A change in the App Store Review Guidelines signals that applications considered to have no relevant contribution may be removed from the platform by Apple itself.
The reference appears in the spam section of the official document. The company clarifies that it will not approve apps that are practically the same as those already in the store, as this harms users’ ability to find useful options.
Apple lists specific categories that already have consolidated alternatives, such as dating apps, flashlights, sound effects, wallpapers, basic and fortune-telling timers. New submissions will only be accepted if they bring significant differences to the user experience.
The company also points out that drinking games, Kama Sutra apps and those with fart or burp themes are seen as low quality and mediocre enough to not receive approval. Repeated submissions of this type may lead to the developer’s removal from the Apple Developer Program.
Apple also updated guidance on apps with user-generated content. Developers now have clear responsibility for removing materials that violate App Store rules, including those produced by third parties. This change appears to respond to the April episode involving Grok, when the app faced threat of removal due to non-consensual pornographic content generated by AI.
