App Store Expedited Review: How and When to Request It

Normal review times (2026):

• •New apps: 24-48 hours
• •Updates: 12-24 hours
• •First-time publishers: 2-5 days

Expedited review times (when approved):

• •Typically 12-24 hours from request
• •Sometimes faster (a few hours) for critical security issues
• •Not guaranteed — Apple evaluates each request individually

Expedited review is free. There's no fee for requesting or receiving an expedited review. It's Apple's way of accommodating genuine emergencies.

High approval rate:

• •Critical bug fix affecting existing users: your app is crashing for a significant portion of users and you have a fix ready
• •Security vulnerability: a security issue that puts user data at risk
• •Data loss bug: a bug that causes users to lose data
• •Broken core functionality: a major feature that stopped working
• •Time-sensitive event: your app supports an event happening within days (conference, holiday, sports event)
• •Legal/compliance deadline: a regulatory deadline requiring an app update

Low approval rate:

• •Marketing campaign timing: 'my ad campaign starts tomorrow'
• •General impatience: 'I want to launch sooner'
• •Feature release: 'I want to ship a new feature faster'
• •Holiday/seasonal launches planned late: 'I want to launch before Christmas'
• •App Store feature placement: 'Apple is featuring my app next week' (Apple may expedite this, but it's not guaranteed)

The key distinction: Apple expedites for user-impacting emergencies, not for developer convenience. If your reason is 'users are suffering,' you'll likely be approved. If your reason is 'I want to launch faster,' you'll likely be denied.

1. 1.Submit your app normally: you must have an active submission in 'Waiting for Review' or 'In Review' status before requesting expedited review.

1. 2.Go to App Store Connect → your app → the submitted version

1. 3.Look for the 'Request an Expedited Review' link: this appears in the review status section when your app is in the queue. Not all accounts show this link at all times — Apple may limit visibility based on account history.

- Explain your reason clearly and specifically

- Provide evidence if possible (crash logs, user reports, security advisories)

- State the urgency timeline (e.g., 'event starts in 3 days')

- Be honest — Apple verifies claims for some reasons

1. 4.Fill out the request form:

1. 5.Submit the request: you'll receive an automated confirmation. Apple reviews the request (not the app) and decides whether to grant expedited review.

1. 6.If approved: your app moves to the front of the queue. You'll see the status change to 'In Review' sooner than normal.

1. 7.If denied: your app remains in the normal queue. You can't appeal a denial — just wait for normal review.

Alternative: Contact Apple Developer Support

If the expedited review link isn't available, you can contact Apple Developer Support through the Contact Us page. Select 'App Review' as the topic and explain your urgency. This is less direct but can work for genuine emergencies.

• •Critical bug fixes: 80-90% approval rate
• •Security vulnerabilities: 90%+ approval rate (Apple prioritizes security)
• •Time-sensitive events: 50-70% approval rate (depends on evidence and timing)
• •Legal/compliance: 70-85% approval rate
• •Marketing/launch timing: 10-20% approval rate
• •General impatience: near 0% approval rate

Factors that affect approval:

• •Clarity of the reason: specific, evidence-backed reasons get approved more often
• •Account history: accounts with a clean record and previous successful submissions get better treatment
• •Previous expedited requests: if you've requested expedited review many times, Apple may deny future requests
• •Timing: requests made during high-volume periods (iOS beta season, holidays) may face more scrutiny
• •Evidence: crash logs, user reports, or security advisories strengthen your case

1. 1.Future requests get denied: if Apple sees you requesting expedited review for non-emergencies, they'll deny future requests — even genuine ones. This is the 'boy who cried wolf' problem.

1. 2.Increased scrutiny: accounts that frequently request expedited review may face more thorough reviews of their submissions. Apple may look more carefully at your app for issues.

1. 3.Account flagging: in extreme cases, Apple may flag your account for review. Flagged accounts face longer review times and more rejections.

1. 4.Relationship damage: Apple's review team is human. Repeatedly requesting expedited review for convenience reasons wastes their time and damages your relationship with the team.

The rule of thumb: request expedited review only when users are genuinely suffering or when there's a real time-sensitive emergency. If you can wait 24-48 hours for normal review, wait.

How often is too often? There's no published limit, but developer reports suggest:

• •1-2 times per year: completely fine
• •3-5 times per year: may raise flags
• •6+ times per year: likely to face denials and scrutiny

If you find yourself needing expedited review frequently, the problem is likely your submission process — not Apple's review speed. Improve your pre-submission testing to reduce rejections, and plan your launches with more lead time.

1. 1.Plan ahead: submit 5-7 days before your target launch date. This gives buffer for rejection and resubmission.

1. 2.Use TestFlight for beta testing: catch bugs before submission. Apps that are well-tested rarely need expedited review.

1. 3.Fix issues before submission: the most common reason for needing expedited review is fixing a rejection. If you submit correctly the first time, you don't need to expedite the resubmission.

1. 4.Time your submission strategically: submit early in the week (Monday-Tuesday) to avoid weekend queue buildup. Avoid submitting during iOS beta season (June-September) when review queues are longer.

1. 5.Use Phased Release for updates: instead of expedited review for an urgent update, use Apple's phased release feature to roll out updates gradually. This doesn't speed up review but lets you catch issues early.

1. 6.For critical bugs, consider pulling the app: if your app has a critical bug and you can't wait for review, you can remove it from sale temporarily while you prepare the fix. This prevents new users from downloading a buggy app.

1. 7.Prepare screenshots and metadata correctly: the #1 cause of rejection (and thus the #1 cause of needing expedited resubmission) is screenshot issues. Use a tool that exports at correct App Store sizes to avoid this entirely.