This is basically a follow-up to this question: Can I create a placeholder iPhone app?
Unfortunately, the asker of the question above was only interested in if he could get a placeholder app in AppStore.
What I’d like to know is:
- Assuming my placeholder app is rejected, how much time do I have until Apple deletes my submission and relinquishes the name?
- Assuming my placeholder app is approved (say, I have a video and a website in it, an Apple somehow accepts the submission), how much time can I hold the app in “Waiting for developer …” state? Obviously I wouldn’t want to actually distribute the placeholder in AppStore and ruin the brand.
Does anyone have experience with this?
In my opinion, it would be far too easy to bypass Apple’s 120 day limitation if you could just submit some random placeholder with the intend to have it rejected, just so that you can reserve a name indefinitely. Also it would be too easy to submit a minimalistic-functionality app that actually gets approved, but not change it to “Ready-For-Sale” until one can resubmit the actual app. But I don’t know for sure 🙂
EDIT You can of course also see this question without the appname-reservation context. I was always wondering how much time you have to fix your app after it was rejected.
My experiences:
If you don’t submit an app after 90 days past claiming a name, Apple will start sending you warning emails.
I have left an approved app waiting for developer release for over one month. I got some sort of warning or reminder email after about 30 days, and eventually released it.
I have an app that was rejected in review that has been sitting in iTunes Connect for over a year, with no change in status.
I have an app that I removed from sale over a year ago, again with no apparent change in status.
Note that developer experiences do not appear to set any precedents. Apple occasionally changes their agreements and guidelines, and continually updates their interpretation of the rules.