App Store RejectionGuideline 2.5.3 — Software Requirements — Performance

Your App Is Draining Battery or Making Claims It Can't Back Up

Apps that abuse background modes, stay alive when they shouldn't, or claim to extend battery life without legitimate technical backing will get flagged under 2.5.3. Here's what to actually fix.

What Apple said

“Your app uses background processing modes that are not consistent with its intended functionality, or your app's metadata contains performance or battery claims that cannot be verified. Apps must use only background modes that match their declared purpose and must not make false or misleading claims about performance.”

What this actually means

Apple scrutinizes background modes closely. If your app requests a background mode like audio, location, or fetch but doesn't genuinely need it, you'll get rejected. Similarly, any marketing claim in your metadata about improving battery life or performance will be challenged unless you have real technical evidence to back it up.

What Apple needs to see

  • Background modes declared in your Info.plist that directly match actual app functionality
  • A clear explanation in your review notes of why each background mode is necessary
  • Metadata claims about performance that are either removed or verifiably accurate
  • A support page that explains to users what background activity your app performs and why
  1. 1Open your Info.plist and remove every background mode your app doesn't genuinely require
  2. 2Test your app with Background App Refresh disabled and confirm core functionality still works
  3. 3Remove or tone down any performance or battery claims in your App Store description and screenshots
  4. 4Add a note in the review notes field explaining the legitimate reason for any remaining background modes
  5. 5Publish your support page at yourapp.baseterms.com/support documenting what background tasks your app runs

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
Generate my compliance pages — FREE

Common questions

I need background location for my app — how do I justify it?
Background location is one of the most scrutinized capabilities. You need to clearly describe in your review notes exactly why the core user experience requires it. 'Nice to have' isn't enough — it must be essential. Include a usage description string that's specific and honest.
Can I say my app 'optimizes battery usage' in the description?
Not without being very specific about how. Generic claims like 'extends battery life' are red flags. If your app genuinely reduces battery use in a specific scenario (e.g., replacing a high-drain system feature), describe the mechanism precisely.
My app uses background fetch — is that automatically a problem?
Not automatically. Background fetch is one of the more accepted background modes because the system controls when it fires. The key is that your app must actually do something meaningful with it, and you should document what that is.