# App Store submission checklist (2026): from Xcode 26 build to Submit for Review

> A 2026 App Store submission checklist: Xcode 26 builds, required screenshots, privacy policy, a working demo account and the two-step Submit for Review flow.

Canonical: https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-submission-checklist
Last updated: 2026-10-20

By [Yagyesh Bobde](https://www.bobdeyagyesh.in) · Store submission · Published Oct 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · 8 min read

Go through the build, screenshots, privacy answers and reviewer access before you press Submit, so your first review isn't sent back for something you could have checked.

## Short answer

An App Store submission checklist covers six things: an Xcode 26 build that targets iOS 13 or later, required metadata, screenshots for the required display sizes, a privacy policy and privacy answers that match the code, a working demo account under guideline 2.1(a), and the final Submit for Review step. Add for Review only creates a draft submission. Nothing reaches Apple until you press Submit for Review.

## Key takeaways

- Since April 28, 2026, App Store Connect uploads must be built with Xcode 26 or later using the iOS 26 SDK. Since September 9, 2026, iOS apps must target iOS 13 or later.
- As of October 2026, you need at least one screenshot for iPhone with Dynamic Island (medium display), plus iPad 13-inch if the app runs on iPad. You can upload up to 10 per size.
- Guideline 2.1(a) asks for demo account info and a live backend whenever your app includes a login.
- Guideline 5.1.1(i) requires a privacy policy link both in App Store Connect and inside the app. Apps that support account creation must also offer in-app account deletion.
- Add for Review only drafts the submission. Submit for Review sends it to App Review, and either step needs the Account Holder, Admin or App Manager role.

An App Store submission checklist is a list of the things that have to be ready together before you submit: a working build, an accurate listing, truthful privacy answers and enough context for a reviewer to use your app. A green build alone is not enough. The six sections below follow the order App Store Connect asks for them, and each one opens with a short answer you can act on.

> **START HERE:** Create the app record and upload a build early. Processing, signing problems, SDK warnings and unsigned agreements are much easier to fix days before launch than on launch day.

## What does an App Store submission need before you press Submit?

An App Store submission needs a processed build attached to the version, the version's required metadata, screenshots, a privacy policy, App Review contact details and, if the app has a login, working demo credentials. Apple's own "Before You Submit" list in the [App Review Guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/) adds two more items: "Enable backend services so that they're live and accessible during review" and explain non-obvious features in the review notes.

| Area | What to check | Where it bites if missed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Build | Xcode 26 / iOS 26 SDK, unique build number, tested on device | Upload rejected or guideline 2.1 crash rejection |
| Metadata | Name, description, category, support URL, copyright, age rating | Submission can't be added for review |
| Screenshots | Required display sizes, real in-app screens | Guideline 2.3.3 metadata rejection |
| Privacy | Policy URL in App Store Connect and in the app, privacy answers, privacy manifest | Guideline 5.1.1 rejection or ITMS warnings |
| Review access | Demo account, live backend, notes | Guideline 2.1 Information Needed |
| Release | Manual or automatic release option | App goes live before your launch |

## Which account and app record settings must be ready?

You need an active Apple Developer membership, an app record whose bundle ID matches your signed build, and someone on the team with the Account Holder, Admin or App Manager role. Those are the roles Apple's [Submit an app](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/submit-an-app/) page requires for submitting.

When you create the record, choose the name, primary language and SKU. The SKU is internal and customers never see it. If you sell a paid app or in-app purchases, finish the paid agreements, tax and banking details first. An unsigned agreement can hold up a commercial launch even when the build is fine.

## What build requirements apply to App Store uploads in 2026?

As of October 2026, Apple's [upcoming requirements](https://developer.apple.com/news/upcoming-requirements/) page says "Apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 or later using an SDK for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, or watchOS 26" (since April 28, 2026). It also says iOS and iPadOS apps "must target iOS 13 or later" (since September 9, 2026).

- Bump the build number on every upload, and make sure the version number matches the release you mean to ship.
- Update the Xcode image in CI (Codemagic, Expo EAS, GitHub Actions and so on) as well as on your own machine.
- After processing, answer any export-compliance prompt and attach the processed build to the version.
- Install the TestFlight build on a physical device. Test onboarding, sign-in, offline states, purchases and restore purchases. A working simulator run doesn't prove the distributed build works.
- Read the email App Store Connect sends after upload. ITMS warnings about privacy manifests or SDK versions turn into blockers if you ignore them.

Guideline 2.1(a) is blunt about what happens otherwise: "We will reject incomplete app bundles and binaries that crash or exhibit obvious technical problems." Remove placeholder screens, debug menus and dead links before you archive. Our [release-build test plan for 2.1](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-rejection-2-1-release-build-test-plan) goes through these checks in detail.

## Which screenshots and metadata does App Store Connect require?

As of October 2026, Apple's [screenshot specifications](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/screenshot-specifications/) require at least one screenshot for "iPhone with Dynamic Island (medium display)", for example 1206 × 2622 or 1179 × 2556 portrait. Apps that run on iPad also need at least one iPad 13-inch screenshot, such as 2064 × 2752 or 2048 × 2732.

You "can upload up to 10 screenshots per device size in .jpeg, .jpg, or .png formats", and "Images can't include alpha channels or transparencies." If your interface is the same across sizes, upload only the highest required resolution and App Store Connect scales it down. Guideline 2.3.3 says screenshots "should show the app in use, and not merely the title art, login page, or splash screen."

- Write a description that says who the app is for and what someone can do in their first session.
- Keep the name, subtitle and keywords relevant. Don't repeat keywords or use competitor names.
- Make sure the support URL and privacy policy URL load without a login.
- Answer the age-rating questionnaire based on what the app actually contains and can do.
- Show the current build in screenshots, including any paywall a user will hit.

## How do you make privacy answers match the app?

To make privacy answers match the app, list every SDK you ship and what data it collects, then use that list to fill in App Privacy, write the privacy policy and set up in-app behavior. Guideline 2.3 says your metadata, "including privacy information", must accurately reflect the app.

Guideline 5.1.1(i) states: "All apps must include a link to their privacy policy in the App Store Connect metadata field and within the app in an easily accessible manner." Guideline 5.1.1(v) adds: "If your app supports account creation, you must also offer account deletion within the app." Analytics, crash reporting, ads and login SDKs usually change your answers, so audit them with our [privacy labels SDK audit](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-privacy-labels-analytics-sdk-audit). Also check that your app and every bundled SDK ship a `PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy` privacy manifest that covers any required-reason APIs they use.

> **A USEFUL AUDIT:** Make a four-column table: SDK, data collected, purpose, and whether the data is linked to the user's identity. Fill in App Privacy from that table, and update it whenever you add an SDK.

## What should App Review Information include?

App Review Information should include a contact who will reply, demo credentials that work and don't expire, and notes that take the reviewer straight to your core features. Guideline 2.1(a) asks you to "include demo account info (and turn on your back-end service!) if your app includes a login"; a built-in demo mode instead of an account needs Apple's prior approval.

Here's a worked example of review notes: "Sign in with the supplied review account. Open Library, choose the sample project and tap Export. The account has all premium features unlocked. Location features use a simulated city, so no travel is needed." Don't send reviewers to an empty account, a one-time code that expires, or a flow that only works while you are online to approve it. Our [demo account setup guide](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-review-demo-account-setup) shows how to build a reviewer login that holds up.

## How do you submit an app for review in App Store Connect?

To submit an app for review, attach the build to the version, click Add for Review, then click Submit for Review. Add for Review alone sends nothing to Apple. The sequence below follows Apple's Submit an app page as of October 2026.

1. In Apps, select the app, then click the app version in the sidebar.
2. Scroll to the Build section and confirm the correct build is attached.
3. In the App Store Version Release section, choose manual release if you want to control launch day, then click Save.
4. Click Add for Review and choose an existing draft submission or create a new one. The status changes to Ready for Review.
5. Click Submit for Review. When review begins, the status changes to In Review.
6. Save a copy of the submitted metadata and notes, and watch the review contact email for questions.

If the submission comes back rejected, read the guideline number and the reviewer's explanation before you change anything. Some fixes are metadata only. Others need a new build. Our [App Store rejection guide](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-rejection-how-to-fix) walks through how to tell which kind you have.

## What went wrong for other developers at submission?

In both public cases below, the app worked for its developer, and the problem only showed up in the uploaded build or in the reviewer's first session.

A developer on the [Adalo forum](https://forum.adalo.com/t/apple-rejected-my-app-because-being-unable-to-sign-in-with-the-demo-account-credentials-i-provided/10376) got a guideline 2.1 rejection: "we were unable to sign in with the demo account credentials you provided." The credentials were valid, but the first login tap did nothing and only a second tap worked, because conditional navigation ran on the login button before the user session was registered. They fixed it by sending the login button to a blank transitional screen that held the conditional actions, then resubmitted.

A developer on the [JUCE forum](https://forum.juce.com/t/missing-api-declaration/60484) received "ITMS-91053: Missing API declaration" after an upload, saying new uploads "must include a NSPrivacyAccessedAPITypes array in your app's privacy manifest." The flagged categories were SystemBootTime and FileTimestamp, and another user reported UserDefaults. The fix was a `PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy` file with approved reason codes added as an Xcode resource. One user's first version left out a type key, which triggered ITMS-91056 for an invalid manifest until they corrected it.

Both developers had tested only on their own setup. Test the build Apple actually receives with a fresh login, and read every post-upload email, before you press Submit for Review. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on the package, [see our submission services](https://makeyourapp.live/#services).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between Add for Review and Submit for Review?

Add for Review puts your app version into a draft submission and changes its status to Ready for Review. Nothing goes to Apple at that stage. Submit for Review sends the draft to App Review, and the status becomes In Review once review starts. If you also add In-App Events or other items to the same submission, Apple says all items submitted together must be Accepted to complete the submission.

### Can I still upload an iOS app built with Xcode 16?

No. Since April 28, 2026, Apple requires apps uploaded to App Store Connect to be built with Xcode 26 or later using the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26 or watchOS 26 SDK. Before that date, older-SDK builds triggered the ITMS-90725 SDK version warning. Update Xcode locally and in your CI image, then re-archive and upload a new build number.

### Do I need iPad screenshots if my app is iPhone-only?

No. Apple's screenshot specifications mark iPad 13-inch screenshots as required only if your app runs on iPad. An iPhone-only app needs at least one screenshot for iPhone with Dynamic Island (medium display). If your interface looks the same across sizes, upload the highest required resolution and App Store Connect scales it down. Screenshots can't contain alpha channels or transparency.

### Does my iOS app need a privacy policy even if it collects no data?

Yes. Guideline 5.1.1(i) says all apps must include a link to their privacy policy in the App Store Connect metadata field and within the app in an easily accessible manner. The policy has to say what data the app collects, how it is used, how long it is kept and how users can request deletion. If the app truly collects nothing, the policy should say so.

### Who in my team can submit an app for review?

Apple's Submit an app page lists three roles that can submit: Account Holder, Admin and App Manager. A developer-only role can upload builds but can't press Submit for Review. Setting the App Store version release option also requires one of those three roles. Check team roles in App Store Connect before launch day so the person doing the submission isn't stuck waiting for access.

## Sources & further reading

- [Apple: Submit an app](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-submissions-to-app-review/submit-an-app/) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- [Apple: App Review Guidelines](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- [Apple: Screenshot specifications](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/screenshot-specifications/) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- [Apple Developer: Upcoming requirements](https://developer.apple.com/news/upcoming-requirements/) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- [Adalo forum: Apple rejected my app because being unable to sign in with the demo account credentials I provided](https://forum.adalo.com/t/apple-rejected-my-app-because-being-unable-to-sign-in-with-the-demo-account-credentials-i-provided/10376) (checked Oct 20, 2026)
- [JUCE forum: Missing API declaration](https://forum.juce.com/t/missing-api-declaration/60484) (checked Oct 20, 2026)

## Related

- [App Store review demo account: how to set up a reviewer login that passes review (2026)](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-review-demo-account-setup)
- [App Store privacy labels: audit your analytics SDKs first (2026 checklist)](https://makeyourapp.live/blog/app-store-privacy-labels-analytics-sdk-audit)
- [All posts](https://makeyourapp.live/blog)