Before you submit
Decide how you will enrol: as an individual your legal name is shown as the seller; as an organisation you need a D-U-N-S number.
Allow time for app review before announcing a launch date.
How to launch on Apple App Store, step by step
Publishing on the App Store needs the Apple Developer Program, which costs $99 a year. Apple reviews every app and update before release, and most reviews are quick.
Enrol early
As an individual, your legal name is shown as the seller. As an organisation you need a D-U-N-S number, a work email and a website on your own domain, which can take extra time.
Prepare the product page
App Store Connect asks for the name, icon, description, screenshots, optional app previews, keywords, subtitle and promotional text.
Fill in the required details
Complete the age rating questionnaire and the privacy details, including the practices of any third-party code in the app. You can also describe accessibility support, which appears on the product page.
Submit for review
Apple says 90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours on average. Allow extra time anyway before you announce a date.
If it is rejected
Fix the issue and resubmit, or appeal to the App Review Board with specific reasons the app follows the guidelines. You can appeal once per rejected submission.
Apple App Store's own rules
- Privacy details are required for new apps and for updates.
- Expedited review is only for critical bug fixes or apps tied to a dated event, with the details that prove it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Submitting with crashes, placeholder content, broken links, screenshots that do not match the app, or a missing privacy policy. Apple says over 40% of unresolved issues fall under app completeness, which covers these.
- Announcing a launch date before the app has passed review.
Checked against Apple App Store's own pages: developer.apple.com/help/account/membership/program-enrollment (opens in a new tab), developer.apple.com/app-store/submitting (opens in a new tab), developer.apple.com/distribute/app-review (opens in a new tab)
Cost, wait and links
- Cost
- Account registration fee, $99 a year. The Apple Developer Program is an annual membership; prices vary by region.
- Wait
- Not stated by the site
- Links
- Not confirmed
Requirements
- You need an account to submit.
- Organisations need a D-U-N-S number, a domain email and a public website
What founders got here
No founder has reported results here yet. Figures appear once 3 reports are approved, as medians and labelled self reported.
Launched on Apple App Store? Share your resultsWhere this comes from
Checked against the site's own pages. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the site before paying.
Questions about launching on Apple App Store
How long does App Store review take?
- Apple says that on average 90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours. Some take longer, so leave room before a public launch date.
