How to Submit Your App to the App Store: Step-by-Step Checklist

• •Apple Developer Program membership: $99/year, enrolled at developer.apple.com
• •A Mac computer: required for Xcode and build uploading
• •Xcode: latest version from the Mac App Store
• •An app that builds and runs without crashes on a physical device
• •App Store Connect account: created automatically when you enroll in the Developer Program
• •An App ID: created in the Apple Developer portal
• •Distribution provisioning profile: created in the Developer portal or automatically via Xcode
• •TestFlight testing completed: test your app with beta users before submission

If you're missing any of these, you can't submit. The Apple Developer Program membership is the first gate — it takes 24-48 hours to activate after enrollment.

Your app record is now created. You'll see the App Store Connect dashboard with sections for App Store, TestFlight, and other tabs.

Required device sizes (as of 2026):

• •iPhone 6.9" (iPhone Air / 17 Pro Max / 16 Pro Max / 16 Plus): 1320 x 2868px — REQUIRED for all new submissions
• •iPad 13" (iPad Pro 13-inch M4): 2064 x 2752px — required if your app supports iPad

Apple auto-scales the 6.9" set down to all smaller iPhone classes (6.7", 6.5", 6.3", 6.1", 5.5"). You only need to upload smaller sizes separately if you want pixel-perfect text on those devices.

Screenshot rules:

• •PNG or JPEG format (PNG preferred)
• •No transparency/alpha channel
• •Must show real app UI (not illustrations)
• •Apple device frames only (no Android devices)
• •No promotional text (captions are allowed but must be informational)
• •3-10 screenshots per device size
• •Portrait or landscape (must match device orientation)

The fastest way to prepare screenshots: use a screenshot generator that exports at exact App Store sizes with proper device frames. This eliminates the #1 rejection cause.

• •App name: 30 characters max, must be unique
• •Subtitle: 30 characters max, complements the app name
• •Description: 4000 characters max, describe your app's features and value
• •Keywords: 100 characters max, comma-separated, no other app names
• •Promotional text: 170 characters max, can be updated without new submission
• •Support URL: must be a live page with contact information
• •Marketing URL: optional but recommended, your app's landing page
• •Privacy policy URL: required, must cover all data collection
• •App category: primary and optional secondary category
• •Age rating: complete the questionnaire accurately
• •Copyright: your company or personal name
• •App Review Information: contact details and demo account (if login required)

Incomplete metadata is a common rejection cause. Double-check every field before submitting.

- Data type (e.g., email, location, usage data)

- Purpose (e.g., analytics, personalization, advertising)

- Whether it's linked to the user's identity

- Whether it's used for tracking

1. 1.Go to App Privacy section in App Store Connect
2. 2.Answer 'Does your app collect data?' — be accurate, including third-party SDKs
3. 3.For each data type collected, specify:
4. 4.Review your privacy policy to ensure it matches your App Privacy disclosure

Common mistake: forgetting third-party SDK data collection. If you use Firebase, analytics SDKs, or ad SDKs, they collect data that you must disclose. Check each SDK's documentation for what it collects.

If the build fails validation, Xcode will tell you the issue. Common causes: missing icons, wrong provisioning profile, or unsupported architectures.

1. 1.In App Store Connect, go to your app version
2. 2.Select the processed build from the dropdown
3. 3.Review all sections for completeness (App Store Connect shows green checkmarks for completed sections)
4. 4.Add any App Review notes (explain features that might not be obvious to reviewers)
5. 5.Click 'Submit for Review'
6. 6.Answer the export compliance questions (encryption, etc.)
7. 7.Your app status changes to 'Waiting for Review'

Typical review time: 24-48 hours. You'll receive an email when the status changes. Monitor the Resolution Center in case Apple has questions during review.

• •Waiting for Review: your app is in the queue (12-48 hours)
• •In Review: a reviewer is examining your app (minutes to hours)
• •If approved: status changes to 'Pending Developer Release' (if you chose manual release) or 'Ready for Sale' (if automatic)
• •If rejected: you'll receive an email with the reason. Read the Resolution Center message, fix the issue, and resubmit.

For your first submission, expect at least one round of feedback. Don't be discouraged — most apps get rejected at least once. Read our guide to Apple rejection reasons to prepare.

Once approved, your app goes live (immediately if automatic release, or when you click 'Release' if manual). Congratulations — you're on the App Store!