# App stuck in Waiting for Review: what each status means and what you can do

> Waiting for Review means Apple has your submission but has not started. What each App Store Connect status means, when an expedited review fits, how to contact App Review, and why removing and resubmitting starts over.

- Canonical page: https://obelisk.club/blog/app-stuck-waiting-for-review
- Author: Peter Zhang
- Published: 2026-11-01
- Tags: app-review, app-store, app-store-connect, checklist, indie

**Waiting for Review** means Apple has received your submission but has not started reviewing it. Nothing is wrong with the build yet, and there is nothing to fix. Apple states that submissions may not be reviewed in the order you submit them, and that some need more time (new apps with little review history, apps that need documents checked, sensitive or novel features). If you have a real emergency, a critical bug fix or a release tied to an event, request an expedited review. Do not remove the version and submit it again to "nudge" it: Apple says that if you resubmit, the review process starts over.

The rest of this page goes through each status, what you can do in each, and the cases that look like a review delay but are separate processes.

## What Apple says about review times

On 1 November 2026, Apple's App Review page says: "App Review works around the clock, typically reviewing at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours." The App Review help page on review status calls the same figures a goal and adds that "most submissions are reviewed within 48 hours." Apple gives no figure for how long any single submission will wait, and no queue position.

The same help page lists why some reviews take longer:

- **Limited review history:** apps with little or no prior App Review history.
- **Required documentation:** authorizations, licenses, partnership agreements or other materials App Review must confirm.
- **Complex or novel issues:** regulated content, new platform capabilities, enabled entitlements or other sensitive features.

Apple's advice for these is to put the information and attach the documents in the App Review Information section before you submit. Apple's App Review page also notes that an incomplete submission may delay review or not pass.

## What each status means

These are Apple's descriptions from the App Store Connect help page "App and submission statuses", in plain words.

| Status | What it means | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare for Submission | The app record exists; you are still filling in information. | Finish metadata, choose a build. |
| Ready for Review | All required metadata is in and you intend to submit, but have not yet. | Submit. Images and videos can't be edited in this state. |
| Invalid Binary | The build doesn't meet current binary requirements. | Upload a new build or choose one that meets them. |
| Waiting for Review | Apple received the submission and has not started review. | Wait; you can still edit some information, but not screenshots or app previews. |
| In Review | App Review is reviewing it. | You can remove it from review (see below for what that costs). |
| Accepted | This item was accepted, but another item in the same submission was rejected. | Fix or remove the rejected items; nothing publishes until all are accepted. |
| Waiting for Export Compliance | Your CCATS file is in Apple's export compliance review. | Wait for that review. |
| Pending Developer Release | Accepted; you still need to release it. | Release it in App Store Connect. |
| Pending Apple Release | Apple is holding the version until the matching Apple OS version is public. | If it should ship on current OS versions, check the build's deployment target. |
| Processing for Distribution | Accepted and processing; ready within 24 hours. | Wait. |
| Ready for Distribution | Accepted and ready. Your agreements must be in effect to distribute. | The Account Holder accepts any pending agreements in Business. |
| Rejected | Not accepted; App Review sends the issues. | Read the message and reply or fix (next sections). |
| Metadata Rejected | The metadata was not accepted. | Edit the metadata and reply to App Review. |
| Developer Rejected | You removed the app from review. | Resubmit the build or submit a new build. |

At the submission level you may also see **Unresolved Issues**, which means App Review rejected one or more items in the submission.

## What you can do while it waits

1. **Make the submission complete before it is reached.** Check the review notes, the demo account or demo mode for account features, and any documents the app depends on. Apple names missing documentation as one reason a review takes longer.
2. **Check that it is the right thing to wait on.** If the status is Invalid Binary, Waiting for Export Compliance or Pending Apple Release, the wait is not the review queue; each status above says what it is waiting for.
3. **Request an expedited review only for genuine urgency.** See the next section.
4. **Leave it in the queue.** Apple says that when you remove a version or cancel a submission, it leaves the queue, the version becomes Developer Rejected, and "if you resubmit, the review process will start over."

## Requesting an expedited review

Apple's App Review help page "Request an expedited review" says expedited review is for "extenuating circumstances, such as fixing a critical bug or timing your release to coincide with an event," and that "expedite requests should be reserved for matters of genuine urgency."

1. The submission must already be sent to App Review. Only submitted apps can be expedited.
2. Put the reason in the Notes field when you submit. For a critical bug fix, Apple's App Review page asks for the steps to reproduce the bug on the current version. For an event, include the event, its date and how your app is associated with it, and schedule the release ahead of time if you can.
3. Use the Request an Expedited App Review form (developer.apple.com/contact/app-store/?topic=expedite, sign-in required), choose the app and platform, and submit.
4. Apple says it will evaluate the request and expedite "as allowed by availability and demand." There is no promised timeline.

## Contacting App Review

- **About an ongoing submission:** use **Reply to App Review** in the App Review section of App Store Connect. Apple calls this the best way to get help with an ongoing submission; a specialist familiar with your app replies. Be specific: the exact feature, guideline or step you need clarified.
- **To appeal or to request an expedited review:** do not use the reply field. Apple says to use the matching Contact Us form instead.
- **A call:** after App Review replies, you can ask for a call with an Apple representative in the same reply window. Update your contact details in App Review Information first and include your time zone. Apple says calls are typically completed within three to five business days.
- **Don't** ask about other developers' apps; App Review won't discuss them.

## When it was rejected and you fixed it

Apple's review status help page separates the cases:

- **Rejected for an issue in the build, and you fixed it:** upload the new build and submit that version. This starts a full review of the new build, so it goes back into review like any submission.
- **Rejected for metadata only:** fix the metadata; you can resubmit the same build. If the issue is solved by metadata or server-side changes, reply to App Review once they are made.
- **App Review asked for more information:** reply to the message instead of resubmitting. Resubmitting starts a new review, after which App Review can no longer reply to your earlier message.
- **You are appealing to the App Review Board:** resubmitting starts a new review and closes the appeal.
- **Some items accepted, some rejected:** remove the rejected items and resubmit to go ahead with the accepted ones.

Apple adds: "Don't resubmit until you've resolved every issue identified by App Review. Resubmitting with unresolved issues delays review and results in the same outcome."

## Delays that are not App Review

- **Developer Program enrollment.** Enrollment is verified by Apple Developer Support, not App Review. Apple's enrollment page gives no typical verification time. It says entering an alias or company name instead of your legal name delays approval, and that if you have not received a membership confirmation within 24 hours of purchase you should contact Apple Developer Support with your Enrollment ID.
- **EU trader status (Digital Services Act).** Apple must verify and display trader contact information for traders distributing in the EU. You verify your email and phone with two-factor authentication and upload a document that shows your business name and address. Apple's page does not say how long verification takes. For questions about membership, your account or App Store Connect, Apple points you to Apple Developer Support, not App Review.
- **Agreements.** Ready for Distribution needs your agreements in effect; that is accepted by the Account Holder in the Business section, not by App Review.

## FAQ

### How long does Waiting for Review usually take?

On 1 November 2026, Apple's App Review page says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. Apple gives no estimate for a single submission and says submissions may not be reviewed in the order they were sent.

### Will removing my app from review and resubmitting move it up the queue?

No. Apple says that when you remove a submission it leaves the queue, the version becomes Developer Rejected, and if you resubmit, the review process starts over.

### When can I request an expedited review?

When you face genuine urgency, such as a critical bug fix or a release tied to an event you are directly associated with. The app must already be submitted, the reason goes in the Notes field, and the request goes through the expedite form. Apple decides based on availability and demand.

### Where do I contact App Review about my submission?

Use Reply to App Review in the App Review section of App Store Connect. Appeals and expedite requests go through Apple's Contact Us forms instead. Questions about enrollment, membership or your account go to Apple Developer Support.

### My app was rejected and I fixed it. Does it go back into the queue?

Yes. If the issue was in the build, you upload a new build and submit that version, which starts a full review. If only the metadata was the problem, you can resubmit the same build after fixing it.

## Sources

All read on 1 November 2026.

- [App Review](https://developer.apple.com/distribute/app-review/), Apple Developer
- [Track a submission's review status](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/review-status), App Review Help
- [Request an expedited review](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/request-expedited-review), App Review Help
- [Contact App Review for help with a submission](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/after-submitting-for-review/contact-app-review), App Review Help
- [App and submission statuses](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-and-submission-statuses), App Store Connect Help
- [Overview of submitting for review](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/overview-of-submitting-for-review), App Store Connect Help
- [Remove a submission from review](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/remove-a-submission-from-review), App Store Connect Help
- [Reply to App Review messages](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/reply-to-app-review-messages), App Store Connect Help
- [Manage European Union Digital Services Act trader requirements](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-compliance-information/manage-european-union-digital-services-act-trader-requirements), App Store Connect Help
- [Enrollment](https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/), Apple Developer Support

*Apple's wording, statuses and forms change; check the pages above for current behaviour.*