Hi Apple,
I'm an "Apple fan" for almost a decade. I'm obsessed by Apple products, the design concept has rooted in my heart and influenced me so much. Fortunately, I had the chance to make me get closer to Apple, by developing an iOS app which I believe it can significantly improve productivity for users who have the need for it.
The journey was very fun. In fact, I had a great pleasure when I overcame one and one problems, finally got my idea realized in iOS. I designed UI carefully, experimented as much as I can just for a smoother experience. I also did tons of research and tries on the algorithm (it was a long story, I'll skip here), to reach the high bar before launch. I even registered a new domain exclusively for this app, and set up an email for user support.
TestFlight is great for testing. And I knew it's the time to launch my first version, which is well-tested and equipped with several complete features. So I filled out all the required fields, and spent a whole day to make 18 posters which cover 3 different resolutions and 2 languages. I was so thrilled to click the "submit" button, as it's like sending my baby to the show, to undergo the inspection of billion App Store users.
After two days, I received an email says “During our review, we noticed a few things that you'll need to address before your app can be approved for the App Store.” I thought, that’s good, maybe I did anything wrong, I can revise them ASAP before it become public. But things became not right as I saw the content in App Store Connect: “Your Apple Developer Program account is currently under investigation for not following the App Store Review Guidelines’ Developer Code of Conduct.”
I started to search this phrase on the Internet, which pushed me into great despair. All the discussions are saying the only thing I can do is to wait. The investigation will end in 3 weeks if I’m lucky, or it will last until my developer membership ends. And I will never know the reason, nor what I can do to make my account back to normal. The only thing I know is, this is a normally in-use Apple ID, with a fairly new Developer Membership, and just wanted to publish a small productivity app without even network request.
I checked "Common practices that may lead to an investigation" again and again, and I believe I didn’t done any. I feel so frustrated not only due to the rejection of almost 3 months of effort, but also the indefinite punishment for unclear reason.
It will be great if I can get a reply without just templates like other developers said, as I’m writing this email with sincereness. Apple is big, I know, but like what Steve said, “Sometimes life is going to hit you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.”.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Gao
Apple just ended the investigation and approved my app. The speed is unbelievable fast. If you are experiencing the same situation, I wish you have a good luck as me.