Apple publishes fast review targets, yet some developers report their app sitting in "Waiting for Review" for weeks. Both things can be true, because averages hide a long tail of slow cases.

This article explains what that status means, what Apple says affects review time, and which causes are confirmed and which are only reported or speculated.

What Apple Promises and What Developers Report

Apple says App Review operates around the clock. It aims to review at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours. In its March 7, 2026 DMA Compliance Report, Apple said it reviewed about 175,000 new apps and app updates each week, and that 90% of submissions were reviewed in less than 24 hours on average, with almost all done within 48 hours.

Those figures are averages across all submissions, and they do not describe every developer's experience. Reports from developers and third-party analyses suggest the slow tail has grown. One analysis describes a slowdown that began in 2025 and continued into 2026, with a wider tail of slow reviews in 2026 than in 2025. A Mobilegamer.biz article from October 20, 2026 reports developers saying review had become more difficult and time-consuming in recent months, costing them time and money.

Apple has not confirmed a cause for any of this. The sections below separate what Apple documents from what is reported.

What "Waiting for Review" Actually Means

The status means Apple has received your submission but review has not started. You are in a queue, not being judged. One third-party guide notes that an app still waiting after 10 hours is simply in the queue, which is not unusual.

Once review begins, Apple's DMA report describes two stages. First comes automated review. Then an App Review specialist evaluates the app, and Apple routes each app to a reviewer with relevant experience and training.

That routing matters for waiting times. An app does not just need any free reviewer. It may need one suited to its category or features, so a backlog in one area can last longer than in another.

Apple has also said, in a Developer Forums FAQ created in April 2020, that periods of higher-than-average submission volume can delay reviews. Queue pressure is an acknowledged cause.

Why Some Submissions Wait or Stall Longer

Apple says minor updates and bug fixes typically move quickly, while other submissions can take longer to verify. Several factors can add time:

  • Supporting documentation: Apps may need authorizations, licenses or partnership agreements checked.
  • Sensitive features: Regulated content, new platform capabilities and enabled entitlements (special permissions an app requests from the system) receive greater scrutiny.
  • Novelty and complexity: Apple says review time depends on the complexity and novelty of issues raised, and some submissions need further internal escalation.
  • Fraud and abuse investigations: Examples Apple gives include a misrepresented developer identity, inauthentic documents, attempts to manipulate the App Store or hide features during review, and low-quality apps tied to excessive customer reports or many refund requests.
  • Incomplete submissions: One third-party article names incompleteness as a reason reviews take longer than expected.

First-time apps

A Reddit poster said their first app had waited almost a month. Commenters suggested it was a first submission, or that AI-generated apps were crowding the queue. These are user reports and speculation, not Apple-confirmed causes.

A separate analysis of 91 submissions, 61 of which had both a review-start time and a decision recorded, found first versions took longer. Its author attributed this to rejections and resubmissions rather than the queue. The sample is small, so treat it as an anecdote, not a rule.

The AI-made app surge

TechRadar and Mobilegamer.biz both report that App Review has come under pressure from a flood of AI-made, or "vibe-coded," apps, which are built, tested and deployed with help from machine-learning tools. Building an app is easier than before, so more submissions can arrive from more people.

This is a plausible explanation for longer waits, and it fits Apple's own statement that volume affects timing. But the reports describe it as a reported pressure, and it remains unclear whether the surge will persist or how the team will cope.

What This Means in Practice

Apple's published goal is a day or two, so a wait of several weeks is an outlier by Apple's own measure. If it happens to you, the likely explanations are a queue backlog, an app that needs closer verification, or an incomplete submission.

Based on Apple's own guidance, you can reduce avoidable delays:

  • Make sure the submission is complete before sending it, including any documentation your app's category requires.
  • Be accurate about your identity and features, since mismatches can trigger investigation.
  • Request only the entitlements and capabilities you truly need.
  • Plan release dates with slack, especially for a first version or an app with sensitive features.

Small bug-fix updates tend to go through faster, so splitting risky changes from routine fixes can help.

Conclusion

Apple's figures show most submissions are reviewed quickly, but they are averages across about 175,000 weekly submissions, and they say little about the slowest cases. Weeks-long waits in "Waiting for Review" point to the queue, not to a verdict on your app.

The causes Apple documents are volume, complexity, sensitive features and fraud checks. Whether AI-made apps are driving the recent slowdown is reported but unconfirmed, so build schedules that tolerate an unpredictable wait.