12 days later, it’s still “Waiting for Review,” even after Apple confirmed it’s already in the expedited queue. Apple’s published goal is that 50% of submissions are reviewed in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. In practice, a meaningful number of apps (especially new ones) are currently sitting in the queue for a week or more. Expediting helps, but it doesn’t always mean a quick review when volume is high. For other developers shipping right now: budget extra buffer, don’t cancel and resubmit just to “reset” the clock, and follow up politely with your case number if it’s been quiet for a while. The actual review once it starts is usually fast — the wait is almost entirely queue time. Anyone else seeing longer-than-usual review times this month?

Whatever the task, there's an app for that… Except for reviewing those apps, apparently. A growing number of reports on Apple's developer forums say developers are waiting a long time for their apps to be reviewed before they’re listed on the App Store. Subjects include 'Unusually long Apple 'waiting for review' time", "Stuck in Waiting for Review for about 3 weeks", "Stuck in 'Waiting for Review' since October 8", and so on, including a "Waiting for Review Megathread." For example, D1 Tech [says they've been waiting since September 19](https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/851993). There are also reports on Reddit, such as "My app has been waiting for App Store review for almost a month. Is this normal? The typical review time is a day or two. Apple's own App Review guidelines say: App Review works around the clock, typically reviewing at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours." This isn't the first time this has happened. A thread of similar complaints is still visible from back in February, with at least 74 developers complaining of multi-week delays. Some of them noted that these were not new app submissions, but merely bug fixes for existing, approved apps. In March, Business Insider reported similar delays, suggesting they were due to a large, rising influx of AI-coded apps. In April, The Information reported that submissions were up 84 per cent. We asked Apple whether it has any explanation or comment on the delay. So far, the company has not replied, but we will update this story if we receive any more information. That said, long-term readers of The Register may remember vulture Kieren McCarthy’s three-month effort to attend Apple's iPhone 7 launch party a decade ago. (Spoiler: he did not, in fact, get to join the party.) It's conceivable that El Reg isn't Cupertino's favourite news outlet. ®

[Understand the waiting for review status](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/review-status/) When your submission status displays as Waiting for Review, it indicates that Apple has received your submission, but the review process has not yet started. During this time, you can still edit certain information or remove items from the submission, although uploading or editing screenshots and app previews is not permitted. [Track your submission status](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/review-status/) **App Review works around the clock with the goal of reviewing at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours.** You can check the status of your submission at any time by visiting the App Review section of App Store Connect. [**Understand factors affecting review times**](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/review-status/) While minor updates and bug fixes typically move through review quickly, some submissions require additional time for verification. Documentation reviews and complex or novel issues involving regulated content or sensitive features may extend the review period. [**Manage app transfers during review**](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/transfer-an-app/app-transfer-criteria/) If you are planning to transfer an app in App Store Connect, note that apps with a status of **Waiting for Review** do not meet the transfer criteria and cannot be transferred until the review process concludes

Hello Apple Developer Community, I am seeking advice regarding the review timeline for our initial iOS application, GoldEngine AI. Our app was submitted on 4 October 2026 at 11:12 AM and has remained in "Waiting for Review" for seven consecutive days. Application details: App: GoldEngine AI Apple App ID: 6818722861 App Store version: 1.0 Current status: Waiting for Review Submission date: 4 October 2026 We contacted Apple Developer Support on 8, 9 and 11 October. We have not yet received clarification on why the submission remains pending. Meanwhile, subsequent builds have been successfully processed and made available through TestFlight. However, the outstanding initial submission prevents us from progressing with the standard App Store release and update process. I have noticed several recent discussions describing similar delays, ranging from approximately 4 to 16 days. I understand that review times vary and that Apple may require additional time for individual submissions. I also recognise that Apple Developer Forums are not an official channel for investigating individual App Review cases. I would appreciate guidance from developers who have experienced this situation: Have you encountered comparable review delays during October 2026? Did your application eventually enter review without further intervention? Did requesting an expedited review help, or did you simply continue waiting? Is there a recommended way to verify that a submission remains correctly queued without withdrawing and resubmitting it? We are keen to avoid unnecessarily resetting the review process. Thank you for sharing any relevant experiences or practical guidance. GoldEngine AI HealthyHedgehogs Ltd

Dear Apple Developer Relations and App Review Management, I am writing to request greater transparency regarding Apple's published App Store review processing times and the actual number of developer submissions awaiting review. Apple's published App Review guidance states that its goal is to review at least 50% of submissions within 24 hours and 90% within 48 hours. However, recent discussions on the Apple Developer Forums show developers reporting considerably longer waiting periods, including submissions remaining in "Waiting for Review" or "In Review" for several days or weeks. As an independent developer currently navigating the App Review process, I believe greater transparency would benefit the wider developer community. Formal request for statistical information I would appreciate Apple's response to the following questions, preferably using anonymised aggregate data covering January–September 2026, broken down by month. 1. Actual review processing times How many app submissions were received each month? How many received an initial review decision within 24 hours? How many received an initial review decision within 24–48 hours? How many took 48–72 hours, 3–7 days, 8–14 days, 15–30 days, or more than 30 days? What percentage of submissions met Apple's published 24-hour and 48-hour targets? 2. Approval and rejection statistics How many submissions were approved within 24 hours and within 48 hours? How many submissions were rejected within those periods? What were the median, 90th-percentile and 95th-percentile times from submission to initial decision and final approval? Can these figures be separated between first-time apps, app updates and resubmissions? 3. Outstanding review backlog As of 30 September 2026, how many submissions remained in the following categories? Waiting for Review: 0–24 hours, 24–48 hours, 3–7 days, 8–14 days, 15–30 days and over 30 days. In Review: the same time intervals. I would also appreciate the latest available equivalent figures as of October 2026. 4. Expedited review requests How many expedited review requests were received? How many were accepted or rejected? What was the median processing time for accepted expedited requests? Are resubmitted builds automatically retained within an expedited review queue? 5. Transparency and methodology Are Apple's published 24-hour and 48-hour percentages measured from submission to the beginning of review, initial review decision or final approval? Are weekends, public holidays, rejected submissions and resubmissions included? Are the published figures global or restricted to specific regions? When were the published percentages most recently verified against actual operational data? Purpose of this request My intention is not to obtain confidential information about individual developers or applications. I am requesting aggregated, anonymised statistical information to understand whether the published review-time targets accurately reflect developers' experiences. Apple's 2025 App Store Transparency Report confirms that more than 9.1 million submissions were reviewed. Given this volume, additional statistical reporting on processing times and outstanding submissions would be valuable. I recognise that Apple is a private company and that this is a voluntary transparency request rather than a statutory Freedom of Information request. I would appreciate a written response, publication of the relevant data, or referral to the appropriate department responsible for App Store operational transparency. If the requested information is already publicly available, please provide the relevant links. Kind regards, GoldEngine AI Independent App Developer https://goldengine.ai

I wanted to share an update on my experience launching GoldEngine AI across Apple and Google. I first submitted my iOS application on October 3, 2026. Following Apple's review feedback and subsequent resubmissions, the latest submission entered "Waiting for Review" on October 14. On October 16, Apple Developer Support confirmed that my application had not been forgotten and was already in the expedited review queue. Apple also confirmed that no further action was required and that I would receive an email once the review was completed. Meanwhile, GoldEngine AI has successfully launched on the Google Play Store. The Android application is now in production and has already recorded: 108 device acquisitions. 92 devices in its installed audience as of October 16. Users across India, Japan and the United Kingdom. It's an interesting contrast for an independent developer launching the same product across two major mobile platforms. While Android users are already discovering and installing the application, the iOS version remains unavailable pending Apple's approval. I fully respect Apple's high review standards and understand that applications must meet its guidelines. However, this experience shows how different review timelines can affect small developers trying to coordinate launches across platforms. I've spent considerable time developing this multilingual application, and I intended to make it available to both Android and iPhone users at roughly the same time. For now, Google Play is live, users are arriving, and I'm still waiting for Apple's expedited review process to conclude. Hopefully my next update will be that GoldEngine AI is finally available on both platforms.

I'm an independent developer, and at this point, I just want my app to be approved. I've spent months building GoldEngine AI, a free market-research companion providing gold market data, AI-generated forecast summaries, seasonality information and selected stock fundamentals. The Android version is already live on Google Play. But getting the iOS version through App Review has become one of the more frustrating parts of the entire development journey. A little background: 4 October: An earlier iOS submission was removed as part of the submission process. 14 October: Apple raised concerns under Guideline 3.1.1 relating to subscriptions and external purchasing. 14 October: I addressed the concerns, tested the corrected application on an iPhone using TestFlight, and submitted version 1.0.1 (Build 11). 15 October: The application is still showing "Waiting for Review." The revised iOS application removes subscription pricing, external purchase calls to action, and subscriber sign-in prompts. It now operates as a free, standalone research companion. I also provided Apple with a detailed explanation of the changes and requested consideration under Guideline 3.1.3(f), which covers certain free companion applications. I understand that Apple needs to protect customers, maintain App Store standards and ensure applications comply with its guidelines. I respect that process. But here's the frustrating part. As an independent developer, you're responsible for everything: the engineering, testing, infrastructure, security, documentation, compliance and customer communication. You spend countless hours making sure your application works, only to find yourself repeatedly refreshing App Store Connect, hoping the status changes from "Waiting for Review" to "In Review." Meanwhile, potential users are asking when the iPhone version will be available, and all I can tell them is that we're waiting for Apple. I'm not asking Apple to bypass its checks or approve an application that doesn't meet its guidelines. I'm simply hoping for a timely review, clearer communication and a little more predictability for independent developers. I'd be interested to hear from others: How long have your recent App Review submissions taken? After correcting a Guideline 3.1.1 issue, did your resubmission move through review more quickly? Have you noticed longer waiting periods during October 2026? Is there anything else worth doing beyond responding to App Review and submitting an expedited review request when appropriate? I'm keen to get GoldEngine AI into the hands of iPhone users, just as it is now available to Android users. Sometimes building the application feels easier than getting it approved. Thanks for sharing your experiences.