App Review

App review is the process by which a major app store such as Apple will thoroughly process and review a new mobile app to determine its candidacy as a live component of the app store. An app reviewer will check for basic elements of disqualification, such as the inclusion of offensive material or any big performance issues with the app.

An app review is the sometimes painful yet necessary process of getting a mobile app approved for the app store. While it is possible for anyone to make, develop, and publish an app, there are still a list of standards and requirements that an app must meet in order to become approved.

Basic Guidelines

There are several app guidelines that must be approved by the iOS store in order for a mobile app to pass and become live. The basic guidelines can be vague, but are listed as follows:

• Is the mobile app appropriate for children? If a child downloads it, will they be met with offensive content?
• Is there offensive content or behavior on the mobile app?
• Is the app designed to reach millions of people across the globe in a diverse market? If you are making an app for personal use, the major publishing store may not be the best place for it.
• Has the developer tried to cheat the system? Things like copying other work or reviews, or manipulating ratings, can get an instant boot from the iOS store. Developers may be banned from creating future works, too.

Understand Your Business Model

A mobile app is an extension of your company’s vision, brand, and ethics. Treat your mobile app like you would any part of your business model. There are clear dos and don’t’s when it comes to executing a business directive. A mobile app should be treated in much the same way. It is easy to understand what is or isn’t acceptable for a global, public market.

Things to Consider

There are several key components to the app review process that you will want to understand before submitting your mobile app for review. Certain considerations include:

• You will have to provide information – If you are making an app that requires customers to create an account, provide personal information, or input specific settings, you need to make this requirement clear to the app reviewers.
• You will have to keep up with your review status – It often takes a couple of days for an app review to be complete. A reviewer may have to spend some time with your app, making sure that each feature and component of the app is tested and previewed thoroughly.
• You can expedite the process if you face certain critical circumstances - For example, if the app revolves around a time-sensitive event, you may be able to get it pushed faster.
• There will be bugs to fix – Sometimes the reviewer will find bugs and glitches on a scale of small to urgent. Make sure you and your team are ready to fix bugs if the problem arises.

App review is a streamlined way for the Apple iOS store team to provide some form of quality assurance. Only mobile apps that pass the guidelines and are without bugs are fit for publishing.