual causes on Google Play

• Data safety form does not match the SDKs in the build, for example an analytics or ads SDK you forgot to declare.
• No privacy policy link, or a policy that does not mention the data the app collects.
• No way for users to delete their account and data, in the app and on the web.
• Sensitive permissions such as SMS, call log, location in the background or all-files access without a declared core use.
• New personal accounts publishing to production before finishing a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days.

The usual causes on the App Store

• The reviewer could not log in: always give a working demo account in the review notes.
• Crashes or broken links during review, often from a staging server that went to sleep.
• Guideline 4.2, minimum functionality: an app that is only a website in a wrapper.
• In-app purchases for digital content handled outside Apple's payment system.
• Missing purpose strings for camera, microphone or location permissions.

Before you resubmit

Fix the cause, then reply to the reviewer explaining what changed, in plain words. Resubmitting the same build with a longer explanation rarely works. If you are not sure what the reviewer means, ask through the resolution centre; replies usually come within days.

If your release is stuck, send us the exact rejection message with private details removed. We publish to both stores every month and can usually tell you the fix after one look.