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App Store Review and AI

5 min read
Mobile

Mobile

AI doesn't know Apple and Google's rules. You do. Review every AI output for compliance before submit.

App Store Review and AI

TL;DR

  • App stores don't care if AI wrote your code. They care about: privacy, permissions, in-app purchases, and policy compliance.
  • AI can generate code that violates store rules. Default permissions, wrong IAP flow, missing privacy disclosures. You catch it.
  • Before every submit: audit permissions, privacy labels, and any AI-generated user-facing or monetization code.

You can use AI to build your app. Apple and Google don't care. They care that your app follows their rules. AI, trained on public code, doesn't know your specific obligations. It might suggest broad permissions, skip privacy disclosures, or implement IAP incorrectly. Your job: ensure compliance before you hit Submit.

What Store Reviewers Check

  • Privacy. Do you collect data? Is it disclosed? Privacy Nutrition Labels (Apple), Data Safety (Google). AI might add analytics without disclosure.
  • Permissions. Location, camera, microphone. Are you requesting only what you need? AI might copy-paste permission blocks from examples that request everything.
  • In-app purchase. Digital goods? Must use StoreKit / Google Play Billing. AI might suggest a custom payment flow. That's a rejection.
  • Content. User-generated content? Moderation, reporting. AI might not add the required flows.
  • Guideline nuances. Apple's 4.2 (minimum functionality), 4.3 (duplicate apps). Google's similar. AI doesn't read the guidelines.

Common AI Compliance Mistakes

  1. Over-requesting permissions. AI copies NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription and 10 others. You need 2. Trim the rest.
  2. Missing privacy disclosure. AI adds Firebase Analytics. You need to declare it. AI won't remind you.
  3. Wrong IAP implementation. AI suggests Stripe for digital content. Rejection. StoreKit only for digital goods.
  4. Hardcoded secrets. API keys in code. AI does this. Store review or security scan may flag it.
  5. Incomplete error handling. AI-generated form might not handle all edge cases. Crashes = rejection.

Pre-Submit Checklist for AI-Assisted Apps

  • Audit all permission strings. Do we use each one? Is the description accurate?
  • Privacy labels / Data Safety form. Does it match what we collect?
  • IAP flow. Digital goods? StoreKit/Play Billing only. No custom payments.
  • No hardcoded secrets. Env vars, keychain, or backend.
  • Test on real device. No crashes, no obvious bugs.
  • User-facing AI? Apple may require disclosure. Check current guidelines.

The Rule of Thumb

If AI generated it, assume it's not compliant until you verify. Permission blocks, analytics, payments, and anything touching user data—manual review, every time.

Ship. Get rejected for missing privacy disclosure or wrong IAP flow. Fix. Resubmit. Days of back-and-forth.

Click "App Store With Compliance Checklist" to see the difference →

Quick Check

AI added Firebase Analytics to your app. What must you do before App Store submit?

Do This Next

  1. Audit one AI-generated screen or feature for store compliance. Check: permissions used, data sent, any payments. Document what you'd change. That's your "AI compliance review" routine.
  2. Keep a compliance doc for your app: permissions and why, IAP flow, privacy disclosures. Update it when you add AI-generated features. Use it before every submit.