App Store RejectionGuideline 2.1 — App Completeness

Your app crashed the moment Apple's reviewer opened it.

Guideline 2.1 rejections mean Apple couldn't finish reviewing your app because it crashed, froze, or failed to load critical functionality. Nothing else matters until this is fixed.

What Apple said

“We were unable to complete the review of your app because it crashed on launch. Please review the details below and ensure your app is stable and complete before resubmitting. We have attached crash logs from the device used during review.”

What this actually means

Apple reviewers test your app on real devices running the current iOS version, often starting from a clean install with no prior data. If your app crashes on launch, crashes when accessing a key feature, or shows a blank screen where content should load, you'll get a 2.1 rejection. They often include a crash log or a description of exactly what they did — read it carefully because it tells you precisely how to reproduce the issue.

What Apple needs to see

  • An app that launches successfully and completes core user flows without crashing on the current iOS version
  • Graceful handling of empty states, missing data, and first-launch conditions when no user account or prior data exists
  • If your app requires login or setup, you must provide Apple with demo account credentials in the App Review notes so they can access all features
  • No placeholder screens, broken navigation paths, or features that silently fail when the reviewer taps them
  1. 1Download the crash log Apple attached to your rejection, open it in Xcode's Devices and Simulators window, and symbolicate it to identify the exact line of code that caused the crash.
  2. 2Install your exact submitted build (.ipa) on a clean device or simulator with no prior app data and walk through the complete reviewer flow from fresh install, because many crashes only happen on first launch.
  3. 3Check that all API keys, endpoints, and backend services your app depends on are active, correctly configured for production, and not rate-limiting the review traffic coming from Apple's IP ranges.
  4. 4Enter valid demo account credentials in the App Review Information section of App Store Connect so reviewers can reach gated features without getting stuck at a login wall.
  5. 5Run your app through Xcode's Address Sanitizer and Thread Sanitizer, fix any issues they surface, then do a TestFlight release to at least five external testers before resubmitting to confirm stability.

While you're at it — Apple also requires these pages for every app.

Fix this rejection, then make sure you're covered on the compliance side too. Apple requires every app to link to a hosted Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, Support page, and Data Deletion page. No link means another rejection — just for a different reason.

Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Support Page
Data Deletion Page
Marketing Page
Generate my compliance pages — $9

Common questions

Apple gave me a crash log but I can't reproduce the crash. What now?
The most common cause of crashes you can't reproduce locally is a missing production environment variable, a network endpoint that behaves differently from Apple's server locations, or a race condition that only triggers on a specific device. Symbolicate the log fully and look at the thread that crashed, not just the main thread.
My app works fine on my device. Why did it crash for the reviewer?
Reviewers start from a fresh install with no cached data, tokens, or prior state. If your app assumes some data already exists on first launch — a user object, a cached config file, a keychain entry — it will crash for them even though it works fine for you after months of development installs.
How fast will I get re-reviewed after fixing a crash?
2.1 crash rejections can sometimes be escalated to faster re-review through Resolution Center since they are blocking your release entirely. State clearly in your reply that you've fixed the crash, describe what caused it, and attach your own crash-free test results. Review times still vary but crash fixes are usually re-evaluated relatively quickly.

Ready to pass review?

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