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Getting on the App Store

App Store submission checklist for Lovable and AI-built apps

By Huruy Kidanemariam, who shipped Beles and EBT Finder to the App Store. Updated .

The short answer

Most rejections are predictable. Go through this list before you press Submit and you'll catch the things Apple sends AI-built apps back for most.

Your account

  1. Apple Developer Program active, in your name or your company's ($99 a year).
  2. Company enrolling? D-U-N-S number requested first; it can take days to weeks.

The app itself

  1. Feels like an iPhone app: a tab bar, an offline screen, no website footer or "open in browser" links. Why it matters.
  2. Social login? Sign in with Apple sits next to it. More.
  3. People can sign up? They can delete their account inside the app. More.
  4. People can post or message? They can report and block, and someone acts on reports. More.
  5. Selling subscriptions or premium features? Apple's in-app purchase is set up. More.
  6. Asks for the camera, location or photos? Each request says why, in plain words.
  7. Tested on a real iPhone through TestFlight, Apple's beta app, from a fresh install.

The listing

  1. Screenshots that show the real app you're submitting. Captions and device frames are fine; screens the app doesn't have aren't.
  2. No iPad layout? Ship it as iPhone-only rather than stretching screenshots.
  3. Privacy policy and support links that work.
  4. Privacy answers that match what the app actually collects.

The note to the reviewer

  1. A demo account with a password, two-factor off, and sample data inside. Why.
  2. A few lines on what the app does and where to find its main features.

What I ran into

Beles almost stalled on screenshots: App Store Connect won't submit an app built for iPad too without iPad screenshots, and Beles had no iPad layout. Shipping it as iPhone-only was the honest fix. Several items on this list are here because one of my apps hit them.

Questions

Can someone check this for me?
Yes. My $250 Readiness Check goes through your app before you submit and gives you a fix list, in order of what Apple flags first. Or work through this list yourself; that's what it's for.
How long does review take once I submit?
Usually a day or two. Fixing what comes back is what takes time, which is why this list exists.