Guideline 1.1 Objectionable Content: Fix an App Rejection

Guideline 1.1, "Objectionable Content," rejects apps whose content is offensive, shocking, in very poor taste or misleading. It also covers fake features, like a fake detector, and apps that cash in on a tragedy in the news. The fix is to remove or rein in the flagged element, in the app and on the listing, then tell the reviewer what changed.

I publish my own iOS apps: Solys, TradaZen and Nolera are on the App Store. This guide is based on Apple's official text, read on October 15, 2026 ("Last Updated: June 8, 2026"). The apps mentioned below are made-up examples to illustrate the rule. For the big picture on rejection reasons, read why Apple rejects an app instead.

What does guideline 1.1 say?

1.1 opens section 1, "Safety," of the App Review Guidelines. Its opening sentence: "Apps should not include content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust, in exceptionally poor taste, or just plain creepy." In other words: no offensive, hurtful, disturbing or disgusting content, nothing in terrible taste, nothing just plain creepy.

The section's introduction is even blunter: "if you're looking to shock and offend people, the App Store isn't the right place for your app." If your goal is to shock, the App Store isn't the place.

The seven sub-rules are examples, not a closed list. The reviewer judges the tone and effect of the content. That's why a 1.1 rejection often comes as a surprise: no specific box was ticked, but the whole thing was judged borderline.

The 7 sub-rules, from 1.1.1 to 1.1.7

• 1.1.1: defamatory, discriminatory or mean-spirited content toward a group (religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender...), especially if it's likely to humiliate a targeted person or group. Exception: "Professional political satirists and humorists are generally exempt from this requirement."
• 1.1.2: realistic violence against people or animals, or incitement to violence. In a game, enemies can't target only one ethnicity, a real government or a real company.
• 1.1.3: dangerous or illegal use of weapons, or helping people buy firearms and ammunition.
• 1.1.4: sexually explicit or pornographic content, including hookup apps.
• 1.1.5: inflammatory religious commentary, or inaccurate quotes from religious texts.
• 1.1.6: false information and fake features, like inaccurate device data or a fake location tracker. The key sentence: "Stating that the app is “for entertainment purposes” won't overcome this guideline." Anonymous or prank calling and SMS apps are rejected.
• 1.1.7: apps that try to profit from a recent event, like a war, a terrorist attack or an epidemic.

The table: sub-rule, typical rejection, fix

Here's the checklist to run before you submit an app that touches humor, AI or current events. The typical rejections are made-up examples based on the text.

Sub-rule	Typical rejection	Fix
1.1.1 Mean-spirited	Jokes about an ethnicity	Target ideas, not people
1.1.2 Violence	Realistic gore, real target	Cartoon style, fictional enemy
1.1.3 Weapons	Link to a gun shop	Remove purchases and links
1.1.4 Sexual content	Undressed AI avatar	Filter and clothed outfits
1.1.5 Religion	Misquoted verse	Exact, sourced text
1.1.6 False info	Fake lie detector	Real feature or removal
1.1.7 Current events	Game about an ongoing war	Remove the theme

An "for entertainment" disclaimer won't save a fake feature: Apple says so in black and white in 1.1.6.

Four typical cases for an indie app

The four cases below are made-up examples, not real apps.

The satire app

Example: an app that generates fake newspaper front pages featuring politicians. The 1.1.1 exception covers "professional" satirists and humorists. A solo developer doesn't automatically qualify. The text mainly targets content that humiliates, intimidates or hurts a specific target.

What I'd do: target situations, not ethnicities or religions. Never let users target a private person by name or photo. And if users publish their creations, add the filtering, reporting and blocking required by guideline 1.2.

The fake detector and the joke app

Example: a "lie detector" that reads the finger on the screen, a fingerprint scanner that "guesses" your mood, a tracker that locates any phone number. The phone measures none of this. That's exactly the "trick/joke functionality" of 1.1.6.

The fix isn't one more disclaimer. Either the feature really measures what it shows, or it goes. If the idea is a game between friends, own the game: questions, a score, a dare, without claiming to read the body or the device. Same for the listing: a name that promises a real detector is enough to trigger 1.1.6.

AI-generated content, unfiltered

Example: an app that writes stories, jokes or coaching replies with an AI model, displayed as is. Whatever your AI produces, your app is the one publishing it. If a racist or violent message comes out of the model, 1.1 applies as if you'd written it yourself.

What I'd set up:

• System instructions that set the tone and the forbidden topics.
• A check of the request and the response on the server, before display. OpenAI offers a free moderation model that classifies text and images.
• A neutral message when a response is blocked, and a button to report a response.

This check runs on the server, where the model key has to stay, as I explain in secret API key in an Expo app. If creations can be shared with others, 1.2 applies on top of 1.1. And sending user data to the model falls under guideline 5.1.2.

The AI avatar or image

Example: an app that turns a selfie into a character, or generates avatars. Three risks. A sexualized image falls under 1.1.4. A gory or realistically violent image falls under 1.1.2. A real person mocked or depicted without consent falls under 1.1.1.

The fix: filter the request and the generated image, refuse photos of other people, and keep clothed outfits by default. For logos, characters and brand styles, the rights question is covered in the guideline 5.2.1 guide.

Your listing matters as much as your app

A 1.1 rejection can target the listing as much as the code: a provocative description, an inappropriate keyword, a screenshot that's too graphic. Rule 2.3.8 requires it: "Metadata should be appropriate for all audiences". Your icon, screenshots and previews must stay at the 4+ level, even if your app is rated higher. For a violent game, Apple gives the example of images without gruesome deaths or a weapon pointed at a character.

Also answer the age rating questionnaire honestly, as rule 2.3.6 requires. Its values and definitions cover violence, sexual content, crude humor and horror. An accurate rating doesn't make forbidden content acceptable. Mostly, it avoids surprising families who rely on parental controls.

Responding to a 1.1 rejection

1. Find the flagged element. The message sometimes cites a screenshot or a screen. If it's vague, ask in App Store Connect which content is the problem.
2. Fix it everywhere. The app, the description, the keywords, the screenshots and the in-app purchase images.
3. Plan a new build if the content lives in the app. A listing change alone is only enough if the problem was on the listing.
4. Explain in two sentences. The method and response times are covered in responding to App Review.

A template for your notes, to adapt, keeping only what's true:

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback regarding Guideline 1.1.

In build [X], we have:
- removed [content] from [screen] and from the
  App Store description and screenshots;
- added server-side moderation of AI requests and
  responses before anything is displayed;
- added a "Report" button on every generated result.

Best regards,
[Your name]

Only appeal to the App Review Board if the reviewer misunderstood your content. Borderline content isn't something you defend. You remove it.

The 1.1 checklist before submitting

• No text, image or sound targets a group, a religion or a private person.
• Game enemies are fictional, and the violence isn't realistic.
• No feature claims to measure what the phone can't measure.
• No theme profits from an ongoing war, terrorist attack or epidemic.
• Every AI output goes through a server-side check before display.
• The icon, screenshots and description stay at the 4+ level.
• The age rating questionnaire describes the actual content.
• The review notes explain borderline areas, like dark humor or a sensitive theme.

Fix your rejection before resubmitting

The Review Kit brings together everything I check before each submission, with two skills that review your project in Claude Code and draft your reply if Apple rejects you. For a human eye, book an hour with me: we'll go over your content and listing together. The full process is on the app rejected by Apple page.

If you're preparing your first launch, take the free diagnostic: it tells you which step to tackle first and sends you my Apple anti-rejection checklist.

Nobody can guarantee Apple will accept your app. Removing the borderline areas before you submit at least takes this reason off the list.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Guideline 1.1 - Safety - Objectionable Content" mean?

It's the rejection heading in Apple's message. The reviewer decided that some content in the app or its listing was offensive, shocking or misleading. The message may point to a specific sub-rule, for example "Guideline 1.1.6" for a fake feature.

What is guideline 1.1.6?

It's the sub-rule on false information and fake features: inaccurate device data, fake location trackers, prank features. It also rejects anonymous or prank calling and SMS apps. The fix is to make the feature real, or remove it.

Is a "for entertainment" disclaimer enough?

No. 1.1.6 states that saying the app is "for entertainment purposes" isn't enough. If a feature claims to measure or detect something the phone doesn't measure, the disclaimer doesn't change the rejection.

Can a humor or satire app pass 1.1?

It can pass if the humor doesn't target a group, a religion or a private person. The 1.1.1 exception covers professional satirists and humorists. For an indie app, target situations and ideas, not people, and keep your listing at the 4+ level.

Does AI-generated content fall under 1.1 or 1.2?

Both, depending on the flow. What the AI shows to the person using it falls under 1.1: you're responsible for it as if you'd written it by hand. If those creations are shared with other users, 1.2 applies too, with filtering, reporting, blocking and published contact info.