Publishing on the App Store is the stage where a lot of people unexpectedly get stuck, even though the app is already finished. Apple reviews every app by hand, and it has more reasons to reject than you might think. I take apps through this process, and I'll walk you through it step by step: what you need, how much it costs and how long it takes, and most importantly - why Apple rejects apps most often, so you pass review on the first attempt instead of the fifth.
What you need before you start
Before your app even reaches review, you need a few things. Without them, publishing doesn't get off the ground.
- An Apple Developer account. It's paid, around 99 € per year for an individual or a company. A company also needs a legal entity identifier (D-U-N-S), and getting one takes time, so it's worth starting early.
- A finished app, built for release. Not a debug version, but a final build with the right signatures and certificates.
- Assets for the App Store page. Icon, screenshots for different screen sizes, a name, a description, keywords, and sometimes a video preview.
- A privacy policy. It's mandatory, and you need a working link to it. Without one, the app won't be accepted.
- Data collection details. Apple requires you to honestly declare what user data the app collects and why. You fill this in on the app's product page.
If any of this gets done at the last minute, publishing drags out. That's why I prepare the assets and the account in parallel with development, not after.
The publishing steps
The process itself, when everything is ready, looks like this.
The first step is to create an app record in App Store Connect: name, category, language, price or monetization model. The second is to upload the app build through Apple's required tool and wait for it to process. The third is to fill in the product page: screenshots, description, search keywords, age rating, privacy details. The fourth is to submit it for review. After that the app goes to an Apple reviewer, and after some time you get either approval or a rejection with a stated reason.
Once it's approved, you decide whether to release the app right away or on a set date. That's it, it's in the store.
How much it costs and how long it takes
In terms of money, publishing itself is cheap: the main expense is 99 € per year for the developer account. There are no separate fees for the listing itself.
Time-wise, the picture is as follows. Setting up the account takes anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks if a company needs a D-U-N-S. Preparing the assets takes a few days. Apple's review of the app itself usually takes from a day to several days. If you get a rejection, the cycle repeats: you fix it, resubmit, and wait again. So the real time to launch depends heavily on whether you pass review on the first try.
Rejections are exactly where the most time is lost, and almost all of them are predictable.
Why Apple rejects apps most often
If you know the typical reasons, most rejections can be avoided in advance. Here are the most common ones.
The app crashes or doesn't fully work. The reviewer tests the features, and if something doesn't work or crashes, that's an instant rejection. Before you submit, the app needs to be genuinely stable, not just "mostly ready."
Too little content or a "website in a wrapper." Apple rejects apps that essentially just open a website and offer no value as an app. The product needs to do something that's truly app-like.
Payment problems. If the app sells digital content or subscriptions while bypassing Apple's system, that's a rejection. For digital purchases Apple requires its own payment system and takes a commission. You need to plan for this from the start.
No privacy policy or incorrect data collection details. A broken link to the policy, or a mismatch between the data collection you declared and what actually happens, is a frequent reason for a return.
Requesting permissions without an explanation. If the app asks for access to the camera, location, or contacts, you need to clearly explain why. Apple doesn't like a "just in case" request with no reason.
An unpolished product page. Screenshots that don't match the app, a misleading description, features that are claimed but don't exist - these are grounds for rejection too.
Most of these points are handled during development and preparation if you keep them in mind. I build Apple's requirements into the work from the very start - more on the process in the mobile app development service.
What to do if you get rejected
A rejection is neither a verdict nor a rarity; many apps go through it. Apple states a specific reason and often references a rule. The approach is simple: figure out exactly what they didn't like, fix it, reply to the reviewer through the messaging system with an explanation if needed, and resubmit.
Sometimes a rejection is a misunderstanding: the reviewer couldn't figure out how to use a feature, or couldn't find test access. In that case it helps to attach clear instructions and test data in the review notes - and you should do this right away, on the first submission, to reduce the chance of rejection. In tricky cases you can request a reconsideration. The main thing is not to resubmit the same thing unchanged, that's just a new rejection.
App Store and Google Play - the difference when publishing
If you're publishing the app on Google Play too, keep in mind that the approaches differ. Google reviews apps more leniently and faster, there are fewer rejections, and a lot is automated. Apple is stricter and more thorough, the review is manual, and there are more requirements.
That's why it's worth planning your release around the App Store as the tougher filter: if your app passes Apple's review, it'll almost certainly pass on Google Play too. I prepare the release for both platforms at once, but I keep Apple's requirements as the priority, precisely because they're stricter.
FAQ
How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store? Publishing itself is free; only the Apple Developer account is paid - around 99 € per year. There are no separate fees for the listing. If the app sells digital content or subscriptions, Apple takes a commission on those purchases through its own payment system, which you need to factor into your business model, but that has nothing to do with the cost of publishing itself.
How long does it take to publish on the App Store? Setting up the account takes from a couple of days to a couple of weeks if a company needs a D-U-N-S identifier. Preparing the assets takes a few days. Apple's review of the app itself usually takes from a day to several days. The real timeline depends on whether you pass review on the first try: if you're rejected, the cycle of fixes and a repeat review starts over.
Why does Apple reject apps? The most common reasons are: the app crashes or doesn't fully work, it's essentially just a wrapper around a website, payment problems that bypass Apple's system, a missing or broken link to the privacy policy, requesting permissions without an explanation, and an unpolished product page. Almost all of these reasons are predictable and can be handled during development if you keep them in mind ahead of time.
What should I do if my app gets rejected? Understand the reason Apple stated, fix the problem, and resubmit. If it's a misunderstanding, it helps to attach instructions and test access in the review notes. In disputed cases you can request a reconsideration. The main thing is not to resubmit the same thing unchanged: that will simply lead to a new rejection.
Do I need a separate account to publish? Yes, you need an Apple Developer account set up in your name or your company's. It's important that it belongs to you and not to the developer: the app in the store should be registered to you, otherwise you'll be tied to your contractor. I help set up the account in your name and publish the app under it.
