Intro

Building an app today is only half the journey. In modern app development, getting your product approved and keeping it live in the App Store or Google Play has become an ongoing responsibility.

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Both platforms act as strict gatekeepers. They keep watching how your app handles data, shows prices, guides users through key flows, and even how well your content is translated.

In this article, we break down how App Store and Google Play review processes actually work, why apps get removed in 2026, and what you can do to protect your product. You’ll also find a practical compliance checklist and a clear path forward if your app ever gets flagged or taken down.

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Let’s imagine you’ve just launched an app and received approval. In reality, that’s when everything starts. What makes the process challenging is how quickly the rules evolve. A flow that passed review without issues a year ago may now raise questions, trigger additional checks, reduce your visibility, or even lead to complete removal from the store.

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And when an app gets taken down, the impact is immediate:

users lose access
marketing plans stall
revenue drops
your roadmap gets disrupted

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Removal usually doesn’t happen because a team did something intentionally wrong. More often, it’s the result of slipping out of compliance in an ecosystem where the standards change constantly. Staying live today requires a deeper, proactive approach.

How App Review Actually Works

Before we get into the details of why apps get rejected, it helps to look at the basic submission flow every product follows. Understanding how the App Store review process and Google Play review process work helps teams design apps that stay compliant long after launch.

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On a high level, both App Store Connect and Google Play Console guide developers through the same steps: create an account, add an app, configure the required fields, upload a build, complete the metadata, and submit for review.

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A simplified overview of the submission flow. The real complexity begins once the app enters the automated and manual review pipelines.

Automated checks come first

Once your build is uploaded, both stores trigger a series of automated scans. These systems analyze your app’s structure, declared permissions, third-party SDKs, data flows, network activity patterns, paywall layouts, and even common UX patterns associated with misleading behavior.

Apple and Google increasingly rely on ML-driven detection to flag:

prohibited or outdated SDKs
hidden trackers or undeclared data collection
incorrect or inconsistent privacy disclosures
permissions that don’t match the actual feature set
aggressively designed paywalls
incomplete or misleading metadata

If something looks suspicious, your app may be routed to a deeper review queue or rejected instantly.

Then a human reviewer steps in

After automated checks pass, a reviewer tests your app from a real user perspective. They validate:

whether onboarding is clear, honest, and easy to follow
whether pricing and subscription terms are visible and compliant
whether user flows match what you promised in the description and screenshots
whether the content and translations are accurate
whether any functionality feels misleading, unclear, or incomplete

This is where many non-compliant paywalls, forced authorization flows, or incorrect translations are caught.

Approval isn’t the finish line

Even after approval, the app continues to be monitored. Post-review systems track:

crash rates and stability
policy-violating user behavior
SDK or API usage introduced through updates
unusual data collection patterns
spikes in user complaints or refunds
compliance with newly introduced policy changes

Both platforms reserve the right to remove an app at any time if it slips out of compliance, even months after launch.

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Platform-Specific Rules: App Store vs. Google Play

While the App Store and Google Play share the same goal of protecting users and ensuring high-quality experiences, their compliance rules differ in important ways.

Apple enforces strict UX-driven App Store guidelines, while Google focuses heavily on data handling and Google Play policies.

Understanding these differences helps teams anticipate potential risks long before the app reaches review.

App Store: UX-Driven, Strict, and Highly Opinionated

Apple is known for its strong emphasis on user experience and privacy. This is reflected in the App Store Review Guidelines, which outline not only what your app must do, but how it should feel to users.

Key areas where Apple is especially strict:

Paywalls and pricing transparency: prices must be visible, trials must be clearly explained, and dismiss buttons must be easy to find.
Authorization flows: if your app uses any third-party login (Google, Facebook, X), Sign in with Apple is mandatory.
Data collection and tracking: ATT (App Tracking Transparency) prompts must be accurate and not misleading.
Onboarding and UX patterns: any flow that feels confusing, pushy, or incomplete can result in a rejection.
Content accuracy: metadata, screenshots, and translations must precisely match the actual product experience.

Google Play: Policy-Focused, SDK-Sensitive, and Data-Heavy

Google’s rules are broader and more technical, with a strong emphasis on data handling and app security. Many apps are removed not because of UX issues, but because they violate background policies connected to SDKs or permissions.

Areas where Google is particularly strict:

Data Safety Form: Any mismatch between the form and the app’s behavior can lead to immediate removal.
Permissions: SMS, Contacts, Background Location, Bluetooth, and Accessibility are tightly regulated.
Third-party SDKs: Google frequently removes entire app clusters for using non-compliant or malicious SDK versions.
UGC and content moderation: apps must actively moderate user-generated content to prevent violations.
Behavior monitoring: refund spikes, unusual data flows, or device integrity issues can trigger automated reviews.

Why this matters

Both stores may look similar from the outside, but the reasons for rejections and removals often differ:

Your app must satisfy both worlds simultaneously, especially if the same features exist across platforms. Understanding these distinctions now helps reduce friction later during review, resubmission, or post-launch monitoring.

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For a deeper look at how we structure app development from idea to release, check out our Krootl Development Workflow guide.

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Most Common Reasons Apps Get Removed

Before we dive into the details of each issue, here’s a quick overview of the most common reasons apps get removed from the App Store and Google Play. Although the two platforms approach compliance differently, most violations fall into similar categories.

Many teams only revisit compliance after their app is removed from the App Store or Google Play, often months after launch.

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While rejection reasons often sound generic, removals usually happen because of very specific, repeatable mistakes. Below are the most common ones we see in practice and why stores treat them seriously.

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Privacy and Data Collection Violations

Privacy is no longer a legal checkbox, it’s a core review criterion.

Apps are frequently removed when there’s a mismatch between what they say they collect and what they actually do. This includes undeclared analytics events, background data collection, or third-party SDKs that transmit information without proper disclosure.

Common triggers:

Data collected but not declared in App Store Privacy or Google Play Data Safety
Tracking is enabled without proper user consent
GDPR-related gaps (no opt-out, no deletion request handling)
SDKs are collecting device or behavioral data silently

Even unintentional inconsistencies can result in removal, especially on Google Play, where automated systems constantly compare declared data against real network behavior.

Non-Compliant Paywalls and Subscription Flows

Paywalls are one of the most frequent rejection and removal triggers, especially on the App Store. Stores expect absolute clarity around pricing. Users must understand what they’re paying for, how much, and when, before they tap a purchase button.

Typical issues include:

Prices are hidden or displayed only after interaction
Trial terms not clearly explained
Dismiss buttons that are hard to find or visually minimized
Overly aggressive CTAs that pressure users into subscriptions

Apple actively detects so-called “dark patterns” and may remove apps retroactively if a paywall is updated in a misleading way.

Authorization and Onboarding Issues

Forcing users to create an account before they can explore the app is a common reason for rejection, especially if registration isn’t strictly required for core functionality.

Problems often arise when:

Login is mandatory without a clear justification
Users can’t preview features before signing up
Sign in with Apple is missing while other social logins exist
Onboarding hides key information behind unclear CTAs

Apple considers these UX issues, while Google often sees them as misleading user flows. In both cases, they increase the risk of removal.

Risky Third-Party SDKs

Your app may be compliant, but one SDK inside it may not.

Stores routinely remove apps because of:

Outdated or banned SDK versions
Libraries that collect data beyond their stated purpose
SDKs flagged as malicious or privacy-invasive
Dependencies that change behavior after an update

Google Play is especially strict here and often removes apps in batches when a specific SDK is flagged. This can happen without any code changes on your side.

Misleading Metadata and UX Claims

If your screenshots, description, or store listing promise something the app doesn’t deliver, that’s a red flag.

Examples include:

Claiming features that only exist behind a paywall
Showing outdated UI in screenshots
Overpromising results (especially in health, finance, or productivity apps)
Using vague or exaggerated language to drive installs

Even small inconsistencies between the listing and the actual experience can lead to rejection or later removal after user complaints.

Localization Errors

Localization is not just about language, it’s about accuracy. Machine translations often introduce unintended claims, regulatory triggers, or misleading wording. In regulated categories, this can be especially risky.

Common issues:

Different promises across languages
Legal or medical terms translated incorrectly
Cultural or regulatory mismatches
Inconsistent pricing or feature descriptions between locales

Stores treat misleading translations the same way as misleading content.

UGC Moderation Failures

Apps that allow users to post content must actively moderate it.

Problems arise when:

There’s no reporting mechanism
Harmful or illegal content remains visible
Moderation is reactive instead of proactive
Policies exist but aren’t enforced in practice

Both Apple and Google expect apps to demonstrate real moderation, not just policy pages.

Technical Stability and Performance

Finally, apps can be removed simply because they don’t work well enough.

This includes:

High crash rates
Broken onboarding or purchase flows
Severe performance issues
Repeated failures detected by automated monitoring

In some cases, poor stability alone is enough to trigger a temporary suspension until fixes are submitted.

Compliance Checklist Before Submission

Before submitting your app or rolling out a major update, it’s worth running a final compliance check. Most removals happen not because of a single critical issue, but because several small gaps add up. Use this checklist as a last line of defense before review.

Privacy & Data

All collected data is accurately declared in App Store Privacy and Google Play Data Safety
No hidden or unnecessary data collection
GDPR requirements are covered (user consent, data access, deletion requests)
Tracking is handled correctly and transparently

Paywall & Subscriptions

Prices are clearly visible before purchase
Trial terms and billing frequency are easy to understand
Dismiss/close button is visible and accessible
Links to Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions are present on the paywall
No misleading or aggressive purchase prompts

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For a deeper look at app monetization strategies, check our guide on choosing the right business model for your app.

Authorization & Onboarding

Login is not forced unless strictly required
Core functionality can be previewed where possible
Sign in with Apple is implemented if other social logins exist
Onboarding flows are clear and honest

SDKs & Dependencies

All third-party SDKs are reviewed and up to date
No banned or high-risk libraries
SDK behavior matches declared data usage
Dependencies are monitored for policy changes

Permissions

Requested permissions are justified by actual features
No restricted permissions without explicit approval
Permissions match platform-specific requirements

Content & Metadata

App description and screenshots match real functionality
No exaggerated or misleading claims
Localization is accurate and consistent across languages
Regulated content follows category-specific rules

UGC & Moderation

Clear content guidelines are in place
Reporting and moderation tools are functional
Harmful content can be quickly removed

Technical Stability

Crash rate is within acceptable thresholds
Core flows work end to end
No critical performance issues
Latest build passes internal QA

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Running this checklist before every submission or major update significantly reduces the risk of rejection or post-launch removal.

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What To Do If Your App Gets Removed

If your app gets removed from the App Store or Google Play, the most important thing to remember is this: removal is not the end of the product. In most cases, it’s a signal that something needs to be corrected, not that the app is permanently banned.

Here’s how to approach the situation step by step.

Start with the removal notice

Both Apple and Google provide a reason for removal, even if it feels vague at first. Carefully review the notice in App Store Connect or Google Play Console and identify the category of the violation: privacy, payments, permissions, content, or technical stability.

Avoid making assumptions or rushing into changes before you fully understand what triggered the action.

Audit the app against the cited policy

Once the issue is identified, compare your app’s behavior with the relevant guideline section. This is where many teams realize the problem isn’t a recent code change, but something that slipped out of compliance over time an SDK update, a new paywall version, or outdated metadata.

Focus on:

the exact user flow referenced in the notice
recently added features or dependencies
mismatches between declared and actual behavior

Fix the root cause, not just the symptom

Quick patches rarely work. Stores expect the underlying issue to be resolved completely.

For example:

If pricing was unclear, redesign the paywall not just the copy
If data collection was flagged, audit all SDKs and network calls
If authorization caused issues, rethink the onboarding flow

The goal is to demonstrate a clear, intentional fix not a workaround.

Prepare a clean resubmission

Once fixes are in place:

update metadata if needed
revise privacy disclosures or Data Safety forms
add clear notes for the reviewer explaining what changed and why

Clear reviewer notes significantly improve the chances of approval, especially after a removal.

Appeal when appropriate

If you believe the removal was triggered by an automated check or a misunderstanding, both platforms allow appeals. Appeals work best when they are:

concise
respectful
clearly tied to specific guideline sections

Emotional or defensive appeals rarely help.

Treat removal as a process issue

Most removals highlight a missing internal process rather than a single mistake. Teams that recover fastest usually introduce regular compliance reviews, automated checks, and pre-release audits to prevent the same issue from happening again.

How Krootl Helps With Store Compliance

For most teams, compliance becomes a concern only when something goes wrong after a rejection or removal. As a Flutter app development team, we help companies not only launch apps, but also support ongoing development and compliance across both platforms.

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Our approach is built around a lightweight but structured compliance framework that helps teams stay aligned with App Store and Google Play requirements throughout the app lifecycle.

Compliance as an Ongoing Process

Store guidelines change constantly, and relying on one-time reviews is no longer enough. That’s why we build compliance checks into every stage of development from early UX decisions to post-launch monitoring.

This includes:

tracking updates to App Store and Google Play policies
reviewing new features against current guidelines
validating third-party SDK behavior
reassessing paywalls, onboarding, and permissions over time

Pre-Submission Audits

Before submission or major updates, we run focused audits covering the areas most likely to trigger rejections or removals:

authorization and onboarding flows
paywalls and subscription transparency
privacy disclosures and data safety declarations
SDK usage and permissions
metadata, screenshots, and localization

This helps catch issues early before they reach a reviewer or an automated enforcement system.

Platform-Specific Expertise

App Store and Google Play enforce different priorities. We account for that by reviewing the same feature through two lenses:

Apple’s UX- and privacy-driven expectations
Google Play’s data, permissions, and SDK-focused policies

This is especially important for cross-platform apps, where a single implementation can behave differently across stores.

Support During Review and After Launch

We don’t stop at submission. If an app is flagged, rejected, or removed, we help teams:

analyze the root cause
implement compliant fixes
prepare clear reviewer notes or appeals
resubmit with confidence

Post-launch, we also help monitor compliance risks introduced by SDK updates, policy changes, or new features.

Built for Flutter-Based Products

Since many of our projects are built with Flutter, we pay special attention to how shared code interacts with platform-specific rules. This allows us to adapt faster, reduce duplicated fixes, and keep both iOS and Android versions compliant without slowing down development.

Wrapping up

Getting an app approved is no longer the hardest part. Keeping it live in the App Store and Google Play is.

As review processes become more automated and guidelines evolve, apps are often removed not because of major mistakes, but due to small compliance gaps—an outdated SDK, an unclear paywall, or a flow that no longer meets current rules.

The good news is that most of these risks are preventable. When compliance is treated as an ongoing process built into product decisions, development, and post-launch monitoring, apps become far more resilient to policy changes.

If you’re planning to launch an app or dealing with review or compliance issues, Krootl can help. We support teams with app audits, guideline alignment, and long-term compliance across the full app lifecycle.

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Let’s talk and make sure your app is ready not just for approval, but for the long run.