With its latest update to its App Store Review Guidelines, Apple has taken a tougher stance against apps that it deems do not add value to the store. The company announced that applications that are similar to existing applications, have limited functionality, or do not bring significant innovation in terms of user experience will be subject to stricter evaluations during the approval process. The update comes at a time when application development processes are becoming easier thanks to artificial intelligence tools and applications to the App Store are increasing rapidly.
In his speech at the WWDC 2026 event, Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that developers submit more than 1,000 applications to the App Store every hour. This statement aimed to highlight the vitality of the platform’s developer ecosystem. However, as application development tools have become accessible, it has enabled more people to turn their ideas into practice, and has also led to an increase in the number of repetitive software produced with low labor.
Apple took its first steps on this issue in November last year and added new rules against content it defined as “copy applications” to the App Store Review Guidelines. The latest regulation takes this approach even further. As part of the change, spotted by MacRumors, article 4.3(b) of the guidelines has been revised and wording regarding low-quality applications has been expanded.
According to Apple’s current rules, products that are indistinguishable from applications already widely available in the App Store will not be accepted to be sent to the store. The company states that opportunistic proliferation of existing app categories negatively affects app discoverability, reduces the overall quality level, and creates problems for both users and developers.
Apple directly targets some app categories
Another striking element in the updated text was the clear example of certain application categories. Apple states that dating apps, flashlight apps, sound effects, wallpaper apps, simple timers and fortune-telling apps have long been established categories in the App Store. In order for a new application to be accepted in these areas, it must differ significantly from existing options or offer a significant improvement.
In addition, Apple also says that applications that do not attract user attention, are not updated or developed may be removed from the store in the future. Thus, not only new applications but also existing applications will continue to be evaluated regularly.
The company also listed some categories, such as drinking games, Kama Sutra apps, and entertainment apps that feature burping and burping noises, as “mediocre,” “low quality,” or “low-effort” apps. According to Apple, such applications do not add sufficient value to the App Store. If repetitive applications continue in these categories, developers may be excluded from the Apple Developer Program.
On the other hand, the update is not limited to application quality only. Apple also made new regulations in directive 1.2 regarding user-generated content. In addition, the rules regarding the use of the Live Activities feature for spam messages, phishing attempts or notifications that users did not request were also clarified. Thus, the company expanded its controls to increase both application quality and user security.
While the application volume for the App Store has increased noticeably recently, Apple denies claims that review processes have slowed down. According to the data shared by the company, 90 percent of application submissions are processed within 48 hours and the average review time is approximately 1.5 days. While Apple states that every application undergoes human review, it also states that it increasingly uses artificial intelligence-supported tools in its evaluation processes. It seems that the new rules are part of an effort to maintain the overall quality level of the App Store in this busy application environment.