App Store Guideline 2.3.1 explained: Review notes and misleading marketing

2.3.1 covers two kinds of dishonesty. The first is toward App Review: new features and product changes have to be described with specificity in the Notes for Review section of App Store Connect and be reachable during review. Apple says generic descriptions will be rejected.

The second is toward users: promoting content or services the app doesn't offer (Apple's example is iOS virus and malware scanners) or promoting a false price, inside or outside the App Store. That can lead to removal from the App Store, a block from alternative distribution, and termination of the developer account.

Hidden or dormant features used to be cited under 2.3.1. Since October 2026, Apple covers them in Guideline 2.5.19, which also names code obfuscation used to hide features.

Notes for Review that name each new feature, where to find it, and any account, hardware, or region needed to see it.

Marketing claims in the description, screenshots, ads, and your website that match what the build actually does.

Prices shown anywhere (ads, website, product page, paywall) that match what the user is actually charged.

Notes for Review that say "bug fixes and performance improvements" when the update adds a paywall, a login, or a new feature.

A feature mentioned in the description that the reviewer can't reach, for example because it needs an account or device you didn't provide.

Claims the app can't deliver on iOS, such as virus scanning, battery boosting, or memory cleaning.

Ads or landing pages that promise a lower price, or "free", when the app charges as soon as it opens.

Rewrite Notes for Review feature by feature: what it does, where it is, how to reach it, and demo credentials if needed.

Audit the description, screenshots, promotional text, and ads for capabilities the app doesn't have.

Match every price claim to the actual In-App Purchase price and trial terms.

If a feature sits behind a flag or server switch, follow Guideline 2.5.19: make it visible for review or take it out of the build.

List what changed in the build and in the notes, feature by feature, with navigation steps.

If a marketing claim was the problem, quote the old line and the new one, and say where it appeared: description, screenshot, website, or ad.

Keep it factual. 2.3.1 is about trust, so a precise, verifiable reply helps more than a long appeal.