Introduction

A few other points to keep in mind about distributing your app on our platforms:

• Some features and technologies that are not generally available to developers may be offered as an entitlement for limited use cases. For example, we offer entitlements for CarPlay Audio, HyperVisor, and Privileged File Operations. Review our documentation on developer.apple.com to learn more about entitlements.

Before You Submit

Development GuidelinesDeveloper Documentation

• SwiftUI
• UIKit
• AppKit
• WatchKitApp extensions
• Optimizing Your App’s Data for iCloud Backup
• App extensions iOS Data Storage Guidelines Apple File System
• App Store Connect Help
• Developer Account Help

2. Performance

• 2.1 App Completeness
  • (a) Submissions to App Review, including apps you make available for pre-order, should be final versions with all necessary metadata and fully functional URLs included; placeholder text, empty websites, and other temporary content should be scrubbed before submission. Make sure your app has been tested on-device for bugs and stability before you submit it, and include demo account info (and turn on your back-end service!) if your app includes a login. If you are unable to provide a demo account due to legal or security obligations, you may include a built-in demo mode in lieu of a demo account with prior approval by Apple. Ensure the demo mode exhibits your app’s full features and functionality. We will reject incomplete app bundles and binaries that crash or exhibit obvious technical problems.
  • (b) If you offer in-app purchases in your app, make sure they are complete, up-to-date, and visible to the reviewer and functional. If any configured in-app purchase items cannot be found or reviewed in your app, or that you explain why notthe reason in your review notes. Please don’t treat App Review as a software testing service. We will reject incomplete app bundles and binaries that crash or exhibit obvious technical problems.
• 2.3 Accurate Metadata

  Customers should know what they’re getting when they download or buy your app, so make sure all your app metadata, including privacy information, your app description, screenshots, and previews accurately reflect the app’s core experience and remember to keep them up-to-date with new versions.

  • 2.3.10 Make sure your app is focused on the iOSexperience of the Apple platforms it supports, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS or watchOS experience, and don’t include names, icons, or imagery of other mobile platforms or alternative app marketplaces in your app or metadata, unless there is specific, approved interactive functionality. Make sure your app metadata is focused on the app itself and its experience. Don’t include irrelevant information.
• 2.4 Hardware Compatibility
  • 2.4.1 To ensure people get the most out of your app, iPhone apps should run on iPad whenever possible. We encourage you to consider building universal apps so customers can use them on all of their devices. Learn more about Universal apps.
• 2.5 Software Requirements
  • 2.5.8 Apps that create alternate desktop/home screen environments or simulate multi-app widget experiences will be rejected.

3. Business

• 3.1 Payments
  • 3.1.1 In-App Purchase:
    • Non-subscription apps may offer a free time-based trial period before presenting a full unlock option by setting up a Non-Consumable IAP item at Price Tier 0 that follows the naming convention: “XX-day Trial.” Prior to the start of the trial, your app must clearly identify its duration, the content or services that will no longer be accessible when the trial ends, and any downstream charges the user would need to pay for full functionality. Learn more about managing content access and the duration of the trial period using Receipts and Device CheckDeviceCheck.

4. Design

• 4.6 Alternate App Icons Apps may display customized icons, for example, to reflect a sports team preference, provided that each change is initiated by the user and the app includes settings to revert to the original icon Intentionally omitted. All icon variants must relate to the content of the app and changes should be consistent across all system assets, so that the icons displayed in Settings, Notifications, etc. match the new springboard icon.
• 4.7 Mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, plug-ins, and game emulators

  Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini apps and mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins. Additionally, retro game console and PC emulator apps can offer to download games. You are responsible for all such software offered in your app, including ensuring that such software complies with these Guidelines and all applicable laws. Software that does not comply with one or more guidelines will lead to the rejection of your app. You must also ensure that the software adheres to the additional rules that follow in 4.7.1 andthrough 4.7.5. These additional rules are important to preserve the experience that App Store customers expect, and to help ensure user safety.