How Long Does App Store Review Take? Apple and Google Timelines, Explained

The build is done, the screenshots are uploaded, and you click Submit. Then comes the most nerve-wracking part of launching an app: waiting for a stranger at Apple or Google to approve it. Marketing is lined up, the client keeps asking for a date, and the status still says "Waiting for Review".

The app store review time is usually shorter than people fear, but it's also less predictable than anyone would like. Here's what to expect from each store, what slows things down, and how to plan a launch that doesn't hang on a lucky afternoon.

Apple App Store: what to expect#

Apple reviews every app and every update before it goes live. For most submissions, review completes within a day or two, and Apple has said publicly that the large majority of submissions are reviewed in under 24 hours. In our experience, a straightforward update often goes from "Waiting for Review" to "Ready for Distribution" within a working day.

The status moves through a few stages: Waiting for Review (in the queue), In Review (someone is looking at it, usually a short phase), then either Pending Developer Release, Ready for Distribution, or Rejected with a message in App Store Connect.

What makes Apple reviews slower#

• It's a new app rather than an update. First submissions get more scrutiny.
• The app has sign-in, in-app purchases, subscriptions or user-generated content, all of which reviewers check against specific rules.
• Reviewers can't get past a login because you didn't provide a working demo account.
• The app falls into a sensitive category, like health, finance, children or gambling.
• It's a busy period, such as right before major iOS releases or the end-of-year holidays. Apple has historically slowed or paused submissions for a few days around late December, so check its developer news before planning a holiday launch.

Google Play: what to expect#

Google's review is mostly automated, with human review for some apps. Updates to established apps are often approved within hours or a couple of days. New apps, and especially apps from new developer accounts, can take longer: several days is common, and a week or more isn't unusual while Google verifies a developer's identity.

Two Google-specific delays catch first-time developers:

• Account verification. Google may ask for identity documents or organisation details before your app can be published.
• Closed testing. Newer personal accounts must run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days before releasing to production. That's two weeks before review even starts. Our guide to the 12 testers rule explains how to plan for it.

Rejections: the real time sink#

A rejection doesn't just delay one review; it adds another full cycle once you resubmit. The most common reasons we see, across both stores:

1. Missing or broken demo login details for reviewers.
2. Crashes or blank screens on the reviewer's device.
3. Apps that are essentially a website in a frame (Apple's guideline 4.2).
4. Privacy information that doesn't match what the app actually collects.
5. Permissions requested without a clear reason in the app.
6. Links to external payment for digital goods where store billing is required.

Fix the cause, reply to the reviewer in App Store Connect or the Play Console if clarification helps, and resubmit. A clear, polite explanation of how the app works for users resolves many Apple rejections without code changes. Our list of common Google Play rejection reasons covers the Android side in detail.

How to request an expedited Apple review#

If you have a genuine emergency, like a critical bug affecting users or a launch tied to a fixed public event, Apple lets you request an expedited review through the Contact Us form in its developer site. Explain the situation briefly and specifically. Apple grants these at its discretion, and using the option for routine launches is a good way to have future requests taken less seriously. Google doesn't offer an equivalent; plan around it.

Plan your launch around review, not on top of it#

The single best piece of advice we give clients: never announce a launch date before the app is approved. Here's a safer way to schedule:

• Submit at least a week before the date you have in mind, two weeks for a first Android release on a new personal account (plus the 14-day test before that).
• On Apple, choose "Manually release this version". When the app is approved, it waits for you to press the button, so you control the exact launch moment.
• On Google Play, use managed publishing so approved changes don't go live until you publish them.
• Submit early in the week. If something is rejected, you have working days to fix it.
• Keep the first version simple. A smaller app with fewer edge cases gets through faster, and you can add features in updates.

Write review notes that answer questions in advance#

Both stores let you leave notes for the reviewer. Most people leave them empty. That's a missed chance to remove the reviewer's doubts before they turn into a rejection. Useful notes are short and practical:

• A demo login that works, with a note on what it can access.
• Where to find any feature that isn't obvious from the first screen.
• Why the app asks for each sensitive permission, like location or camera.
• For apps that require special hardware or a paid account to use fully, how the reviewer can test without it.
• If something was flagged last time, what you changed.

Two minutes spent here can save a full review cycle.

Updates are faster than launches#

Once your app is live and has a clean history, updates usually move through review much faster. That's another argument for launching with a focused first version rather than waiting until everything is perfect. Regular small updates also reassure users that the app is maintained.

Let someone experienced submit it#

Most review delays are avoidable with experience: knowing what reviewers check, preparing the demo account, writing review notes that answer questions in advance. When we build an app through our Website to App service, we prepare the submission with those details and handle questions from reviewers,. If you'd rather keep control, the checklist above will get you most of the way.