Common rejections

Most rejections are fixable in under an hour. This page covers every rejection pattern we see repeatedly from Appolar merchants, with the exact fix for each one.

How rejections work

When Apple or Google rejects a submission, they send a message explaining the reason and citing the relevant guideline. Appolar forwards this message to your email and surfaces it in Admin → Engine → Build History.

After a rejection, you have a limited window (typically a few days) to respond or resubmit before Apple or Google cancels the submission entirely. If that happens, you will need to trigger a full new build rather than resolving the rejection in place.

Missing or invalid privacy policy URL

This is the most common first-submission rejection. Both the App Store and Google Play require a valid, publicly accessible privacy policy URL for any app that handles user data. For a Shopify commerce app this is essentially every submission.

Symptoms: Apple cites guideline 5.1.1 (Data Collection and Storage). Google Play flags the Data safety section as incomplete or the privacy policy field as empty.

Fix:Set your privacy policy URL in Appolar Admin → Settings → App Metadata. The URL must load without authentication and must be in a language the reviewer can read.

If you do not have a privacy policy for your store, you have two options: use Appolar's hosted policy at appolar.com/privacyas your URL, or generate a store-specific policy using Shopify's built-in privacy policy generator (Settings → Legal in your Shopify admin) and host it at your store URL.

App Store guideline 4.2 — insufficient functionality

Apple guideline 4.2 flags apps that appear to have limited functionality or content. For an Appolar store app, this almost always happens because the reviewer opens the app and finds an empty catalog.

Symptoms: Rejection message references guideline 4.2.1 or "thin content." The reviewer notes that the app does not have enough products or content to be useful.

Fix: Make sure your Shopify store has published products before you submit. The reviewer browses the app exactly as a real customer would. An empty home screen, a product grid with zero items, or a collection page that shows nothing looks like an incomplete app even if your store is just starting out.

You do not need hundreds of products. Even 5-10 published products with images, titles, and prices make the app look functional and purposeful. Publish them in Shopify before triggering the build.

App crashes or freezes on reviewer device

If the reviewer cannot get past a screen without the app crashing, Apple will reject with a crash report or a note that the app became unresponsive.

Symptoms: Rejection mentions crashes, freezing, or an unresponsive app. Apple may attach a crash log.

Most common cause: The Shopify store is not publicly accessible from Apple's review servers. This happens when:

• Your Shopify store is in "Coming soon" or password-protected mode. Apple reviewers cannot pass the storefront password screen.
• Your store is paused or on a plan that has expired.
• You have geo-blocking or a firewall rule that blocks traffic from Apple's IP ranges (primarily in the US).

Fix:Disable Coming Soon mode in Shopify (Online Store → Preferences → Password protection). Make sure your store is on an active Shopify plan and publicly accessible. If you use a third-party firewall, whitelist Apple's ASN (AS714) before resubmitting.

If the crash log points to a specific screen rather than a connection error, share it with Appolar support. Engine-level crashes are covered under your Appolar subscription and we will investigate and push a fix.

Metadata does not accurately describe the app

Apple and Google both check that the description, keywords, and screenshots match what is actually in the app. Discrepancies trigger a metadata rejection.

Symptoms: Rejection cites guideline 2.3.3 (Accurate Metadata) on iOS or a "misleading app description" policy on Google Play.

Common causes:

• The description mentions a feature (loyalty points, AR try-on, live chat) that is not in your current app configuration.
• Screenshots show a different store name, product set, or layout than what the reviewer sees in the app.
• Keywords include category terms unrelated to your store's actual products.

Fix: Update your App Metadata in Appolar admin to accurately reflect only what is in the app today. Remove references to features you have not activated. If you generated screenshots before finalizing your products, regenerate them so they match the current live store.

Google Play policy issues

Google Play rejections tend to be policy-based rather than quality-based. The most common policy flags for Appolar stores:

Personal and sensitive data:Google requires that apps collecting personal data (account info, purchase history, device identifiers) declare this in the Data safety section. Appolar pre-fills this for you based on what the engine collects. If you receive a data safety rejection, review your declarations in Admin → Settings → Privacy and make sure nothing is missing.

Target audience: If your store sells age-restricted products (alcohol, tobacco, adult content, certain supplements), Google requires specific policy compliance and may require age-gating. This is not handled automatically by Appolar. Contact support@appolar.com before submitting if your store sells any of these product types so we can configure the build correctly.

Store listing completeness:Google Play requires a full store listing including a feature graphic (1024x500 image) before a production release. Appolar generates this from your screenshots, but if you skip the screenshot step you may be missing it. Check Admin → Settings → Screenshots.