App Store RejectionGuideline 4.7 — HTML5 Games, Bots, Trials, and Sign-ins

Your HTML5 game distribution model conflicts with App Store rules.

Guideline 4.7 is Apple's way of controlling mini-app ecosystems and game streaming inside apps. If your app acts as a platform for distributing HTML5 games or interactive content that bypasses the App Store review process, you're going to hit this wall. Here's how to navigate it.

What Apple said

“Your app appears to distribute HTML5 games to users in a way that functions as an app marketplace or mini-program platform. Apps that distribute other executable code or games not reviewed by Apple are not permitted.”

What this actually means

Apple requires that all interactive content and games available to users go through App Store review. Apps that let users access a catalog of HTML5 games — especially if those games update or change after the app is approved — are essentially bypassing the review process. Apple views this as an unauthorized app marketplace.

What Apple needs to see

  • HTML5 content that is bundled with the app at submission time, not loaded dynamically from a server
  • No catalog browsing or storefront that lets users 'install' or select from a library of separate games
  • Content that does not change or expand after the reviewed version ships without a new submission
  • If you're building a cloud gaming app, compliance with Apple's published cloud gaming guidelines under 4.9
  1. 1Remove any server-side catalog or dynamic loading of HTML5 game content that wasn't reviewed with the app
  2. 2Bundle your HTML5 content locally in the app rather than fetching it from external URLs post-install
  3. 3If your product is a game streaming or mini-program platform, review Apple's updated guidelines under section 4.9 for the specific requirements that now apply
  4. 4Limit your app to a single, static HTML5 experience that is fully contained in the reviewed binary
  5. 5Consult Apple's documentation on the Mini App Platform program if you're building a legitimate mini-app ecosystem — there are now sanctioned paths for this

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 — $9

Common questions

Can I have any HTML5 content in my app at all?
Yes. A single HTML5 game or interactive experience bundled in your app is fine. What's not allowed is a system where users can browse and load different HTML5 experiences that weren't part of the reviewed submission.
What about WebViews that load content from my server?
WebViews loading your own website content are generally fine as long as the web content isn't functioning as an app distribution platform. Displaying your own web pages, blog content, or web app features is different from operating a mini-app marketplace.
Apple now allows cloud gaming — does that affect my situation?
Apple added specific provisions for cloud gaming apps (section 4.9) that allow streaming games from a catalog. If your product fits that model, review 4.9 carefully — it has its own requirements around individual game discoverability on the App Store that you'll need to meet.