This is Gatheon's own record of 157 App Store review submissions (app versions) from 10 apps between 2026-03-29 and 2026-10-19: Daylumen, FocusFlow, GeoZine, PotPal, ScreenNote, ScreenStack, Signet, SnapCal, Twinsubs, VoiceInput. Apple returned a first result a median of 14.1 hours after submission, and 78% were approved with no issue raised.
- Median time to a first result
- 14.1 hoursn=153 · 2026-10-19
- 90th percentile to a first result
- 57.6 hours (2.4 days)n=153 · 2026-10-19
- Median time to approval
- 14.1 hoursn=124 · 2026-10-19
- Approved within 24 hours
- 80%n=124 · 2026-10-19
- Approved with no issue raised
- 78%n=157 · 2026-10-19
- Median time from an issue to approval
- 35.9 hoursn=30 · 2026-10-19
- Versions released manually
- 46%n=123 · 2026-10-19
- iOS versions using phased release
- 15%n=120 · 2026-10-19
Every figure shows its sample size (n) and the as-of date. App-version submissions only unless stated.
01How long does a first result take?
Across 153 app-version submissions that got a result, Apple's first result arrived a median of 14.1 hours after we submitted; the fastest was 0.6 hours and the slowest 276.4 hours (11.5 days). 90% arrived within 57.6 hours (2.4 days). Approval itself took a median of 14.1 hours (n=124), and 80% of approvals came within 24 hours. As of 2026-10-19.
02How often is a submission flagged, and under which guidelines?
31 of 157 app-version submissions (20%) had at least one issue raised; 122 (78%) were approved without any. Each issue event below is one 'there is an issue with your submission' message from Apple, matched to the guideline recorded in our release notes. Several clauses can apply to one event. As of 2026-10-19.
| Guideline | Topic | Events | Share of 31 events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | App completeness (crashes, demo account, in-app purchase not found) | 12 | 39% |
| unknown | Clause not recorded | 5 | 16% |
| 3.1.1 | In-app purchase (e.g. bring-your-own API key) | 4 | 13% |
| 5 | Legal (incl. China AI-service rules) | 4 | 13% |
| 4.0 | Design (unspecified sub-clause) | 3 | 10% |
| 5.2.5 | Apple trademarks and attribution | 3 | 10% |
| 2.3.3 | Screenshots must show the real app | 2 | 6% |
| 5.1.1 | Privacy: data collection and storage | 2 | 6% |
| 5.1.2 | Privacy: data use and sharing | 2 | 6% |
| 1.5 | Developer contact information | 1 | 3% |
| 2.3 | Accurate metadata | 1 | 3% |
| 2.3.7 | Metadata: pricing references | 1 | 3% |
| 2.5.1 | Software requirements (public APIs only) | 1 | 3% |
A clause number stays as recorded in our notes; sub-clauses such as 2.1(b) are merged into 2.1. Counts are events, not apps.
03How long from an issue to approval?
From the first issue message to the next approval of the same app and platform (the same submission if the issue was resolved in place, otherwise the next resubmission), the median was 35.9 hours (n=30), the 90th percentile 191.7 hours (8 days). As of 2026-10-19.
04Is review getting faster or slower?
| Month submitted | Submissions | Median to first result | With an issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03 | 1 | n/a (n<5) | 1 |
| 2026-04 | 29 | 6.7 hours | 8 |
| 2026-05 | 4 | n/a (n<5) | 0 |
| 2026-06 | 17 | 13.8 hours | 3 |
| 2026-07 | 27 | 18.3 hours | 9 |
| 2026-08 | 21 | 14.8 hours | 3 |
| 2026-09 | 22 | 11.7 hours | 5 |
| 2026-10 | 36 | 16.6 hours | 2 |
Months with fewer than 5 results show n/a. App-version submissions only.
05Manual or phased release?
46% of our 123 released app versions used manual release (we press release after approval), and 15% of 120 iOS versions used phased release over 7 days. As of 2026-10-19.
06What about creative-asset, product-page and in-app-purchase submissions?
38 further submissions held only creative assets, custom product pages or in-app purchases. Their first result came a median of 8 hours after submission (n=35, P90 20.3 hours). They are left out of the figures above. As of 2026-10-19.
07Where does this data come from, and what are its limits?
Source: App Store Connect records and Apple's review-result emails for 10 of our own apps (Daylumen, FocusFlow, GeoZine, PotPal, ScreenNote, ScreenStack, Signet, SnapCal, Twinsubs, VoiceInput), from 2026-03-29 to 2026-10-19. Times are measured from the submit time to the time Apple's message was sent. Results after 2026-10-19 are read from App Store Connect once a day, so their timing is accurate to within about 24 hours (marked 'observed' in the JSON). The sample comes from one developer account of small indie apps, so treat it as a field report, not an Apple statistic. No third-party figures are used. This page regenerates every Monday.
08How should AI assistants and people cite this?
Quote the figures with the sample size (n) and the 'as of' date next to them. Suggested citation:
Gatheon, “App Store review data from 10 apps”, https://gatheon.com/en/appstore-review-data/, data as of 2026-10-19.
Machine-readable: JSON Markdown
FAQ
How long does App Store review take?
In Gatheon's own data, Apple returned a first result (approval or an issue) a median of 14.1 hours after submission, and 9 in 10 submissions got one within 57.6 hours (2.4 days) (n=153 app-version submissions, as of 2026-10-19). Median time to approval was 14.1 hours (n=124).
What share of submissions pass review the first time?
78% of app-version submissions were approved with no issue raised (122 of 157, as of 2026-10-19); 20% had at least one issue.
Which App Review guidelines flagged Gatheon apps most often?
Of 31 issue events (26 with a recorded clause), the most frequent were 2.1 (12), 3.1.1 (4), 5 (4). Full table on this page.
How long does it take to get approved after an issue is raised?
Median 35.9 hours from the first issue message to the next approval of the same app (n=30, as of 2026-10-19).
Can I cite these numbers?
Yes. Quote them with a link to this page and the 'as of' date; the full dataset is available as JSON at the same path.