Surprised someone actually responded. This whole thing is nuts. Everyone posts "my app is stuck" and then no one replies, and then it's just about 5 of these a day. Same thing, over and over. The real issue here is two things: Apple App Review team does not read this forum - it's a black hole - stop wasting your time There is absolutely zero reason why apps get stuck - it's random, it's AI, it's pure nonsense. I've been doing this now for 2 years. HERE IS WHAT YOU DO: You put your app in. You wait 72 hours. If the app is still stuck, you simply upload a new build (increase build number) and go into AppStore connect and take your app out of review and put the new one in. Nine times out of ten, it will go through in like 12 hours. For some reason, and Apple does a pour job at App Reviews because you could just change a word in the code, upload, and it's stuck for four days. Take the exact same build, upload a new one, and it gets released within 24 hours. That's what I do.

Same - it's random. Some fast, some long time. It's all over the place and it's just a single small change, or just changing the meta data.

There is a bug in App Store Connect Xcode Cloud. I've rebuild the app using XCode - bypassed App Store Connect Xcode Cloud. Now, my app (which is completely useless) is in XCode (SO MUCH OVERKILL) but at least I got it to work. Apple Support is extremely difficult to work with ... it seems like the responses are AI (NON HUMAN) and the lights are no longer on in Developer Support. Maybe they were all replaced with AI.

FROM AI diagnosed: This confirms the manifest is not the problem. Apple successfully: Opened the ZIP. Read manifest.json. Validated the product name. Reached the point where it submits the packaging request. Failed during that request. The diagnostic ZIP uses only Apple-documented fields, so there is nothing meaningful left to remove. Apple’s public status information does not currently show a relevant outage. The likely causes are now: The app record was created before the required agreement was accepted and is internally incomplete. (Apple to fix) Xcode Cloud/Safari Packager was not properly provisioned for this app record. (Apple to fix) A bundle-identifier or platform association is broken. (Apple to fix) Apple’s packager backend has a defect for this particular app. (Apple to fix) Less likely: the Chrome session is blocking the upload request. (Not an issue since fails on Firefox, Safari and a network 400 miles away, same error) I would stop changing your release ZIP. Your original package is valid. The most productive next step is Apple Developer Support. Give them: App ID: (REDACTED) Safari Web Extension Packager URL Exact error: Failed to fetch Explain that a ZIP missing manifest.json produces the proper validation message. Explain that a valid minimal ZIP with the wrong name produces the proper name-mismatch message. Explain that the same minimal ZIP with the correct registered name proceeds further and then produces Failed to fetch. Mention that the app record may have been created before all agreements were accepted. Only Apple can correct this. That evidence demonstrates a failure after client-side validation and should get the issue routed to App Store Connect/Xcode Cloud rather than general manifest support. Apple Developer Support is now the right path.

Did anything come out of this? I filled out this form and never got an email back from anyone?

Hello? #1 - I said I am not using XCode. Says so in the Subject. #2 - Your App Review Manager TOLD me voice in a webex meeting to post here in the forum to get an answer from an Apple Engineer! This is insane. You guys really seem to be struggling with this and providing a solution. I'm not using XCODE - I gave the exact situation above, I've been a developer for 35 years. My information above is enough for Apple engineer to give a solution.

The answer to this question does not answer the question at all. I've setup an appeal three times. In all three instances, they just reply with the same 4.1 issue. Mind you, my app has already been APPROVED 7 times prior and now on the 8th time, all of a sudden, this 4.1 has popped up. I need answers to my questions above as my users are getting angry that my extension fixes are available on Chrome and Firefox, but no longer available on Apple (Safari) **1. Developer wants to know what needs to be provided? An email, A statement? How / what format would be required they are asking? How does such above documentation get submitted / included in subsequent updates to Not hinder approval?**

I read this with interest. I'm not an Apple / XCode developer. I downloaded and used XCode now for a week and struggling to get my Web Extension on the Apple Web Extension store for Safari. I did it so easily with Google Chrome and Firefox, and they are already out there being used. With Safari, it just seems like over kill with XCode, right now stumbling because it says I do not have a 512 x 512 png in icons.icn when I do - I followed all the steps. So, is there a way I can just not use XCode at all and get my Extension (it's just one single content.js and manifest.json file and nothing else!). Where is this "Safari Web Extension Packager" and does it allow me to send it up to Apple Store for end-users to use without me having to use a 2GB application XCode to do it? Thank you.