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How does Apple’s 4.2.6. new rule affect Shoutem?

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Apple’s 4.2.6 rule states: “Apps created from a commercialized template or app generation service will be rejected.”

How does this new guideline affect Shoutem?

Shoutem apps and resellers of our white label service have been affected by this rule – so far, only 3 apps were rejected.

Thorough internal review

Our internal review process is harsh!  

Internal reviews were always an integral part of our publishing process, and, they are free.

Once you submit your app, our team will review your app and take every precaution to ensure that it will be accepted and published in the App Store.

Yes, this does mean that in rare cases, we will internally reject your app.

Why are we rejecting your app?

Our mission is to help your app to succeed. We want to be more than a tool for app creation; we want to support you in every step and be your partner.

Next step: we’ll advise you on what needs to be changed.

After these are applied, we’ll proceed with submission to the App Store. 

If you do not want to apply our suggested changes and insist that we need to proceed with the submission, we will submit your app – we don’t exclude the possibility that we may be wrong in our evaluation of your app.

However, without following our advice, you’re increasing the possibility to be affected by 4.2.6 – in the end, the Apple review team will have the final word.

How to avoid 4.2.6 rejection?

Users of app creators other than Shoutem are facing rejections and are unable to publish their apps, according to these comments and the Reddit thread.

Regardless if you’re using other popular app builders, have your own tool for building mobile apps, or have paid for full custom mobile app development for $10k+; if your app doesn’t provide exceptional user experience, UI aligned with the latest design guidelines and don’t provide a clear value to your users Apple will reject your app.

Here are some tips on how to avoid 4.2.6:

  • Webview – your app cannot be made only with the web module. We suggest using only 2 web modules
  • Icons, theme, layout – although we have over 200+ layouts and templates, we advise you not to use our default assets without changing them. Customize your app with new icons, change the colors of our templates, etc.
  • Content – your app cannot be just a collection of RSS feeds, Youtube playlists, a collection of the events, etc. The app needs to provide real value for your users. 
  • One app on one iOS dev account – we strongly advise having an individual iOS developer account for one app.

What can you do if the app builder you are using is affected by 4.2.6?

Talk to us

If you’re using another app builder, regardless if you’re already affected by 4.2.6 or don’t want to be unable to update/submit your app, feel free to get in touch.

contact shoutem

We can discuss how you might transfer your apps to Shoutem.

Below see the statistics for our submitted apps:

Check back! We will be updating these statistics on a weekly/monthly basis. We’ll also be updating the examples of apps published on the App Store, which you see below.

Time period: 1st August – 20th September 2017

Submitted apps: 41

Approved apps: 41

Rejected apps: 3

Apps in queue: 22

Waiting for internal review: 8

Rejected by our internal review: 14

Examples of accepted iOS apps currently on the App Store:

Teamsters Local 745 app
Teamsters Local 745 app
Salvemos a la Familia app
Salvemos a la Familia app
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