App Store Launch Checklist: From Developer Account to App Review
To launch on the App Store you enrol in the Apple Developer Program, build with the SDK Apple currently requires, test through TestFlight, then complete the product page in App Store Connect: age rating, privacy details, screenshots and review notes. App Review then checks the app against Apple’s guidelines, so give reviewers a working demo account and a live backend. This list was read from Apple’s pages on 13 November 2026.
What is this checklist based on, and what is it not?
Every rule below was read on 13 November 2026 from Apple’s own pages: the Submitting page, the App Review Guidelines, the TestFlight page, the enrolment page and the app privacy details page. Apple updates these often. Confirm each item against the current page before you upload, because an app is judged by the rules in force on the day of review.
Two things are deliberately missing. Screenshot sizes and the exact fields in the App Store Connect forms are interactive help pages that change with each Xcode and OS release, so see App Store screenshot sizes and Apple’s help instead of trusting a copied number. And we found no fixed review duration on the pages we read, so the timeline below uses slack, not a promise. For the general walk-through of publishing, the guide to publishing an app on the App Store covers the concepts.
What must be settled before you can upload anything?
- Decide whether you enrol as an individual or as an organisation. Apple’s enrolment page says an individual needs an Apple Account with two-factor authentication on and must be of legal age in their region; an organisation must be a legal entity with a D-U-N-S Number, unless it is a government entity.
- Use your real legal name in the first and last name fields of the Apple Account. The page says an alias, nickname or company name there delays approval.
- Accept that the name shown to customers is a consequence of that choice: an individual’s legal name, or the organisation’s name, is displayed as the seller name on the App Store, so check it is the one you want visible.
- Remember that an organisation must be able to enter contracts: Apple’s page says it does not accept DBAs, fictitious business names, trade names or branches.
- Enrol early, since approval depends on identity checks that you do not control; do not leave it for the week you want to submit.
How do you build and test before submitting?
- Read the minimum SDK note on Apple’s Submitting page. It lists the Xcode and OS SDK that uploads to App Store Connect must be built with, and the date from which each requirement applies, so you do not discover it at upload.
- Test on a real device, not only the simulator. Guideline 2.1 says apps should be tested on-device for bugs and stability, and crashes lead to rejection.
- Use TestFlight for any beta. Guideline 2.2 says demos, betas and trial versions do not belong on the App Store; use TestFlight. Apple’s TestFlight page says you can invite up to 100 internal testers from your team and up to 10,000 external testers by email or public link.
- Know the gate for external testers: the TestFlight page says your first build must be approved by App Review for TestFlight before you can invite them, so submit a beta build early.
- Do not pay testers. Guideline 2.2 says apps using TestFlight cannot be distributed to testers in exchange for compensation of any kind.
A longer plan for the testing phase, with exit criteria, is in the beta launch checklist.
What goes on the product page in App Store Connect?
The Submitting page lists what the product page needs: the app’s name, icon, description, screenshots, app previews and keywords, plus a subtitle and promotional text you can set. Three questionnaires and declarations sit alongside and block submission if they are empty.
- Age rating. Answer the questionnaire; Apple derives a global rating and regional ones from your answers.
- Privacy details. Apple’s privacy page says you must describe your app’s privacy practices, including those of third-party partners whose code you integrate, and that this is required to submit new apps and updates.
- Privacy policy link. Guideline 5.1.1(i) says every app must link its privacy policy in the App Store Connect metadata field and inside the app in an easily accessible place.
- Accessibility information. You can state which accessibility features you support, such as VoiceOver or Larger Text; Apple shows an Accessibility Nutrition Label from it.
- Screenshots that show the app in use. Guideline 2.3.3 says screenshots should show the app in use, not merely title art, a login page or a splash screen.
- Accurate metadata. Guideline 2.3 says the description, screenshots and previews must reflect the core experience and be kept current.
What does App Review check that catches first-time apps?
Apple’s “Before You Submit” list is the shortest summary. Work through it as a gate, then check the guidelines that most often matter for a small first app.
- Placeholder content. Guideline 2.1 says submissions should be final versions with working URLs, and that placeholder text and empty websites be removed. Open every link in your listing.
- Demo access. If your app has a login, give App Review a demo account and turn your back-end service on. A built-in demo mode needs prior approval from Apple.
- Account deletion. Guideline 5.1.1(v) says that if your app supports account creation, you must offer account deletion within the app.
- Sign-in options. Guideline 4.8 says an app that uses a third-party or social login for its primary account must also offer an equivalent login service with limited data collection.
- More than a website. Guideline 4.2 says an app should go beyond a repackaged website; a thin wrapper around your site is at risk.
- In-app purchases. Guideline 3.1.1 says features or content unlocked inside the app must use in-app purchase, and 2.1(b) says configured purchases must be complete and visible to the reviewer.
- Specific notes. Guideline 2.3.1 says new features must be described with specificity in the Notes for Review field; generic descriptions are rejected.
DEMO ACCOUNT Email: [demo address] Password: [password] The account has [sample data / a pre-filled project] so every feature is visible. HOW TO REACH THE MAIN FEATURES 1. Sign in with the demo account. 2. Tap [tab] then [button] to [do the main job]. 3. [Any feature behind a setting: where it is.] BACKEND The service at [host] is live and will stay up during review. IN-APP PURCHASES [Product name]: found under [screen]. It gives access to [what]. NON-OBVIOUS BEHAVIOUR [Anything that could look broken but is intended, such as an empty state or a permission prompt and why it appears.] CONTACT [Name], [phone], [email], available [hours, time zone].
What does a realistic timeline look like?
| When | Job | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks before | Enrol; fix the seller name question | Identity checks are outside your control |
| 6 weeks before | Build with the required SDK; first TestFlight build | A first external beta build must pass review before testers can join |
| 4 weeks before | Invite testers; collect crashes and feedback | Real devices find what the simulator hides |
| 3 weeks before | Fill product page, ratings and privacy details | Required to submit, and your answers must include any third-party SDKs |
| 2 weeks before | Write review notes; set up the demo account | Prevents the most common avoidable rejection |
| 1 week before | Submit, leaving slack for one rejection and a resubmission | A rejection costs you a cycle, not the whole launch |
What can you skip, and which mistakes lose the most time?
- Skip custom product pages and in-app events for a first release; the Submitting page groups them under ways to increase discoverability, and they only pay off once an app already has visitors.
- Skip universal purchase and extra platforms until the iPhone version works.
- Mistake: a demo account that expires. Reviewers cannot test what they cannot open.
- Mistake: a backend that is off. Guideline 2.1 tells you to turn it on; an app that loads nothing reads as broken.
- Mistake: promising features you have not built. Guideline 2.3 asks for metadata that reflects the app as it is.
Once the app is live, tell people. A free place to do it is this site: launch your product free, link your App Store page, and see where else to list in where to launch iOS apps. If you are still looking for something to build, the productivity app ideas page lists ideas other people posted.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before I can submit an iOS app?
An Apple Developer Program membership, which Apple’s enrolment page says needs an Apple Account with two-factor authentication and, for an organisation, a D-U-N-S Number. Then a build made with the SDK Apple currently requires, a completed product page, an age rating, privacy details and a privacy policy link. Read the current requirements on Apple’s pages before you start.
How does TestFlight limit testers?
Apple’s TestFlight page says you can add up to 100 internal testers from your team and invite up to 10,000 external testers. External testing needs a first build approved by App Review for TestFlight. Apple’s guidelines also say TestFlight apps cannot be given to testers in exchange for compensation of any kind.
What do I put in App Review notes?
A working demo account, the steps to reach each main feature, confirmation that your backend is live, where in-app purchases appear and anything that could look broken but is intended. Guideline 2.3.1 says generic descriptions of new features are rejected, so be specific, and include a contact reviewers can reach.
Is a web app wrapped in an app allowed?
Guideline 4.2 says an app should include features, content and a UI that go beyond a repackaged website, and that an app which is not particularly useful, unique or app-like may not be accepted. A thin wrapper is at risk. Add something native that a website cannot do before you submit.
Written by Post your build ideas with AI assistance and edited for this site. Where a page names another product, the facts came from that product’s own pages on the date shown above; terms change, so check them before you rely on them. About the publisher.