App rejected because of Minimum Functionality - How to solve?
-Timo-
Member Posts: 2,313
Hi guys,
my app got rejected because of Minimum Functionality. Specifically, it only includes motivational quotes.
Some facts.
1. There are hundreds of other apps just with quotes.
2. My app has 50+ quotes and a quiz with 40+ questions and looks quite professional in my opinion.
3. Some gamed or any other apps got accepted even though the functionality is way more minimal.
In this app you get a quote and you can either swipe right if you like or left if you dislike the quote. The liked quotes get saved in a list which you can look at later. There is also a separate kind of quiz where you have to finish the quote.
What could be the problem here. Not enough content? So should I add more quotes and quiz questions or only motivational quotes is the problem? Should I add something not quote related so it gets accepted because then it doesn't only include motivational quotes?
It's just weird that other apps get accepted even though I feel they have way less functionality (some of my apps included)
Any tips are welcome.
Comments
First thing I'd try would be resubmitting with a note drawing the reviewer's attention to the quiz. Apple are rather arbitrary in their application of the rules, and a different reviewer might pass it. And they don't apply them retroactively, so it's only new apps that offer no additional functionality that it's worth paying attention to. Ones already on the App Store won't be removed just because Apple tightened up their requirements.
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@-Timo- and @Armelline
I agree with the above.
They asked me to update two of mine to comply with current guidelines. I improved the UI in one on my own volition, added a new icon and altered the content. Then they rejected one because the functionality was the same as another of my apps. Both had been in the App Store for over 3 years without updates and had over 5300 downloads!
Not so. They said I had to add more functionality and make it different or remove it!
So, I lodged an Appeal to the Review Committee and explained that the app was for toddlers and all the kids had to do to enjoy it was swipe to change images and tap to hear the names. I asked them how much functionality does a toddler need? FCS! I also told them I was making a series of similar apps with different content and the same functionality.
They thanked me for clarifying and apologised for any inconvenience and approved it.
Get this: I was about to update the other old app, which is completely different, but when I checked iTunes Connect to see if the first one updated was approved, they had removed the flag and non-compliance from the other app too. I hadn't done anything to the other app.
Their reviewers can be quite contrary. Lodge an appeal first then resubmit if they reject it.
@PhillipCC Sounds like you got really unlucky! I guess they're even more arbitrary than I thought!
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They have strict rules but at the end of the day it's a human making the decisions. All peolple have a bias, emotions and make mistakes......
I had the same rejection. There was many apps similar to mine already in the store but it was a fair rejection. I improved the app and made it into a game and they approved it.
@Armelline @PhilipCC @Toque thanks guys. It got accepted.
added a completely unrelated bad game and that was good enough for apple.
Sometimes I just don't understand their logic...
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Yeah that's basically what I did to get my app accepted. Though in my case in retrospect their assement was accurate. Previous similar app approval does not always reflect current policy or mean automatic acceptance.
Glad it worked out.
@-Timo- Great that you got your app approved!
I agree with much of what has been said in this thread already.
This sums it up nicely:
"They have strict rules but at the end of the day it's a human making the decisions. All people have a bias, emotions and make mistakes......"
They are just ordinary people, no super humans in any shape or form.
Now to some more advice for the future based on my own experiences.
When rejected, do nothing at all about it for 10 minutes (or whatever cool down period you might have in order to not let any decisions be ruled by emotions
)
Think about the feedback that the anonymous Apple-reviewer has given you as reason for the rejection and be honest to yourself about it. If you (after the cool down period) agree with what has been said then fix whatever needs fixing and resubmit a new binary, however if you do not agree then proceed...
Do NOT upload a new binary of the exact same app with a new versioning number in order to resubmit the same app and hope that another reviewer might see things differently. Instead submit an appeal to the "Apple review board" using the button that is available for that. Take your time to write down your reply to them, focus on how you app works and be detailed. Do not let the reply be influenced by feelings but instead break down the reject reason(s) with actual facts about how your app works. Be respectful (you personally will not have any problem at all with that based on the content in your forum posts here, historically speaking, which is impressive).
I've had three rejections in total for different apps. The first reject was valid and I corrected the issue and resubmitted a new binary which then got approved. The other two rejects were just ridiculous in my opinion (and I needed that cool down period). I contacted the Apple Review board as described above - the first time I did that they reviewed my app again and after 20 min (yes 20 min) they had approved that app. The second time they approved that other, previously rejected, app within 50 min (still impressive though).
Based on your description, about your app, to us in your original post here I am fairly confident in that you would have gotten your app approved by the Apple Review Board without having to do anything other than what I've written above.
@JSproject thanks for the advice. I actually did send a message via the apple review board and 2 days later they replied with basically the same message as the first intitial rejection, completely ignoring my questions.
Anyway, it got accepted now so time to move on
. Unfortunately they did probably kept me from working on any future plans I had for the app though..
But thanks for the help everyone!
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That's no problem man
Questions.. that to me sounds like your mistake there. They do not want to be questioned. They do not care about having to spend time explaining anything to anyone. I would also refrain from comparing your app to any other app out there and only focus on explaining details about your app. The only way it works is if you can present valid facts without making any form of direct or indirect accusation in regards to the previous decision.