It looks like Apple is tightening up on app approvals. Today I received the bad news on two apps I submitted a couple weeks ago. Apple writes - We've completed the review of your app, but cannot post this version to the App Store because it did not comply with the App Store Review Guidelines, as detailed below: 2.13: Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected One app was for a chain of schools - It included detailed information about admission and classes, provided location maps for multiple locations, seven different ways to interact from one touch calling and email, text messaging to multiple social media links. The other app was for a real estate salesperson - It included touch to call and email, text messaging, an RSS feed of relevant news, recent listings. I have seen many similar apps in the app store, many with significantly less features. That's why I was very surprised with the rejections. I think Apple wants users of apps to have a different experience then they get on the Web. They want apps that use features that the Apple devices provide - Geo, Compass , camera etc. I read on a blog today - Apps typically do things. It is helpful to try to define an app?s purpose in a sentence, as in ?this app helps people find used cars? or ?this app helps people maintain shopping lists? or ?this app turns photos into cartoons.? On to my next project!

Yeah... super bummed when this happens. Unfortunatley, it does happen. WAY more than most folks realize. The thing that gets us is the arbitrary YES and NO process. Sooooo bogus. The long term will be very very interesting. There is no doubt that nobody wants junk-apps in their stores but really Apple, a list of schools is junk? Sigh.. Keep your chin up and keep plugging. I'm 100% convinced that FREE apps have about a 50% chance of rejection regardless of what they do. Apple's getting very serious about how much their willing to 'host' when they make zero money.

Can you offer an guidance on re-submitting an app? Make changes and re-submit as a new version? Submit as a new app with a different app ID? Features to add to increase approval chances? Thanks.

Yeah... lots and lots of thoughts on this. So many in fact that we should probably get some sort of 'Increase you chances' document put together. Without seeing the apps, I'm guessing it's even tougher. The best acid-test is usually 'If I can do this in Safari it's probably not worth making' I realise this is arbitrary because nearly anything COULD be done with Safari. An opinion kind of thing. Maps, Quizzes, and Audio seem to be the best eye-candy for Apple. Quizzes... sigh...still not done for v1.5.

Hmm this is worrying... However the Apps look incredible thanks to Buzztouch now, how could they refuse? If you let people develop Apps then let them publish Apple!

Crazy eh. Apple is constantly moving the target which is exactly why Android and third-party-app stores (Cyida, jailbreak, etc) are moving quickly into the market.

IMHO, Apple should worry about security, function, ui guidelines, and monitoring objectionable content, and leave the interpretation of value and quality up to the end user.

aaaaaaa-men. However, I do totally understand their posiiton and urge folks to do the very best they can to understand the value in this idea. Everyone wins when apps are not simple re-creations of Safari-able content. If an app is only a web-rendition, it's very likely that it's useless as an app. Of course there are cases when this is not true, like offline access, specialized content, finely currated, etc. It kills me to think they are sooooo controlling but it it there little world. I worry that Android and others will someday make it a mute point anyway (worry for Apple). In the meantime, we'll just keep plugging away at helping folks understand the ins-n-outs ;-)

I have submitted an app for my wife's art work and hope it will be accepted. Yes it essentially pulls content from her blog, has some articles about publications of her work, and a youtube video about her work. People I have shown it to loves it. It is pending review by apple ...wish me luck. I do hope they approve it.

Good luck :) I uploaded a jewellery app, got stopped 1st time round for marketing, but took out a good few references to designer name, left in pics without company name on them, put in a bit of general history, took out website URL tab, and it did the trick. Published 4 hours after I emailed resolution centre with new version. Let me know when the painting app is done, would love to see it :)

What process did you follow? Did you reject your previous binary and upload a new binary with review notes?

Nope. Just fixed it in buzztouch, then emailed res centre and told them it was fixed. Didnt reject binary, didnt reupload. Much faster this way if you dont need to upload new artwork :)

Did you use the form in the Resolution Center below the reason the app was rejected?

yes I did.

Generally speaking, Apple's approval process it's not as mysterious as most folks think... Apple wants to see, for good reason... a) Useful, boutique, interesting content (awesome, fun, amazing info that is not mainstream) b) Good looking, gorgeous, amazing artwork. The iPad and iPhone display PRO artwork wonderfully. If the app has amatuer artwork or photos, it's a no-go for sure. An app with nothing more than gorgeous images will be approved. App's don't need complicated content, just useful or good looking content. c) Creative: The Fish Finder app (buzztouch of course) is simple by design but a very very creative idea. It's a fishing hole location thing. Secret fishing hole in a techie-way, what's cooler than that? Or, another very very cool Horse centric app that teaches, entertains, and educates folks about all things equestrian - doesn't get any cooler! Folks tend to get stuck when they convince themselves that getting their 'magic restaurant coupon guide' or 'car sales specials of the week' app in the App Store has benefit for a typical iPhone user. it doens't. Users don't want spam. Plenty of BUILT IN apps do this just fine (Google). It's tough because everyone thinks their business is important to Apple (it's not) but they don't understand that putting advertisements for their biz' in an iOS App is a giant waste of time in most cases. What's the point - download install - launch - delete! Ads in apps are not bad, Ad Apps are bad. Lastly, before my rant ends. Folks ask us all the time how come we don't put a Powered by buzztouch message in all the apps created on the site. Seems logical - right? Of course we have considered these kinds of things. We don't for two reasons. 1) The apps created on this site are OWNED by the app creator. This is a very important concept, we are not helping people make US apps, we are helping people make THEIR apps. But, this doesn't necessarily mean we couldn't get a few inches of ad space for 'buzztouch' - which takes us to #2 2) A very very very high percentage of the apps made on this site are useless, ugly, unprofessional and sometimes literally offensive. Why in the world would we want to associate ourselves with junk like that. And, not surprisingly, the very same folks that create these apps ask us constanly 'how come apple rejected me.' Funny. Fact is, we would love it if everyone were a designer - they are nott. We would love it if everyone 'got it' - they don't. And, we would love it if every app created on our site was 'pretty' - guess again. Sigh... so, we continue to try to help those that actually give-a-rip and do genuinely want to create useful, pretty, and fun mobile software. Maybe, just maybe, this effort will help the folks that don't get it YET stick with it long enough to actually succeed. Who knows, could happen. Done ranting. Back to v1.5 quiz issues, 11 hours till deadline.

OK, I know that it's anyone's guess whether a particular app will be approved or rejected, but i thought I'd pass this one by the crowd to get its take on this idea we've been hired to develop: The App is free and tentatively called 'shake-n-save'. It's an app provided by a local chain of sub shops and it features a 3D roll of two six-sided dice. The resulting number (21 possible combinations) corresponds to a particular in-store promotion. So, let's say the user gets to the store with their app in hand, shakes the phone and the dice reveal a five and a six. Maybe a five and a six equal 11% off the total order during that visit. If they opt to share the fact that they are at the restaurant through their social media outlets (Facebook / twitter) they earn a second chance to roll. The second roll might be double sixes (boxcars) which equals a free sandwich. Any particular result is good for the corresponding offer for 30 minutes and once a user rolls, they cannot roll again for 12 hours. I'm thinking that the following two guidelines are the main ones in question: 20.3 It must be permissible by law for the developer to run a lottery app, and a lottery app must have all of the following characteristics: consideration, chance, and a prize. [BECAUSE THE APP IS FREE, THERE IS NO CONSIDERATION] 2.13 Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected.

Sounds like an awesome app! In the early days we created a simliar 'lottery app' (Apple's words) and got rejected at first but got approved the next day after providing some text in the app (behind a simple info button) that explained clearly the nature of the 'gamble' and that the client had the 'legal right' to operate a contest. I'm thinking you'll be fine with this provided that it's professional and fun. You could even take it a bit further and provide something fun / useful for those that didn't win or get the appropriate combo of numbers. Can't wait to see it.

What was the nature of the 'gamble' that you described? Also, do you think I've got a problem with it being a free app (no consideration)? I'm encouraged that you think we'll be fine, but I'm still uneasy because I don't think it's quality content. There's no real game, see. It's just 'roll the dice and get your freebie'. Don't get me wrong, I want to do the app. It represents a much needed creative repite for our developers who are immersed in the trenches of iPad eComm and mind-numbing database design and could use a good physics engine challenge, but I want to make sure we're engaged in great work, not just great amounts of work.

Guys my app got rejected for the following reasons. 2.13: Apps that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements will be rejected 12.3: Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected Any ideas to change it would be much appreciated. Yes it showcases the artwork of my wife but unlike the REI and TARGET apps for example it does not attempt to sell anything, just show her art. Do you know if I might have better luck with an offline version using an image gallery.

My Adice: Yes, us a gallery, not a webpage to show images. Apple frowns bigtime on apps that use Web Content almost exclusivley. Yeah, setup a gallery intead. Also, artwork / icon. Be sure to submit your app with a professional graphic as the icon and not a 'section' of a photograph. I don't know what you're using for an icon but becuase it's your wifes photos, I thought maybe you were using a photo? Apple doens't like 'photos' for icons. Look at your phones home screen, do you see an photogrphs as icons on any apps you've installed? Probably not. Good professional logo / graphic for icon + image gallery and you'll likely be fine. Limit the branding, or business building content in the app. You can always put it back using your control panel - wink.

@9ThreadsDigital: Missed your post the other day - yikes. The content type app we worked on was related to a national car dealer chain (huge company with zillions of locations) and they wanted to give a special offer for folks that checked-in (at the auto mall) during a certain time frame. This was before the check-in rush we all know about now. The app 'promised' to save them money, give them a better deal on their trade, etc, etc, if they were a 'winner.' You won by being like 'the first ten to check in' kinda thing. It all worked out eventually. Apple's FAR MORE FLEXIBLE than most folks think. If you keep an open mind, keep your eye on THEIR objectives and business model, you'll always get through. It may take a few back-n-forths but it'll happen. Key with Apple + Dev + Rejection: Be as transparent as you can, don't hide anything, they seem to respect that approach (for good reason).

Thanks for the tips David. I am working to change it to an image gallery. I do hope it is still ok to pull the images from a blog but display them via the image gallery. I am using a photo of an original painting. I hope that would be acceptable in the case of art? Yep, I will keep trying because I think the message of her work, ie trying to save the environment and leave room for animals is an important one. Sill ok to leave the Email Me, Facebook and Twitter functions right? I will re-download the source as well once you confirm it ready to 'fix' the pixels with landscape issue below the navbar that appears to touch, even go under it a bit. Btw, I noticed that the refresh button can often crash the 1.5 apps when no internet available. Thanks again

Just got notice back from iTunes that my app was rejected, totally bummed out about it - but reading through this thread is helping me see a way to possibly resubmit. Thanks.

good luck, if you jump through their hoops you'll get there :)

Thanks to David, buzztouch and many others on this forum I have been able to develop and have approved six apps. A few months ago I developed an app for a realtor that is location aware and includes both a map and list of current listings in order of distance from user, using GPS. A couple weeks ago I submitted a similar app with the same features and more and it has been rejected - # 12.3 Apps that are simply web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links, may be rejected. The fact that the app is location aware is not enough this time to get by the COULD be done with Safari test. I am adding Push Notification and image emailer to the app, both of which I don't think can be done with mobile Safari, and will resubmit and hope for approval. Any suggestions on additional features I could add using buzztouch that will help get by a 12.3 rejection would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.

<I'm 100% convinced that FREE apps have about a 50% chance of rejection regardless of what they do. Apple's getting very serious about how much their willing to 'host' when they make zero money> @David - would initially charging for an app (say .99 or so) help get it approved? Is it possible to then make it a free app? Thanks, Jeff

I just had one called 'haiku poems' approved within one week. It is free but with a few ads.

@Jeff: I've never considered this. Charging to increase your chances of approval, then changing the price..could work. I fear that lowering from fee to free would require a re-submit and re-approval. I can't imagine Apple being that naive..maybe though. Another idea. Make it .99 cents and figure out a way to make it 'worth it' - not sure what your'e building but folks do respond well to a value.