Unusually long Apple "waiting for review" time

App Store Distribution & Marketing App Review
zakdunbar OP
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This situation is odd for me. I've been running another app on this Apple developer account since May, all new submissions for review are usually within 24 hours and even the first initial review took 3 days.

I've recently submitted a new app for review that has now been in review for over 2 weeks but the problem i'm having is the app is already live on the play store with over 15,000 users (social media blew up) and i'm stuck here not knowing what the timeline is for release on iOS (and over 22,000 on an email waitlist for iOS). I'm not here to brag numbers but when Apple says they need a reason for expedited review... this is it.

Anyone have any tips? i.e. ways to contact the Apple review team? I've tried emailing but no luck as of yet.

Replies  6
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Views  370
Participants  5
XmasMaps OP

I wish there was a better process. I have been waiting to get approved since September 29th and I have opened multiple email requests and tickets. No response at all. I wish I knew what to do myself.
zakdunbar OP

Honestly, it's kinda odd that there's a competitor platform that reviews within 2 hours (on average for me) and then Apple who can take weeks to months. I'd love to know why this is....
GoldEngineAI OP

I've been live on the Google Play Store since 12th October '26. Waiting for Review since 14th Oct '26.... If they had a visible live queue system, that would remove the stress of the unknown, and we could plan releases better, but they don't. Developer support responses by email are non-existent.

"Recent reports from mid-to-late October 2026 describe review times stretching from the usual 24–48 hours into multiple days or even weeks for some developers, driven largely by a surge in AI-generated apps and games. A few indie and mid-size studios have publicly said updates that used to clear quickly are now sitting for a week or more, and the feedback they do get is often generic."
XmasMaps OP

I think the frustration part of it all is we have to pay for a yearly subscription for the Apple Developer Account and you get charged right away but we are not able to get a hold of someone to help approve an app. I created a Christmas App that will be useless after November so is it right to pay for a subscription when my app may or may not deploy before November. I don't know what else to do either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Har1 OP

Just pushed my first app to Apple Dev, but I got hit with a rejection and stalled out, which is how I found this forum. Do I gotta do something else like fill out all those forms? It's not gonna leave me stuck in 'Waiting for Review' forever, is it actually gonna hit 'In Review' and just get shot down again because i didn't fill out those forms?
Pokpong OP

For your first app, the forms are not a separate step you have to fill in after every rejection. Open the rejection in App Store Connect and read the message in App Review. Fix the specific issue there, then resubmit. If the status now says Waiting for Review, Apple has received the submission but has not started reviewing it yet. Check the app information and compliance sections only if App Store Connect says something is missing. Apple's status guide explains the queue states: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/review-status

If your release is tied to a real upcoming event, or you need to fix a critical bug, you can request an expedited review and explain the date and why the app is needed for it. A large waitlist by itself may not qualify. The request form is here: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/request-expedited-review