[iOS] Discussion: App Store Rules

[gbougakov]

Added by contributors of the repo

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT iOS APPS

Apple will reject or remove your sticker app from the App Store if it uses the UI sample that WhatsApp provides. When creating an iOS sticker app, please make sure to develop a unique user interface with your own styling to comply with Apple's App Store guidelines. Do not use our sample app's UI as is, please significantly modify the UI before submitting. You should also consider adding additional functionality to your app (sharing stickers to other apps, to iMessage, etc) or any other features that you deem suitable. This will assist you in passing Apple's App Store review.

https://github.com/WhatsApp/stickers/tree/master/iOS#important-notice-about-ios-apps

---

Please read before replying

Right now there is no proper strategy to avoid rejection. Period. I am not a WhatsApp employee nor am I affiliated with WhatsApp in any way

If your app was rejected, please upvote this issue. Do not reply

UPDATE: WhatsApp team is discussing the situation with Apple. Do not appeal your rejection too many times or they might close your developer account. UPDATE 2: My app was approved

---

Today, I received a message from Apple App Review Team that said that my app was rejected because it "repeated the functionality of other apps and just changed content" and was spam. Had anyone experienced the same? What can I do to work around this?

[ptkdev]

@gbougakov Lucky? I write same text in all release to store...

[gbougakov]

@luiscraik

[luiscraik]

@luiscraik

Mm I already have it like that :/ May be the simulator installing it on iPad anyway?

[gbougakov]

@ptkdev you might also want to add a line in the description to say that you are not affiliated with anyone

[gbougakov]

@luiscraik

Mm I already have it like that :/ May be the simulator installing it on iPad anyway?

You can't prevent it from installing. Just forget about it :)

[luiscraik]

@luiscraik

Mm I already have it like that :/ May be the simulator installing it on iPad anyway?

You can't prevent it from installing. Just forget about it :)

Got it. Thank you! :)

[sanestani]

@gbougakov first of all, congrats. I just installed your app. I Want to do the same thing, but I keep geting the same error when im adding the iMessage target. Is there any way to chat with you only a few minutes?

[gbougakov]

@sanestani do you have a Discord/Telegram/iMessage account?

[sanestani]

yes, telegram @sanestani

[MarsVard]

Anybody here interested in joining some telegram channel together to keep up with upcoming events around this?

[gbougakov]

I think it's better to discuss here :)

[mo7amedr]

@MarsVard add me to telegram @mo7amedr

[luiscraik]

Did you use the same bundle identifier name for main app (WhatsApp) and extension (iMessage) @gbougakov?

[luiscraik]

I forgot to mention that I get an error

App application fail: This application or a bundle it contains has the same bundle indentifier as this application or another bundle that it contains. Bundle identifiers must be unique.

I got everything together but for some reason when I try to test it, I can only install the Whatsapp app. Somehow it stop working, I got everything working and it was ready to upload to iTunes connect. I have changed the identifiers and also used the same, but nothing works :(

[chbaluch]

I added iMessage pack to whatsapp project but it is changing build identifier and showing error. can someone please help or share code in github

[chbaluch]

Now I can send this to iMessage, but I cant send it to whatsapp, and this is the error I get

Can you upload it to a GitHub repository or take a full screenshot of the window?

Same error coming mine is their any solve?

[gbougakov]

Now I can send this to iMessage, but I cant send it to whatsapp, and this is the error I get

Can you upload it to a GitHub repository or take a full screenshot of the window? Same error coming mine is their any solve?

Restart your Simulator

[chbaluch]

I resubmited my app with imessage stickers i hope this time will approve

[al3bsi]

Can any developer help to add a specific code to adding images from the camera roll?

[foma24]

I have 100+ iMessage stickers on my account. After reject "4.3 Design spam" for first WhatsApp stickers apple sent me message that all my other stickers marked as spam too, and I should combine all stickers in one container app.

Yesterday, I sent to review my app which has nothing to do with stickers at all. This is ridiculus, but today I got reject 4.3 Design spam for this app too, with message that I should combine all stickers in one container app.

[cartoonsmart]

@foma24 App Review has done that to many of us. You can't fight it. They are going to make you consolidate or else. It's a bummer, but it is what it is.

[foma24]

For non stickers app too ?

[cartoonsmart]

Consolidate your stickers, and you should be okay with your other apps. But you might want to get some clarification to be sure. I'd respond with "if I do this, will this other app get approved"

[luiscraik]

Consolidate your stickers, and you should be okay with your other apps. But you might want to get some clarification to be sure. I'd respond with "if I do this, will this other app get approved"

My app is still waiting for review (I submitted it on the 22nd, late because holiday, I guess?) and I only have one sticker app live on the App Store. I guess I'll remove it in order to get an approval from this new one.

[cartoonsmart]

I wouldn't remove it yet. I said this in another thread here, but I think there's a few things going on with these rejections.

1) The Review Team has a mandate from higher up to trim the fat in the store. This has been going on for a while now. Search the dev forums for "4.3" and you'll find many cases unrelated to just stickers.

2) 2016 was the year of the sticker in the store. A hundred thousand sticker packs later, Apple has rethought how many packs the Messages Store really needs. So they've insisted on container apps.

3) I also think there's a quality factor at play now too. Are your stickers animated? Do you have more than a baker's dozen? Was your company founded by Walt Disney? Do they add something unique? One of the core tenants of the Review Guidelines is this... "If your app is not particularly useful, unique, or “app-like,” it doesn’t belong on the App Store."

So I can only imagine what the Review staff is thinking seeing another floodgate open of sticker packs for WhatsApp.

[DanielZanchi]

My app got rejected for the same reason (4.3), the app I created lets the user create stickers. Apple can’t say it’s a spam app, no app on the store is similar 😟

[luiscraik]

@Danny182 mine just got rejected too, but I sent an appeal. I’ve done my job searching and there is no similar app on the App Store. I hope to get an approval, this is nuts.

[DanielZanchi]

@luiscraik me too. I added you on Twitter, keep me updated

[luiscraik]

Sure, I’ll let you know 👍🏼

[cartoonsmart]

One of my apps let people create a Simpsons style avatar of themselves and add text to create their own sticker. Trillions of possible variations, with art, skin tones, etc. Definitely unique.... anyone want to guess where it is now? “Removed from Sale”.... EDIT - to be fair, I can incorporate it into my container app, but the amount of work involved to do so just isn’t worth my time (the app was cool but didn’t make much $). And that’s how the App Store trims down. Apple isn’t saying I can’t. They are just saying I have to spend time doing it another way. It’s fair

[sanestani]

[DanielZanchi]

They don't have respect for developers, this is clear. As we can't do a lot, whatsapp needs to help us out. The stickers can't grow if they use this line rejecting apps that are "unique".

[cartoonsmart]

WhatsApp can’t side step the App Store though. If you are suggesting they sell on devs behalf through their site, that’s going to violate some App Store policy.

[DanielZanchi]

What do you mean?

[cartoonsmart]

You mentioned WhatsApp helping devs out. Just saying, what can they really do? Not much.

[luiscraik]

My app has been approved for TestFlight beta testing (external).

While on resolution center is still rejected.

Fingers crossed.

[luiscraik]

Got an update from Apple:

“Your app is in review but is requiring additional time. We apologize for the delay. We will provide further status updates as soon as we can.”

It’s been a roller coaster.

[tetyanab]

Does anyone have an example of an approved "container app" for iMessage stickers? My WhatsApp sticker app got rejected with a reference to the existing iMessage sticker apps being spam (4.3 guideline). So I first need to consolidate the existing iMessage sticker apps, but not sure how this can be done (if there is an API which works differently from the sticker extension implementation). Thanks

[cartoonsmart]

You can update from a simple sticker pack to message extension app. What you can’t do is go from either of those to a full iOS app (meaning one that would put an app on the home screen).

[cartoonsmart]

@luiscraik , TestFlight review is a mystery, I’m not sure human eyes actually view those. Most of my TestFlights are approved instantly. More promising is they told you they taking extra time to review.

[lwangeli]

Hi there. I had 4 stickers apps rejected by apple, and they said that we need to recreate the entire app redesigning it to make it UNIQUE, otherwise they will reject it, and if we upload again they maybe will DISABLE Dev Account. Im having a hard work here because I never worked with XIB. and cant make it work if rewrite with storyboard.

[efhkapp]

Hi All, below is my testing: I tried to relayout the whole App, added iMessage Sticker extension - rejected I tried to create a new app follow the instruction in "Advanced Development" section, with totally different layout, added iMessage too - submitted 2 apps, 1 rejected, 1 still waiting for review (but seems no green light as well)

It seems any packages including the Whatsapp Stickers swift files will then get rejected, no matter on which layout or UI. I am still trying, will keep update.

[DanielZanchi]

@luiscraik The TestFlight beta testing is not done by a human. That's why it's fast.

My app is in review since 10 hours now. Let's see what they say.

[gbougakov]

@Danny182 No, humans are involved

[gbougakov]

Does anyone have an example of an approved "container app" for iMessage stickers? My WhatsApp sticker app got rejected with a reference to the existing iMessage sticker apps being spam (4.3 guideline). So I first need to consolidate the existing iMessage sticker apps, but not sure how this can be done (if there is an API which works differently from the sticker extension implementation). Thanks

Well, I got away with the standard template + iMessage Sticker Pack Extension

[efhkapp]

I tried to create a new app follow the instruction in "Advanced Development" section, with totally different layout, added iMessage too - submitted 2 apps, 1 rejected, 1 still waiting for review (but seems no green light as well)

Finally it gets approved by Apple!

[DanielZanchi]

@luiscraik is your app still in review? Mine is in review since 40h, I’m afraid it will be stuck there for weeks 😟

[luiscraik]

@Danny182 still no news from Apple. Expect at least 4 days. That’s what I went through for the first review.

[DanielZanchi]

@luiscraik it never took more than 6hours for me. From the Firebase data I see that they didn’t test the app since it went back in “in review”. Strange

[luiscraik]

@Danny182 Wish it was for me that short, but based on devs feedback, the current review time is 3 days, who knows what’s going inside the App Store Review center ¯_(ツ)_/¯