After the manual release-ios, Apple reviews your app before it appears in the store; with Google, a review also runs after the promote to the production track. These notes help you pass on the first attempt.
Demo access for the reviewers
If your app has a login, the reviewers need a working demo account. Store it in the app repository under ios/fastlane/metadata/review_information/:
| File | Content |
|---|---|
demo_user.txt |
Username of the demo account |
demo_password.txt |
Password |
notes.txt |
Notes for the reviewers (e.g. special aspects of the app) |
The account must work on production – reviewers test the live state.
Avoiding typical rejection reasons
- Incomplete metadata: description, screenshots, and privacy details must match the actual app – see Store metadata.
- Placeholder content: empty screens, “lorem ipsum”, or dead links reliably lead to rejection.
- Crashes on launch: test the release build beforehand via TestFlight or the Internal Track – that’s exactly why the platform stages every build there first.
- Missing legal texts: privacy policy (privacy URL) and, where required, legal notice must be reachable.
- Permissions without explanation: camera, location, or tracking access needs an understandable justification in the app.
Note
The first submission usually takes longer with Apple (often 1–3 business days, sometimes with questions). Plan for this before a launch date. Updates usually pass much faster afterwards.
If the app gets rejected
- Read the reasoning in App Store Connect or the Play Console – it references the specific guideline.
- Fix the issue, merge to
main, and startrelease-ios/release-androidagain. - For unclear rejections you can reply to Apple directly in the Resolution Center.