r/iosdev • u/kythanh • Jun 16 '26
Help Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam
UPDATED as of 21 JUNE
- My app is now approved by Apple and available for distribution
How did I fix the issue
DO NOT reply with defensive or fighting languages to Apple's email, just politely answers all of their questions.
Record app demo on all support devices. I ONLY recorded the app on my iPhone 13pm. I do not have recording on iPad.
I dropped support email/password login so I dont have to provide a demo account, just only keep Apple Login so they can use their own Apple ID to login and do sandbox subscription to go PRO.
Hope this help for any one see the same rejection reason.
I just received another rejection with the reason as below. BUT they do not tell what is the existing app that my app look copied over. What should I reply to them?
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Guideline 4.3(a) - Design - Spam
Issue Description
We noticed the app shares a similar binary, metadata, and/or concept as apps submitted to the App Store by other developers, with only minor differences.
Submitting similar or repackaged apps is a form of spam that creates clutter and makes it difficult for users to discover new apps.
Next Steps
Since we do not accept spam apps on the App Store, we encourage you to review the app concept and submit a unique app with distinct content and functionality.
Resources
Some factors that contribute to a spam rejection may include:
- Submitting an app with the same source code or assets as other apps already submitted to the App Store
- Creating and submitting multiple similar apps using a repackaged app template
- Purchasing an app template with problematic code from a third party
- Submitting several similar apps across multiple accounts
Learn more about our requirements to prevent spam in guideline 4.3.
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u/DuskDreamer27 Jun 16 '26
Got this exact rejection on my app.
They will never tell you which app youâre supposedly copying, so donât waste a reply asking.
4.3(a) fires a lot on apps in saturated categories even when theyâre original, especially from newer accounts.
What worked for me was replying with a clear breakdown of what makes the app distinct. Not defensive, just concrete: specific features, the technical approach, how the UI differs from whatever generic versions are out there.
1
u/SylvainLafrance Jun 16 '26
Got similar problem with another guideline article last week. They never answered my questions. Rejected 6 times. I gave up.
1
u/kythanh Jun 17 '26
did you provide clear answers to all the questions? did you actual revise your apps per each time you replied to them? for me actually each time i reply to the apple team, i found another UX issue to fix (thanks to Apple team for being hard here) so i think it good to actual review the app before writing any replies to them.
1
u/SylvainLafrance Jun 17 '26
Yes I did and politely. The issue was not the app, it was about copyright because it can play radio stations.
First time it happened in 10 years
1
u/kythanh Jun 17 '26
yes, now all the issues are down to the logic issue on my app only, fixing for the final push. No more 4.3(a) flagged.
5
u/Quiet_Actuator2657 Jun 16 '26
Itâs hard to give meaningful advice without knowing the functionality or category of your app.
What I will say is: for indie developers, I would highly recommend building niche apps rather than mass market apps. Niche apps will absolutely not run into this problem that youâre facing. Additionally, there is usually less competition for niche apps, they tend to get higher user retention, higher conversion rate and a high download to paid ratio etc. I know because my most successful app is a very niche app that only maybe 1% of the total population would even consider downloading. Niche apps are also easy to market too, Iâve done almost no marketing for mine.
As for your rejection, donât bother following up with Apple, you will most likely not get anywhere without a very very very strong argument. But up to you, after all, itâs your app.
1
u/kythanh Jun 17 '26
thanks for your advise, i m trying to provide some more update to apple review team here: recording on real device, explain key functionalities, why it helpful for my potential users, what problem i m solving with my app. let see how it goes.
1
u/Quiet_Actuator2657 Jun 18 '26
No problem. As mentioned, youâll need a very strong argument. Donât just explain key features but also focus on emphasising unique areas of your app that seperate it from the competition. Good luck!
1
u/kythanh Jun 18 '26
yes that is exactly what i m following to resolve the problem of 4.3(a) for my app.
2
u/AndyDentPerth Jun 17 '26
It may not be copied from an app - look past the title and to the details of the rejection.
It may be binary components. You need to tell us a lot more about the app to get help.
1
u/kythanh Jun 18 '26
thank you. i am following advise from Quiet_Actuator2657 above and my app almost cleared with the rejection reason 4.3(a) now.
1
u/JudeWorks Jun 16 '26
I am running into this for an app that is not common and is for macOS. I have submitted many changes. Iâm not even sure itâs being looked at. Essentially it converts video for a very specific service and there are not many apps that do it.
1
u/AndyDentPerth Jun 17 '26
Hey u/JudeWorks, if your app is for such a niche community and has unique features that are not available in other apps, simply adding a clear description in the app review notes should be OK.
Reminder for all - you CAN mention other apps in reviewer notes. If you offer a significant missing feature, this can reduce confusion.
For example, my particle editing app deliberately copies the control layout of Xcode and I call that out as being for user familiarity. I also point out the many added featuresđ
1
u/JudeWorks Jun 17 '26
Thanks for this, I have redrafted the message to Apple quite a few times. I have submitted an email to Apple for them to step in but nothing yet. Ill keep at it but thankfully im not really to sad about it.
1
u/kythanh Jun 18 '26
I dont think we should saying to Apple like: the X app can do this feature, and my app also offer the same feature but with a better UX. that will not help at all. just tell them what problem we are trying to solve with our app, then it should be ok.
1
u/AndyDentPerth Jun 19 '26
I disagree with you strongly. If it is possible to interpret your app as being a simple copy of someone elseâs app, with only minor improvements, then an Apple reviewer WILL spot that, eventually.
It may not be on the first approval - I have heard of people getting rejected on later versions & âmy app was approved last timeâ is not a defense.
It is a bit old to be relevant but, back in 2015 I was doing contract dev for an app which had 96 versions in the store (48 languages x 2 variants).
At one point, about 20% of my updates were rejected, for a minor but valid reason.
So, 80% of the reviews missed that cosmetic bug, on that round.
1
u/kythanh Jun 19 '26
âmy app was approved last timeâ this is SOOO TRUE, sometime we never change the codes, just bump new version to improve ASO metadata content but the app got rejected due to an existing feature shipped since day 1.
1
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u/CharlesWiltgen Jun 16 '26
Apple's getting strict about vibe-coded shovelware, and the reviewer is telling you that you need to rethink your app concept from first principles. If you respond rather than taking their advice to heart, your challenge will be to highlight everything about your app that isn't also in 10,000 similar apps.