What both stores actually check, the rejections that catch New Zealand developers out, and realistic review timelines.
Store review is the step most first time app owners underestimate. Both stores reject apps routinely, usually for reasons unrelated to whether the app works.
What you need before submitting
- A developer account. Apple charges an annual fee, Google a one off registration fee.
- App icon in every required size
- Screenshots for each required device size, which is more sizes than you expect
- A privacy policy hosted at a public URL. Both stores require it and check the link resolves.
- A description, keywords, and a support URL
- For Apple, a demo account if any part of the app is behind a login
Common rejection reasons
| Reason | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Crashes on review | Test on a real device, not only the simulator, and on the oldest OS version you support |
| Broken or placeholder content | Remove lorem ipsum and dead links before submitting. Reviewers do tap things. |
| Missing demo credentials | Provide a working test account. This is the most common avoidable rejection. |
| Privacy declarations do not match behaviour | Declare every piece of data you collect, including via analytics SDKs |
| Payments outside the store | Digital goods must use in app purchase. Physical goods and services may not. |
Realistic timelines
Apple review usually completes within a day or two now, though it can stretch. Google is often faster for updates but new apps and new developer accounts face additional scrutiny that can take a week or more.
Plan for at least a week between 'the app is finished' and 'the app is live', and never schedule a launch campaign before approval lands. The first submission is the one most likely to bounce.
After approval
Approval is not the finish line. Both stores require ongoing compliance with new OS versions and policy changes, and an app that is not updated will eventually be removed for being too far out of date.