Apple’s App Review info rules for sign-in apps

Did Apple change App Review info requirements for apps that need special account setup or instructions

Yes. Apple still expects you to put the account, setup, and instruction details in App Review Information when the reviewer cannot reach the app’s features on a fresh install. Apple says incomplete information can delay review and can keep the app from passing review.

The practical rule is simple: if a reviewer needs a login, a special configuration, a code, a demo account, or a specific environment, you include it up front in App Store Connect. Apple’s App Review page says to include specific settings, user account information, or special instructions in the App Review Information section, and its App Store Connect help page says to enter all details needed for review.

Apple’s current documentation also spells out the required review fields. For App Store review details, Apple lists contact name, contact phone number, contact email address, and whether a demo account is required. If your app uses sign in, the review details can also include the demo account name and password, plus notes for the review team.

What people get wrong is assuming the App Review team will figure it out from the UI. Apple says to provide a valid demo account if features require sign-in, and to include the specifics if there are special configurations to set. If the feature depends on hardware or an environment that is hard to replicate, Apple says to be ready with a demo video or the hardware itself.

The inconvenient part is that “notes” are not a backup for missing access. If the reviewer cannot move through the app because credentials are stale, a setup step is missing, or the app only works with one narrow account type, the review stops until the information is corrected. Apple’s guidance from App Review also says to keep demo account login credentials up to date and to add extra credentials in the Notes field when an app has multiple account types.

Apple has not moved away from this requirement in the material it currently publishes. The newer API documentation still treats review details as a normal part of submission, not an optional courtesy, and it still marks sign-in information as required when login is needed to review all app features. That means the safe workflow is unchanged: submit working credentials, clear setup steps, and current contact information every time.

A good submission includes the shortest path to a full review. Give one account that opens the full feature set, then list any extra accounts or states that matter, such as admin versus regular user, paid versus free, or region-restricted access. Apple’s App Review forum guidance specifically says to include demo accounts, authentication codes, and required setup steps in the App Review Information section.

A bad submission asks the reviewer to guess. Common failure points are expired passwords, two-factor prompts with no bypass, missing backend flags, unpublished test credentials, or instructions that only make sense to the team that built the app. Apple’s guidance to provide a complete review path exists because a reviewer has to evaluate the whole experience, not just the splash screen or the login form.

If your app needs a special environment, write that plainly in the review notes. Apple says to include specifics for special configurations and to provide a demo video or the hardware when the setup is hard to reproduce. That is the part teams often skip, then they get a rejection that says the app could not be reviewed because the reviewer could not reach the feature set.

If you are deciding what to put where, use this split: App Review Information for anything the reviewer needs to enter or use, and Notes for context that helps the reviewer understand the app. Apple’s API docs also make a distinction between credentials and notes, which is useful because the review team needs both access and explanation, but not mixed together.

For teams building a signup or login-heavy product, the best internal habit is to keep one review checklist with every submission. That checklist should include a live demo account, the current password, any code or OTP step, the exact setup path, and a contact method that someone monitors during review. Apple’s current help and documentation both point in that direction.

If you also need a place to coordinate testers outside Apple’s review flow, DevConnect is one option for reciprocal testing on your own projects, and its public site explains that the platform is free. That is separate from Apple’s review process, which still needs complete review info inside App Store Connect. https://devconnectplatform.com

So the answer is yes, in the sense that Apple still requires the same kind of review access and setup information, and the current documentation keeps saying so. The wording has evolved, but the rule has not softened: if the reviewer needs something to see the app work, you provide it before submission.