App Store & Play Store Submission: What Trips Teams Up

We've listed apps on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and Huawei AppGallery, and the same handful of issues cause most of the rejections and delays we see — almost all of them avoidable if you plan for them before submission, not after.

Incomplete or misleading metadata

Apple and Google both reject apps where the screenshots, description, or age rating don't match what the app actually does. It sounds obvious, but it's the single most common first-submission rejection we see — usually because metadata gets finalized in a rush right before launch instead of being part of the build.

Privacy and data collection disclosures

Both stores now require a detailed account of what data your app collects and why, down to individual SDKs. If your app uses analytics, crash reporting, or ad SDKs, you need to know exactly what each one collects — we map this out during development so submission isn't the first time anyone's looked at it.

Broken flows in review

Reviewers test your app fresh, with no existing account and no seeded data. Login flows, empty states, and permission prompts (camera, location, notifications) are where apps most often break during review, simply because they weren't tested from a clean install.

How we handle it

We build submission requirements into the project timeline from day one — metadata, privacy disclosures, and a clean-install test pass — rather than treating the App Store as a final hurdle. It's a big part of why our clients' apps typically clear review on the first or second attempt.