When your app is ready, its path to users goes through the App Store and Google Play. These two stores review every app they publish according to their own rules. The process may look like a technical job, but some steps need information and decisions directly from your business. Knowing these steps in advance prevents surprises on launch day. In this article we explain the steps the two stores have in common and the most common reasons apps are turned down.
In whose name should the developer accounts be opened?
Apple requires a membership in the Apple Developer Program, and Google requires a Google Play Console account. Apple's program works on an annual membership; Google Play charges a one-time registration fee. If you open the account in your company's name, the app appears in the store under your business's name and you are the owner of the account. With an app published from an individual account, the person's name appears as the seller. When you open a company account, both stores may ask for a D-U-N-S number (an international identification number given to companies) to verify your company. Since getting this number can take time, it is a good idea to apply at the very beginning. Once the account is opened, you can add your software team as authorized users; ownership of the account still stays with you. Making sure the email address linked to the account belongs to the company rather than to an employee prevents access problems in the future.
What is prepared for the store page?
- App name, short and long description: These are the first texts users read in the store, and they should explain in plain language what the app does.
- Screenshots and icon: These should reflect the app's real screens. An image showing a feature that is not in the app can be a reason for rejection. Use sample data in images instead of real customer information.
- Search keywords: The App Store has a separate keyword field that helps the app be found in searches. On Google Play, the description text largely does this job.
- Privacy policy: Both stores ask for a link to a privacy policy, accessible online, that explains what data the app collects and how it uses it. If you process personal data in Turkey, the obligation to inform people under KVKK (Turkey's personal data protection law) also applies.
- Data disclosures: You declare the data the app collects in the App Privacy section on Apple and in the Data safety section on Google Play. The disclosure must match how the app actually behaves.
- Age rating and category: A short questionnaire sets the age group suitable for the app's content, and the right category is chosen.
- Support and contact details: An email address or support page where users can reach you appears on the store page.
How does the review and approval process work?
After the app is submitted, the stores put it through automated checks and, when needed, through their review teams. If the app requires a login, you need to provide a demo account the reviewer can use; otherwise the app cannot be reviewed. During the review, the store may ask for additional information; replying quickly to these messages shortens the process. The time it takes varies by app and by period; it is usually completed within days. That is why you should not leave your launch or campaign date to the last day of the review. Google Play also asks some newly opened accounts to test the app in a closed test for a while before making it available to everyone. After approval, you can publish the app immediately or choose the release moment yourself. That way you can time the launch to land on the same day as your promotional activities.
Why are apps most often rejected?
- The app crashes during review, or some parts of it don't work.
- The app still has unfinished screens, empty pages or placeholder text.
- The app requires a login, but no demo account was provided for the reviewer.
- The privacy policy is missing or does not match the data the app actually collects.
- The app asks for permissions such as location, camera or contacts without explaining why.
- Users can sign up in the app, but there is no way to delete the account.
- The store description or images promise more than the app actually does.
- The app does little more than put a website on a phone and offers no functionality of its own.
Rejection is not the end. The store tells you the reason for the rejection, the problem is fixed and the app is submitted again. As you prepare for launch, your checklist can be: Were the developer accounts opened in the company's name? Is the privacy policy live? Were the screenshots taken from real screens? Is a demo account ready for the reviewer? Does the store description match what the app actually does? At Adorb, we handle publishing to the App Store and Google Play and the approval process; if the app is rejected, we fix it and submit it again. This article is for general information only; consult your legal advisor about your obligations regarding personal data.