App Store and Google Play submission: the checklist, rejection reasons and timelines

Store submission is where many launches lose a week. Here's the full checklist for both stores, why apps get rejected, how long review takes and what to do when it happens.

An App Store and Google Play submission service takes a finished build and gets it live: accounts, listings, privacy disclosures, review notes, the submission itself and whatever the reviewers send back. It sounds like admin. In practice, it's where many launches lose a week or more, because store rules are detailed, change every year and differ between Apple and Google.

This guide gives you the full checklist for both stores, the most common rejection reasons, realistic review timelines and what to do when an app is rejected.

What an App Store and Google Play submission service should cover

• Account setup and verification for Apple Developer and Google Play Console, under your company.
• Build preparation: signing, versioning, current SDK and target API levels.
• Store listing: name, subtitle or short description, keywords, screenshots, preview video, category and age rating.
• Privacy and policy forms: Apple's privacy labels and Google's data safety section, permission declarations and any category-specific forms.
• Review information: demo accounts, notes and documentation for anything a reviewer can't test on their own.
• Testing tracks: TestFlight on iOS, internal, closed and open testing on Google Play.
• Rejection handling: reading the reviewer's message, fixing the issue or replying, and resubmitting.

Before you submit: accounts and ownership

Set up accounts early, because verification takes time and you can't submit without them.

• Apple Developer Program: an annual fee (currently $99 in the US). Organizations need a D-U-N-S number, which can take days to obtain if you don't already have one.
• Google Play Console: a one-time registration fee (currently $25), plus identity and, for organizations, business verification.
• Enroll as an organization, not as an individual, if you're a business. It puts the company name on the listing and, on Google Play, avoids the closed testing requirement that applies to newer personal accounts.
• Regulated categories: Apple says apps in areas such as banking, crypto, healthcare, gambling and air travel generally must be submitted by the legal entity that provides the service, not by an individual developer or agency.

Your developer or agency should be added as a team member. They should never own the account your app lives in. Transferring an app between accounts later is possible on both stores, but it's slower and more restrictive than setting it up correctly from the start, and some services and in-app purchase setups don't move cleanly.

App Store and Google Play submission checklist

Common rejection reasons

Rejections are normal. Apple's 2025 App Store Transparency Report lists 9,100,620 app submissions reviewed and 2,093,244 rejected, with Performance the most cited guideline area by a wide margin, followed by Legal, Design, Business and Safety. In practice, most rejections fall into a handful of fixable problems.

Apple

• Crashes, bugs and incomplete features (guideline 2.1). Test the exact build you submit on current iOS versions.
• Missing or broken demo account, so the reviewer can't get past login.
• Placeholder content, broken links, or a missing support URL.
• Privacy issues: vague purpose strings, an incomplete privacy policy, or data collection that doesn't match the privacy labels.
• Screenshots that don't match the app.
• Minimum functionality (guideline 4.2): apps that are mostly a wrapped website.
• Payments: selling digital content without in-app purchase where it's required, or unclear subscription terms.

Apple's App Review page lists these and more, and is worth reading before every first submission.

Google Play

• Data safety form mismatches, often because a third-party SDK collects data the form doesn't mention.
• Sensitive permissions requested without an approved core use case.
• Missing account deletion options.
• Metadata policy issues: misleading claims, keyword stuffing or unapproved use of other brands.
• Broken app access: credentials that don't work, so the app can't be reviewed.
• Category policies for finance, health, news, kids and gambling apps.

How long review takes

Apple says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. Expedited review is available for critical bug fixes and time-sensitive events, but don't plan a launch around it.

Google Play review times vary more. New apps and new developer accounts generally take longer than updates to established apps. For personal accounts created after November 13, 2023, add the closed test: at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days, then a production access review that usually takes up to seven days, per Google's testing requirements.

Practical planning rule: allow a buffer of at least one rejection cycle on each store for a first launch, and schedule the public release date in the store rather than releasing the moment you're approved.

The listing: approval is not the finish line

Getting approved only means your app is allowed in the store. Whether people install it depends on the listing, and that's worth as much care as the submission itself. Before launch:

• Name and subtitle or short description: lead with what the app does, using the words people actually search for, without stuffing keywords.
• Screenshots that sell: the first two or three should show the main benefit with short captions, because most visitors never scroll further.
• A preview video if your app is easier to understand in motion.
• Localized listings for each major market you target.
• Custom product pages (App Store) and custom store listings (Google Play) for different ad campaigns or audiences, so each ad leads to a matching page.
• A plan for ratings: ask happy users for a rating at the right moment using the platform's in-app review prompts.

Store pages are also the landing page for every paid campaign, so a weak listing raises your cost per install on every channel.

What to do when your app is rejected

1. Read the message carefully. Reviewers cite a specific guideline or policy, often with a screenshot. Fix what they cite, not what you assume.
2. Decide: fix or clarify. Sometimes the reviewer misunderstood a feature. A short, polite reply with steps or a video can resolve it without a new build.
3. Fix everything related. If one permission string was vague, check all of them. A second rejection for a similar issue costs another cycle.
4. Update review notes to explain what changed and where to find it.
5. Resubmit, and keep a log of rejection reasons for future releases.
6. Appeal only when you're sure. Apple has an App Review Board and Google has a policy appeal process, but appeals work best when you can point to the exact rule and show compliance.

Free submission with every Appryze build

Every app Appryze builds includes Google Play and App Store submission at no extra cost: account setup guidance, store listings, privacy and policy forms, review notes and rejection handling until the app is live. Accounts stay in your company's name. We also include one month of launch marketing, so the listing and first campaigns are set up together. See the Studio page, or read our ASO guide and app launch marketing plan for what comes after approval.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an app approved on the App Store?

Apple says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. Incomplete submissions, missing demo accounts and guideline issues cause most delays. For a first launch, allow time for at least one rejection and resubmission, and schedule the public release date in App Store Connect.

How long does Google Play review take?

It varies. Updates to established apps are often reviewed quickly, while new apps and new developer accounts can take longer. Personal accounts created after November 13, 2023 must first run a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers, then apply for production access, which Google says usually takes up to seven days to review.

What are the most common reasons apps get rejected?

On the App Store, the most common issues are crashes and incomplete features, missing demo accounts, placeholder content, vague privacy disclosures, misleading screenshots and in-app purchase problems. On Google Play, frequent issues are data safety form mismatches, unjustified sensitive permissions, missing account deletion and metadata policy violations.

How much does it cost to publish an app?

Apple's Developer Program has an annual fee, currently $99 in the US, and Google Play charges a one-time $25 registration fee. A submission service may charge separately for listing creation, assets and rejection handling. Appryze includes submission to both stores free with every app it builds.

Can an agency publish an app under my company name?

Yes, and it should. Enroll your company in the Apple Developer Program and Google Play Console, then add the agency as a team member with the right permissions. The listing then shows your company as the developer, and you keep control of the app, reviews and revenue if you change vendors.

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