Understand why Expo and React Native apps get rejected during App Store review and how to resolve the most common issues, from metadata problems to guideline violations.
When Apple rejects your app, they tell you why in the Resolution Center within App Store Connect. This is always your starting point.
Apple cites the specific guideline number that your app allegedly violates. That number maps directly to the App Store Review Guidelines document.
Do not resubmit blindly. Read the exact wording, look up the cited guideline, and understand what Apple is asking you to change.
Many rejections are straightforward to fix once you understand them. The Resolution Center often includes screenshots or notes clarifying the problem.
A large share of rejections are about metadata, not code. Screenshots that do not reflect the actual app, or wrong device sizes, are common triggers.
Ensure your screenshots show real functionality and match Apple's required dimensions. Misleading store imagery is explicitly disallowed.
Check your description and keywords too. Overpromising features the app does not have, or keyword stuffing, can cause a rejection.
These fixes require no rebuild. You update the listing in App Store Connect and resubmit the same binary for review.
Apple rejects apps it considers too thin, a category often summarized as minimum functionality. This is especially relevant for quickly generated apps.
Apps built rapidly with AI builders sometimes fall here. If your app is essentially a wrapper around a website or lacks meaningful native features, Apple may reject it.
The fix is to add genuine value. Provide real interactivity, offline capability, notifications, or features that justify being a native app rather than a bookmark.
This is a substance issue, not a framework issue. Expo can produce a fully capable app, but you must build something that stands on its own as a real product.
Apple takes privacy seriously. Incomplete or inaccurate App Privacy details are a frequent cause of rejection.
Complete the privacy questionnaire honestly, declaring every type of data your app collects and how it is used.
If your app requests permissions like location, camera, or contacts, you must provide clear usage description strings explaining why. Missing or vague descriptions get flagged.
In an Expo project, these permission strings are set in your app config under the iOS section. Make sure each requested permission has a meaningful, specific justification.
If your app offers account creation, Apple has specific rules. Apps that support third-party or social login may be required to offer Sign in with Apple as well.
Apple also requires that apps allowing account creation provide a way to delete the account from within the app.
Review your authentication flow against these requirements. Missing account deletion is an increasingly common rejection reason.
Expo has libraries and documentation for adding Sign in with Apple, so implementing it is well within reach if your app needs it.
Apple reviewers actually use your app. If it crashes, shows broken features, or has placeholder content, they will reject it.
Test thoroughly on real devices via TestFlight before submitting. The simulator does not always surface crashes that appear on physical hardware.
Remove any demo or placeholder screens. Reviewers interpret unfinished content as an incomplete app.
If a reviewer reports a crash you cannot reproduce, check for device-specific or network-specific conditions. Provide clear reproduction steps or a demo account if your app requires login.
Apple is strict about payments, and this trips up many apps. If you sell digital goods or unlock features inside the app, Apple generally requires you to use its in-app purchase system rather than an outside payment method.
Rejections here often cite guidelines about using external purchase mechanisms for digital content. Redirecting users to pay on a website for in-app digital features is a common misstep.
Physical goods and services consumed outside the app are treated differently and typically use other payment methods. The distinction between digital and physical is what matters.
In an Expo project, integrating in-app purchases means adding a compatible library and often a config plugin. Plan for this if your business model depends on selling digital content.
Review your monetization against Apple's rules before submitting. Payment-related rejections are avoidable once you understand which category your product falls into.
Apple also evaluates whether an app feels like it belongs on iOS. Interfaces that ignore platform conventions or feel broken on certain screen sizes can draw a rejection.
Make sure your app adapts to different device sizes and orientations it claims to support. Layouts that break on a specific iPhone or iPad model are a frequent complaint.
Respect safe areas and standard navigation patterns. Content hidden behind notches or system bars reads as an unpolished app to reviewers.
Avoid mentioning other platforms in ways Apple discourages, such as referencing Android in your iOS listing. These small details occasionally trigger rejections.
Testing on a range of real devices via TestFlight is the best defense. Design issues that are invisible in one simulator often appear immediately on actual hardware.
Apps that request sensitive permissions or run background tasks face extra scrutiny. Requesting a permission your app does not visibly use is a common reason for rejection.
Every permission you request should map to a feature the reviewer can actually see in use. If you ask for location or the camera, make sure the app clearly exercises that capability.
Background modes, like background location or audio, must be justified. Declaring a background capability you do not genuinely need invites questions.
In an Expo project, permissions and their usage description strings are configured in your app config under the iOS section. Keep each description specific and honest.
Audit your permissions before every submission. Removing ones you no longer use is a quick way to reduce your rejection surface area.
Once you have addressed the cited issue, respond in the Resolution Center and resubmit. If you disagree with the rejection, you can reply with an explanation or request clarification.
Be polite and specific. Explain exactly what you changed and how it resolves their concern.
Keep in mind that Apple reviews the app itself, not the tooling. Whether you used Expo, native Swift, or an AI builder, the same guidelines apply equally.
The core limitation to accept is that a React Native app built with Expo must meet the identical bar as any native app. There is no shortcut around genuine quality, privacy compliance, and real functionality.
In the Resolution Center within App Store Connect. Apple cites the specific guideline number, which maps to the App Store Review Guidelines. Read it carefully before resubmitting.
Apple rejects apps that are too thin, such as simple website wrappers. The fix is to add real native value like interactivity, offline features, or notifications so the app justifies being native.
If your app offers third-party or social login, Apple may require Sign in with Apple as an option. Apps allowing account creation must also let users delete their account in-app.
No. Apple reviews the app itself, not the framework. An Expo app must meet the same guidelines as any native app, and it can pass review just like one.
Yes. You can reply in the Resolution Center with an explanation or request clarification if you believe the rejection was a mistake. Be specific about what you changed.