[jon914]

Apple's been fairly lax lately with its checking. A friend's game that we were able to get crashing on launch 100% of the time passed through the original submit process without a peep.

The same friend, just for kicks, submitted a deliberately broken app that didn't crash but showed a blank screen after launch. It also got approved without incident. It's like Apple just ran automated tests, but no human ever saw it.

I have a feeling that Apple's process varies depending on the kind of app (free vs. paid), the platforms you're targeting and your past history.

[d_r]

It's hit or miss. Once I made a free app that displayed a picture of a cartoon cow and made a "Moooo" sound when you turned the phone upside down. I had a toy like that as a kid. Okay, don't judge me -- but I thought I would be a fun quick idea and any kids (and even some adults) to whom I've shown the prototype loved it. I had an artist draw the cow, and bought rights to a sound I really liked.

The app was rejected twice for having "limited functionality." After I resubmitted it with various tweaks, someone actually called me personally to reject it. They were classy, communicated well, and were very polite, but ...

There are plenty of apps in the store, often in Top 100, that do less, or actually do nothing. My favorite is "traffic light changer" that claims to change traffic lights. Or a "fingerprint scanner." Also, there's "lockify your screen" that claims to give you Android-like screen unlock, and yet just displays a wallpaper with dots. Yes, they all have oodles of 1-star reviews from upset buyers, but they did get approved somehow. It seems like I just got unlucky with reviewers.

[GrantS]

I had a toy sheep like that as a kid, so it seems like a legitimate app to me, sorry to hear it was rejected. I noticed those fake fingerprint scanners -- at least two of which were consistently in the top 100 -- last year when I was creating an app that performs real 3D scanning. I thought "Surely if a fake fingerprint scanner is so popular, something that actually takes a 3D scan of your face would be even more popular." I was incorrect. (Though my app has done just fine -- it's just that those fake fingerprint scanners are disgustingly successful given what they are.)

[d_r]

I just bought your app out of curiosity. That is a very interesting concept -- would love to see how you keep innovating further! Good luck! It took a few tries/a darker room to get just the right effect. I don't actually know much about image processing -- I figured you would try to detect the face/cheeks/nose and "extrude" those when rotated, but it seems like it's doing something more sophisticated.

[snsr]

GrantS - Trimensional is fantastic; unpredictability is fun and inspiring. Thank you. It's also been my go-to wow demo for the uninitiated.

[watmough]

Damn, my Nixie Clock Radio app must have hit the zealous end of the pool. I was rejected 3 times, pretty much validly really, with 6 - 10 day review cycles. Yes, it took around a month to get in and accepted, during which I removed features, simplified others, and added and added and added resilience.

On the bright-side, the app is now pretty bullet-proof, works correctly with the AV panel controls, handles interruptions tidily etc., etc.

I'm totally grateful to the App store reviewers for being such hard-asses.

[apurvamehta]

I have had the exact same experience, though my rejections were more legalese like: "we don't accept invitation request screens in apps".

But it did take 3 rejections spanning a month before I got through.

[DrJokepu]

I have observed the same thing. On the other hand however, when I submit my apps, somehow I always end up getting allocated to reviewers who fancy a little argument / rejection cycle about the finer details of the more exotic parts of the Human Interface Guidelines. I suspect that it relates to the price tag of the app.

[fleitz]

I've gotten busted for minor HIG violations on free apps (using a button incorrectly) so I think it's just luck of the draw.

[username4]

Which category?