App Store review time: how long does Apple take?

On paper, App Store review time is short: Apple says it reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours, and 90% in under 48 hours. That figure comes from the official App Review page. So if your app passes on the first try, you can expect an answer in about a day.

The real delay is measured differently, though. It's the time between your first upload and the moment your app goes on sale. And what blows it up is almost never the wait in the queue. It's rejections. Every rejection kicks off a full cycle: read the reason, fix it, resubmit, wait again. That includes automatic rejections at upload, like ITMS-90338. This guide explains what stretches that delay, how to handle a rejection without losing days, and which reasons hit first apps most often.

I'm speaking from my own submissions. My iOS apps, including Solys (an alarm clock with mini-games) and TradaZen (a trading simulator), are on the App Store, and I got rejected several times along the way, on Solys and on two other apps, Clic and Nolera. The reasons are detailed below.

App Store review time: what Apple actually says

Once your build is uploaded, with no automatic error like ITMS-90725, and your listing is complete, you submit it for review from App Store Connect. Your submission then goes through several statuses: Waiting for Review, In Review, then accepted or rejected. Apple emails you at each change, and you can track the status in App Store Connect or its iPhone app.

Three official details that help with planning:

• These numbers are trends, not a guarantee: up to one submission in ten waits more than 48 hours.
• Submissions aren't necessarily reviewed in the order they were sent, says the App Store Connect help.
• Only one version of the app can be in review per platform. You can't stack several versions to "save time."

Once your app is accepted, you can release it automatically or release it yourself. That second option is gold: you get the app approved first, then set your launch date once you have the green light.

What makes the wait longer

The delay rarely gets longer because of Apple. It almost always gets longer because of what you send them.

The first submission

For a very first version, Apple reviews everything at once: the listing, the screenshots, the age rating, the privacy policy, the data collection disclosures, the subscriptions and the app itself. Each one is a chance to get rejected. The queue isn't longer. The surface is bigger. If you've never published before, the steps to prepare are listed in publishing an app on the App Store.

Subscriptions and in-app purchases

If your app sells a subscription, two rules change your timeline:

1. Your first subscription must be submitted with a new version of the app. It's spelled out in the in-app purchase help. If the app ships without it, you'll need a new version to get it approved.
2. Every item in a submission must be accepted for the submission to be accepted. One rejected subscription blocks the whole thing.

Guideline 2.1(b) also requires in-app purchases to be complete, visible to the reviewer and working. If one of them doesn't show up in the app, explain why in the review notes. The full subscription setup is covered in iOS in-app subscriptions.

The missing demo account

If your app requires sign-in, the App Review Guidelines require an active demo account or a full demo mode, plus backend services that stay on during review. Without credentials in your version's App Review Information section, the reviewer is stuck on the login screen, and that's a rejection. Also, don't shut down your test server during review.

Rejections themselves

This is the number one factor, by far. Apple says more than 40% of unresolved issues involve guideline 2.1, the one covering crashes, placeholder content and incomplete information. Every rejection you avoid saves you at least one cycle.

Replying in the Resolution Center

When a submission is rejected, its status changes to Unresolved Issues. Apple's message cites the guideline you broke, often with a screenshot of the problem. Everything happens in your app's App Review section in App Store Connect, which people still often call the Resolution Center.

The official steps to reply to App Review:

1. In your app, click the unresolved issues link at the top of the page.
2. Click Resolve next to the submission.
3. Click Reply to App Review, write your reply (4,000 characters max) and attach a screenshot or document if needed.

What makes a reply effective:

• Name the fix, not your feelings. "The rating prompt now appears after the demo is won, screenshot attached" beats a long plea.
• Attach proof. A screenshot or short video of the fixed screen saves a round of back-and-forth questions.
• If the rejection is only about metadata (listing text, screenshots, links, like a 2.3.10 rejection), Apple says you can resubmit the same build after fixing it. No need to rebuild.

Appeal only if you're sure

You can challenge a rejection with the App Review Board. Apple asks you to explain exactly why the app follows the guidelines, to file only one appeal per rejected submission, and to answer any pending information requests first. Appealing a deserved rejection only makes the wait longer.

Submitting a fix fast

When the reason is clear, speed comes from discipline:

• Fix the reason, and only the reason. Slipping three new features into the fixed build reopens the review surface.
• Test the fix under the reviewer's conditions. For a layout issue, that means the smallest supported iPhone and the largest, not just yours.
• Be careful with removed items. In a submission with unresolved issues, Apple's help says a removed item can't be added back to the same submission, and each item can only be edited once before resubmitting. Think before deleting a rejected subscription.
• Resubmit, then reply. One or two factual sentences in your reply to say what changed.

What about expedited review? It exists, but Apple reserves it for two cases: fixing a critical bug in a version that's already live, with steps to reproduce it, and apps tied to a time-sensitive event. It's not a shortcut for a late first release.

The most common rejections for beginners

I already told the full story of my two Solys rejections in why Apple rejects your app. Here are the reasons I actually got, with their guideline numbers, because they're exactly the ones lying in wait for a first app.

2.1, the app doesn't work (Solys). Solys's welcome demo was impossible to win on a small iPhone screen: a mandatory step you couldn't get past, so the app was judged incomplete. Fixed since.

5.6.3, asking for a rating too early (Solys). The App Store rating was requested at the start of onboarding, before the person had experienced anything in the app. It has to come after a real moment of value.

5.1.1, an outdated privacy policy (Clic). Guideline 5.1.1 requires a link to the privacy policy in App Store Connect and in the app, and that policy must describe exactly what data is collected, how it's used and how to delete it. On Clic, the online version wasn't up to date. A policy that doesn't keep up with your product is enough to get the submission rejected.

5.1.1, the "Allow" button before the system prompt (Nolera). Nolera showed an explanation screen before the camera access request, with a button labeled "Allow." The Human Interface Guidelines on privacy are clear: a screen before the system alert is fine, but its button must not say "Allow" or anything similar, since you're not allowing anything at that point. Apple recommends "Continue" or "Next."

2.3.2, the icon reused as the subscription promotional image (Nolera). Guideline 2.3.2 covers how in-app purchases are promoted on the App Store: the name, image and description must be appropriate. On Nolera, the subscription's promotional image was just the app icon. You need an image specific to the purchase.

What ties these five rejections together: none was a complex code problem. All of them were visible by reviewing the submission through a reviewer's eyes. If your app just got rejected and the reason is still fuzzy, the full process is in app rejected by Apple.

Planning for the delay

A few simple rules so review doesn't push back your launch:

• Don't announce a date before approval. Get the app approved, choose manual release, then set your date.
• Leave room for at least one rejection cycle if it's your first submission or your first subscription.
• Open your developer account early if you're going through a company: the D-U-N-S number alone can take more than a week. It's all explained in the Apple developer account guide.
• Review your submission like a reviewer: demo account, up-to-date privacy policy, complete privacy manifest, permission screens, subscription images, and every mandatory screen on a small and a large iPhone.

If you want your submission checked before you send it

The Apple Review Kit bundles my pre-submission checklist, my fixed Apple rejections and Claude Code skills that review your project, your paywall and your listing. It doesn't guarantee approval, Apple decides, but it helps you catch the reasons listed above before they cost you a cycle.

Getting ready for your first submission? The free diagnostic sends you my Apple anti-rejection checklist and tells you what's left to do. If your app is already stuck, book an hour with me: we'll read Apple's message together on a video call. And if you're still building it, the home page shows how to create your mobile app with review in mind from day one.

Frequently asked questions

How long does App Store review take?

Apple says it reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours, and 90% in under 48 hours. It's not a guarantee: some take longer, and they aren't necessarily reviewed in the order they were sent. The real delay is the time between your first upload and going on sale, and it mostly gets longer because of rejections.

What makes App Store review take longer?

Rejections, by far: each one kicks off a full cycle (read the reason, fix, resubmit, wait again). Apple says more than 40% of unresolved issues involve guideline 2.1, the one about crashes, placeholder content and incomplete information. A first submission also multiplies the chances of rejection, because Apple reviews everything at once.

How do I reply to an App Store rejection?

In your app's App Review section, open the unresolved issues, click Resolve, then Reply to App Review. Write your reply (4,000 characters max), name the fix rather than your feelings, and attach a screenshot or short video. If the rejection is only about metadata, you can resubmit the same build after fixing it. If the reason is still fuzzy, read app rejected by Apple.

Can I ask Apple for an expedited review?

Yes, expedited review exists, but Apple reserves it for two cases: fixing a critical bug in a version that's already live, with steps to reproduce it, and apps tied to a time-sensitive event. It's not a shortcut for a late first release.

Does the first subscription have to be submitted with the app?

Yes, according to Apple's help: your first subscription must be submitted with a new version of the app. If the app ships without it, you'll need a new version to get it approved. For the submission to be accepted, every item in it must be accepted: one rejected subscription blocks the whole thing.

When should I announce my app's launch date?

Not before Apple approves the app. Choose manual release: get the app approved first, then set your launch date once you have the green light. If it's your first submission or your first subscription, also leave room for at least one rejection cycle.