Read what Apple actually said
Start with the rejection message, which names the guideline. Check that before you change anything, because the note may cite something other than 4.2. Here are the ones a station or channel app tends to meet.
| The message points at | What Apple means | Your first move |
|---|---|---|
| 4.2 Minimum functionality | It looks like a website in a wrapper, or isn't useful or "app-like" | Reply with what the app does on a phone, and fill your profile |
| 2.1 App completeness | The reviewer saw an empty or unfinished app | Get on air, and give your hours with the time zone |
| 2.3 Accurate metadata | Your store page doesn't match the app | Use screenshots of the app in use, not a logo or splash screen |
| 4.2.6 Templates | Apple thinks an app maker submitted it for you | Say you own the content and submitted from your own account |
| 5.2.3 Rights | Apple wants proof you can stream this | Send your licences or written permission |
The wording of 4.2 is short. Your app needs features, content and interface that lift it "beyond a repackaged website", and 4.2.2 adds that apps shouldn't mainly be marketing, web clippings or a collection of links. That's a judgment call by a reviewer, so your job is to make the judgment easy.
Stay on air during the review
This is the cheapest fix there is. The reviewer can't judge a player with nothing playing. A video app off air shows "We'll be live soon", which looks like an unfinished app even though it's working as it should.
- Video channel: loop a recorded show from your encoder (the app that sends your picture out) until Apple answers.
- Radio station: keep your stream running. If you have AutoDJ (the part that plays your music library by itself), let it run around the clock while you wait.
- You can't stay on? Give exact hours with the time zone, then keep to them.
- Belt and braces: attach a short screen recording of the app playing, so the reviewer can see it even if they open it at a bad moment.
Apple says at least half of submissions typically get reviewed inside a day, and nine in ten inside two. Plan for a few days of cover anyway.
Fill the app before you send it
An empty profile makes a thin app, and that's what 4.2 is looking for. The app draws its content from your profile, so finish that first. On video, the app shows your logo, description, website, socials and contact details from your channel profile. On radio, it reads your schedule, streams and links from your station profile, so fill those in, and add any podcasts. Guideline 2.1 also wants placeholder text and empty websites gone, so check the links work and the website isn't a holding page.
Point at what the app does on a phone
Your strongest argument is what the app does as an installed app, not a page in a browser. Only list what your own build does. Check each one on a real phone first, and use the words from our guides for video apps and radio apps.
| Your app | What to name |
|---|---|
| Video channel | Native fullscreen playback, picture in picture, AirPlay to a TV, sound in the background with the screen off, playback that starts by itself when you go live, sharing, and buttons to reach you |
| Radio station | Your live stream with your schedule and podcasts, and CarPlay if Apple has approved it for your app |
A radio app has the shorter list, so being on air and clear notes carry more of the weight. Then tell the reviewer where to find the less obvious features. On a video app, the background sound switch is on the channel page under the player.
Write notes a tired reviewer can use
Notes go under App Review Information. Guideline 2.3.1 says new features must be described specifically in these notes and that generic descriptions will be rejected, so be specific and put the useful facts first. Change this example to fit your own app, and remove anything yours doesn't do. On a radio app, replace the list with your live stream, schedule and podcasts.
This is the official app of [your channel name]. We own the
channel and submitted this app from our own developer account.
The app plays our live channel. We are on air 24 hours a day
during this review, so video will start when you open it.
What it does on iPhone and iPad:
- Native fullscreen playback
- Picture in picture while using other apps
- AirPlay to a TV
- Sound in the background with the screen off. To turn it on, open
the channel page and use the switch under the player
- Share the channel, and contact us by email or phone
No sign-in is needed. We hold the rights to everything we broadcast
and can send proof on request.Keep that last promise real. Have your music licences or written permissions in a folder before you submit, because Apple may ask. And use screenshots taken while you're live, so the store page shows the same thing the reviewer sees.
Reply before you rebuild
If a rejection arrives, don't start over. Press Reply to App Review in App Store Connect. Apple says this is the best way to get help with a submission, and that a specialist familiar with your app will answer. As our video app guide says, most minimum functionality questions are settled by a reply, with no new build.
- Keep it short: thank them, and name the guideline they raised.
- Say what the app is and who owns the content.
- List what it does on a phone, as in your notes.
- If they opened it while you were off air, say so, and give the times you'll be live.
- Ask a direct question if you're unsure: which part of the guideline do they want addressed?
Don't point at other apps that got through: the reviewer is judging yours. And don't send the same build again unchanged, because Apple says repeated rejections for the same guideline make your review take longer.
Still stuck after App Review answers? Ask for a call in the same Reply to App Review window. Check your contact details under App Review Information first, and give your time zone. Apple says calls typically happen within three to five business days. Apple also offers 30-minute video appointments, but those are for general advice and don't speed up or guarantee the outcome of a review.
Appeal only as a last step
If you truly think the reviewer misunderstood your app, you can appeal to the App Review Board. It's a separate form, not the reply box. You get one appeal per rejected submission, so answer any open questions from Apple first, and give specific reasons why the app meets the guidelines.
Keep your audience if Apple still says no
Your viewers and listeners can still reach you through the embeddable player on video and radio plans, on your own website. Your other stores don't depend on Apple's answer, and the publishing guides cover Google Play, Samsung, LG and Roku.
If you run two stations, don't assume two near-identical apps will go through. Guideline 4.3 warns against several bundle IDs (the app's internal ID) for what's really the same app. If you want advice first, raise it in one of Apple's appointments, but Apple won't pre-approve an app there.