October 24, 2022
To support new features in future OS releases, better protect customers, and help your apps get through the review process as smoothly as possible, the App Store Review Guidelines were updated.
- Revised in “Provide an App Review with full access to your app. If your app has account-based features, you will need to provide either an active demo account or a fully-featured demo mode. Login credentials or a sample of the QR code.
- Revised 1.1.4: “This also includes ‘hookup’ apps and other apps which may contain pornography or be used in prostitution or human trafficking and/or exploitation.”
- Added 1.1.7: “Harmful ideas that capitalize on or seek to profit from recent or current events such as violent conflicts or terrorist attacks and epidemics.”
- Additional to 2.1: If you are unable or unwilling to provide a demo account due to legal obligations or security concerns, you can include a built-in demo mode with prior approval from Apple. Make sure the demo mode displays all features and functionality of your app.
- 2.5.17: Apps that support Matter should use Apple’s support framework to facilitate pairing. If you use any Matter component in your app, other than the Matter SDK provided to Apple, the Connectivity Standards Alliance must certify the component for the platform it runs.
- Changed language from 3.1.7 – 2.5.18: Display advertising should be limited only to your main app binary. It should not include extensions, App Clips widgets, widgets or notifications. Advertisements displayed in apps must be appropriate to the app’s age rating. They should allow the user access to all information used to target them (without requiring them to leave the app). Targeted or behavioral advertising that is based on sensitive user data, such as medical/health data (e.g. From the HealthKit APIs), schools and classroom data (e.g. From ClassKit, or from children (e.g. From apps in the Kids category, etc. Interstitial ads and ads that interrupt or block user experience must clearly identify that they are ads, must not manipulate users into clicking on them, and must have visible close/skip buttons that are large enough to allow people to quickly dismiss the ads.
- Revised 3.1.1: “Apps cannot use their own mechanisms for unlocking content or functionality such as license keys and augmented reality markers. QR codes. cryptocurrencies, and cryptocurrency wallets.
- 3.1.1: Apps can use in-app purchases to sell or transfer services related to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), including listing, minting, and transferring. Apps can allow users to view their NFTs provided that NFT ownership doesn’t unlock functionality or features within the app. Apps can be used to view NFT collections belonging to others. However, the apps must not contain buttons, external links or any other calls to action that direct customers to other purchasing options.
- 3.1.3(g). “Advertising Management apps: These apps are for advertisers (persons and companies who advertise a product, event, or service) to buy and manage advertising campaigns across all media types (television/outdoor, websites, mobile apps, etc.). You don’t need to use the in-app purchase. These apps are for campaign management and do not display advertisements. In-app purchases are required for digital content purchased.
- Revised 3.1.5(iii). “Exchanges”: “Apps can facilitate transactions or transmissions cryptocurrency on an exchange approved for that purpose, provided they’re only available in countries and regions with appropriate licensing and permissions.
- Revised 5.2.5: Music from iTunes and Apple Music previews cannot be used for entertainment purposes (e.g. You may not use them as background music for a photo collage or as the soundtrack to a video game or any other unapproved way. You must link to music previews in iTunes or Apple Music if you are providing music previews.
