App Review
Short definition
App Review is the human-plus-automated approval process Apple runs on every iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS submission, and the equivalent (mostly automated) process Google runs on every new or updated Google Play submission.
Detailed
On Apple's App Store, each version of the app — including metadata-only changes that require a new version — is reviewed against the App Store Review Guidelines; the median review time is roughly 24 hours but can stretch to several days for complex apps or during Apple's holiday freezes. Google Play reviews are mostly automated and typically complete within a few hours, though new developer accounts and apps flagged for policy review can take up to seven days.
Example
A developer shipping a critical bug fix uploads the build, submits for review at 10:00 AM, receives 'Waiting for Review' status, and sees 'In Review' about 14 hours later; Apple approves within 2 hours, and the developer releases manually from App Store Connect at 2:00 AM UTC the next day to avoid peak traffic.
Primary sources
How Forvibe handles this
Forvibe's App Store Review Simulation addresses this directly: catch apple rejection risks before you submit.
See how it works →Related terms
- App Store Review GuidelinesThe App Store Review Guidelines are Apple's authoritative, regularly updated rulebook that every submitted iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS app must satisfy to pass App Review.
- App Store ConnectApp Store Connect is Apple's web and API console for submitting, managing, and distributing iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS apps on the Apple App Store.
- Google Play ConsoleGoogle Play Console is Google's web and API console for publishing and managing Android apps and games on the Google Play Store.
- TestFlightTestFlight is Apple's official beta testing platform that lets developers distribute pre-release iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS builds to up to 10,000 external testers and unlimited internal team members.