Apple Confirms New App Store Policies on Bug Fix Updates and Challenging Guidelines Are Live

Back in June at WWDC, Apple announced several changes to its handling of App Store review, noting that it would in most cases no longer hold up bug fix updates over violations of ‌App Store‌ guidelines, and that it would allow developers to challenge existing guidelines.

app store on ios 13
In a note to developers today, Apple confirmed that those two changes have been implemented, encouraging developers to suggest changes to guidelines and Apple's development platforms.

For apps that are already on the App Store, bug fixes will no longer be delayed over guideline violations except for those related to legal issues. You'll instead be able to address guideline violations in your next submission. And now, in addition to appealing decisions about whether an app violates guidelines, you can suggest changes to the guidelines. We also encourage you to submit your App Store and Apple development platform suggestions so we can continue to improve experiences for the developer community.

Apple has been involved in a number of notable ‌App Store‌ controversies in recent months, from the Hey email app rejection to the battle with Epic Games, while regulators have also been taking a look at Apple's policies regarding ‌App Store‌ commissions and exclusive control over app distribution.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
fortnite apple logo 2

Epic Resubmits Fortnite to U.S. App Store After Not Hearing From Apple for 120+ Hours

Wednesday May 14, 2025 1:01 pm PDT by
On Friday, Epic Games submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and since then, we've been waiting to see if Apple would approve the game and allow it back on the iPhone and the iPad. There's been no word from Apple so far, but Epic Games opted to pull its first App Store review request, and has now resubmitted Fortnite. Fortnite leaker Shiina shared the news, with the information reposted by...

Top Rated Comments

PSeg90 Avatar
62 months ago
Apple should update the policy that requires developers to explain EXACTLY which bugs were fixed. They shouldn't be able to get away with "bug fixes and improvements" as the only reasoning for update.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Beeplance Avatar
62 months ago

Apple should update the policy that requires developers to explain EXACTLY which bugs were fixed. They shouldn't be able to get away with "bug fixes and improvements" as the only reasoning for update.
Agree. Every update of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc all "bug fixes and improvements" that says absolutely nothing I need to know. If you don't tell me what you fix, ain't no reason for me to update a perfectly working app.

Apps like Reddit, Apollo, Telegram, and others actually put in the effort to state all their fixes and new features in their changelog. I appreciate those developers who are transparent about their fixes and actually highlight what's patched to users.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VolceOntra Avatar
62 months ago

Explain to who, the final users?
Why would they care about technical details?
If all I did was bugfix, that's what I write in the changelog. If it is something a user could notice, I may want to point it out, especially if it was something I got a review about, but if I solved a weird crash that happened to a small amount of users, why should I explain it?
Because when that happens on weekly basis and then all the users are required to download the app again, it gets pretty annoying. More so, if the user is experiencing some of the bugs - it gives a false sense of hope that the bug fixes will address what they are experiencing.

I don't think the list needs to be comprehensive or overly technical, but communicating to your end users is always a good thing.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
VolceOntra Avatar
62 months ago

Features get pushed to, not just bug fixes. Depending on the app, there are many factors that play into development cycles. User feedback, competitive reasons, opportunity, staffing, calendering etc. Getting builds to the store isn’t a single step. All of these areas are part of the decision-making in getting those builds out. Teams work hard to close out bug inventory and merge this into new code. It’s a balance not an Excuse. Remember ships that don’t produce what you as a consumer want or expect won’t survive. You control their market share through downloads not Apple. If bugs aren’t listed but revs are happening at a regular rate be happy you’re getting some innovation too.
I've been a Software Engineer for about a decade. I understand the development cycle. Yet, I still value communication to end users. You can both say "WE LAUNCHED FEATURE XYZ!!!" and "We fixed a crash that could occur on workflow XYZ". Like I said, it doesn't have to be exhaustive, but if it's a bug affecting a lot of users, it might be worth point out. To a large portion of customers, I'm guessing saying a generic "We fixed bugs" seem lazy, and it looks like some users on this forum agree.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ijordano Avatar
62 months ago
I want them to force developers to use more specific language than "bug fixes and improvements" for 200 updates in a row
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ruka.snow Avatar
62 months ago

Apple should update the policy that requires developers to explain EXACTLY which bugs were fixed. They shouldn't be able to get away with "bug fixes and improvements" as the only reasoning for update.
Oh don't say that... how will Microsoft get their almost weekly MS Outlook update out if they have to actually write what they changed?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)