"In Review" and "Waiting for Review": What Every App Store Status Means

• •Prepare for Submission: you're still editing your app version. Nothing has been submitted. All fields are editable.

• •Missing Compliance Information: you haven't answered the export compliance questions (encryption, etc.). You must complete these before submitting.

• •Ready for Review: all required fields are complete and your build is uploaded. You can submit at this point.

These are all pre-queue statuses. Your app isn't being reviewed yet — you're still in control.

• •Waiting for Review: your submission is in the queue, waiting for a reviewer to pick it up. This is the longest status for most apps. Normal duration: 12-48 hours. During high-volume periods (iOS beta season, holidays), this can extend to 3-5 days.

• •In Review: a reviewer is actively examining your app. This is the shortest status — typically minutes to a few hours. The reviewer tests your app, checks metadata, and verifies compliance with guidelines. If the reviewer finds issues, the status changes to a rejection. If everything passes, the status changes to Pending Developer Release or Ready for Sale.

What happens during 'In Review':

- The reviewer installs your app on a test device

- They navigate through your app's core flows

- They check screenshots match the actual app UI

- They verify metadata (description, URLs, privacy policy)

- They test In-App Purchases if applicable

- They check for account deletion if your app has accounts

- They verify age rating accuracy

Don't panic if 'In Review' takes longer than expected. Some apps get more thorough reviews (finance, kids, health categories). The reviewer may also message you in the Resolution Center with questions — respond promptly.

• •Pending Developer Release: review passed, but you chose manual release (not automatic). Your app is approved but not live. You control when it goes live by clicking 'Release This Version'. Use this when you want to time your launch.

• •Pending Apple Release: review passed, and you scheduled a release for a specific date. Apple will release it automatically on that date.

• •Ready for Sale: your app is approved and live on the App Store. Users can download it. This is the final, success status.

• •Processing for App Store: your app is being processed for release. This is a brief transitional status between approval and Ready for Sale. Usually lasts 15-60 minutes.

For first-time submissions, the transition from 'In Review' to 'Pending Developer Release' or 'Ready for Sale' is the moment you've been waiting for. Check your email — Apple sends a notification when the status changes.

• •Developer Rejected: you cancelled the submission yourself (before or during review). This doesn't count as a rejection — you chose to pull it. Common when you discover a bug after submitting.

• •Metadata Rejected: the issue is with your listing information (screenshots, description, URLs, demo account), not the app binary. You don't need a new build — fix the metadata in App Store Connect and resubmit. Re-review is typically faster (metadata-only review).

• •Binary Rejected: the issue is with the app build itself (crashes, private APIs, missing features). You must fix the code, upload a new build, and resubmit. The new build goes through the full review queue again.

• •Invalid Binary: the build failed technical validation before reaching a human reviewer. Common causes: missing icons, wrong provisioning profile, unsupported architectures. Upload a corrected build.

• •Rejected (Guideline X.X): Apple specifies which guideline was violated. Read the Resolution Center message for details. Each guideline rejection has a specific fix (see our guide to Apple rejection reasons).

The most common rejection types:

1. 1.Metadata Rejected (screenshots, URLs, demo account) — fastest to fix
2. 2.Binary Rejected (crashes, bugs) — requires code fix and new build
3. 3.Guideline 4.3 (design spam) — hardest to fix, requires meaningful differentiation
4. 4.Guideline 2.1 (app completeness) — placeholder content, broken features
5. 5.Guideline 5.1.1 (data collection) — privacy policy or ATT issues

• •Removed from Sale: your app was previously live but has been removed (by you or by Apple). Users who already downloaded it can still use it, but new users can't find it.

• •Developer Removed from Sale: you chose to remove your app from the App Store. You can re-release it anytime.

• •Apple Removed from Sale: Apple removed your app (guideline violation, legal issue, or account termination). You'll receive a notification explaining why.

• •Replaced with newer version: a newer version was approved and released, replacing this version. This is normal for updates.

• •Invalid: the app record is invalid (usually a technical issue in App Store Connect). Contact Apple Developer Support.

• •Prepare for Submission (Rejection): after a rejection, the status returns to an editable state where you can fix issues and resubmit.

• •Waiting for Review: 12-48 hours (normal), 3-5 days (high-volume periods)
• •In Review: 30 minutes to 4 hours (normal), up to 24 hours (complex apps, thorough reviews)
• •Metadata Rejected → resubmission → re-review: 12-24 hours (faster than full review)
• •Binary Rejected → new build → re-review: 24-48 hours (full queue again)
• •Pending Developer Release → Ready for Sale: instant (when you click Release)
• •Processing for App Store: 15-60 minutes

When to worry:

• •Waiting for Review > 5 days: check the Resolution Center for messages. If no messages, contact Apple Developer Support.
• •In Review > 24 hours: this is unusual but not necessarily a problem. The reviewer may be testing thoroughly or waiting for your response to a question.
• •Processing for App Store > 2 hours: rare, but can happen during high-volume periods. If it persists, contact support.

When NOT to worry:

• •Waiting for Review for 24-48 hours: completely normal. Don't contact support.
• •In Review for 1-3 hours: normal. The reviewer is doing their job.
• •Status changes quickly: some apps get reviewed in under an hour. This is normal for simple updates.

• •Monitor the Resolution Center: Apple may message you with questions during review. Respond within 24 hours — delayed responses can pause your review.

• •Prepare your launch marketing: finalize social posts, email campaigns, and Apple Search Ads campaigns. Have them ready to activate when your app goes live.

• •Prepare your next update: plan the first post-launch update based on beta tester feedback. Having an update ready shows users the app is actively maintained.

• •Set up your support channels: users will find bugs you didn't. Have a support email, help page, or in-app support ready.

• •Plan your rating strategy: decide when and how you'll prompt users for ratings. Apple allows 3 prompts/year.

• •Prepare localized metadata: if you're planning to localize, have translated metadata and screenshots ready for your next update.

• •Don't make changes to the submitted version: editing the submitted version can reset the review queue. Wait until review is complete before making changes.