The approval process for the App Store is a love-hate relationship. It is a process that most developers state that Apple “loves,” but I “hate”. From the beginning, Apple has had very strict rules on how it would approve or deny new apps. Apple feels that the approvals process should be this way to avoid malicious or damaging apps entering into circulation such as with Android or Getjar. The company believes the current approval process maintains the integrity of the Apple environment.

Secretive Approvals Process

Though Apple has released the “App Store Review Guidelines,” I find the process is still nerve-wracking, frustrating, time-consuming and clouded in mystery. Even with these guidelines, I am still uncertain about how an app I’ve created is fully approved. In some instances, a developer has complained that after “ticking all of the boxes” that Apple required, a HTML5 iPhone app was still denied. This leads me to not want to give my full effort in any future app development for Apple.

Lack of Transparency

Another problem I have with App Store Approval is the lack of transparency. Apple should produce a detailed review of why an app I submitted was not approved. Even before an app is approved or denied, there should be a progress report on the stage the app is in during the approvals process. I have had instances in which I submit an app and then a month later, I am told it is not suitable for the Amazon App Store. The lack of transparency on how my apps are being tested or evaluated during the approvals process just makes it easier for Apple to deny its inclusion.

Lack of Feedback

Another frustrating reason why I hate App Store Submissions process is the lack of feedback. Even though Apple might believe that this process can maintain the quality of apps within the App Store, its lack of feedback makes the process worse for developers like me. Feedback should not only be given to all software designers that have had their submissions denied, but also designers that have had their submissions approved. By giving detailed feedback, we can improve the quality of the submissions we send to Apple.

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