Guideline 4.2
"Minimum functionality" rejection: what Apple is really telling you
There's no checklist that guarantees you clear Guideline 4.2 — it's a judgment call about whether your app offers real utility beyond what a web page or a single feature could do. Here's how reviewers actually make that call, and what tips it in your favor.
What actually triggers this rejection
Single-purpose calculator, converter, or generator apps that produce one output and stop there.
An unmodified website wrapped in a WebView with no native functionality added.
Apps that duplicate something iOS already does natively — a flashlight, a basic timer, a note field — without adding real value.
Content that reads as mostly marketing material for a business, rather than a usable product in its own right.
"How much functionality is enough?" — there's no fixed number
Apple isn't counting features; it's looking for genuine utility that justifies the app existing outside a browser tab.
Signals that help: state that persists between sessions, native platform integration (notifications, widgets, on-device processing), and content or output that's personalized rather than identical for every user.
An app can be small and still pass — a focused, well-built single-purpose tool is different from a thin wrapper with no depth.
Is this worth appealing?
Appeal through the App Review Board only makes sense if you believe the reviewer misunderstood the app — tested an outdated build, missed a feature, or hit a bug that made a real feature look broken.
If the app genuinely is thin today, appeals rarely overturn a correct 4.2 call. Adding real functionality and resubmitting is almost always faster than arguing the point.
What to add before resubmitting
Offline support so the app is useful without a live connection.
A home screen widget or notifications tied to a real, recurring trigger — not just marketing pushes.
Saved history, favorites, or account-based personalization instead of a stateless single action.
At least one feature that isn't trivially reproducible with a single web search or a generic template.
Replying or resubmitting
If you're resubmitting with real changes, describe specifically what was added and where to find it — don't just say 'we improved the app.'
Never resubmit an unchanged build hoping a different reviewer sees it differently; the review system tracks this and it doesn't help.
Next step
Get an honest read before you submit, not after a rejection
Sign in to AcceptMyApp and run a pre-submission check that flags thin-functionality risk against Apple's actual review patterns — before it costs you a review cycle.
Get startedRelated resources
Rejection guide
App Store Rejection: Guideline 4.2 Minimum Functionality
Fix a Guideline 4.2 minimum functionality rejection by showing native value, improving screenshots, and writing stronger review notes.
Guideline 4.2
App Store Guideline 4.2: Minimum Functionality
Understand Guideline 4.2 minimum functionality rejections and how to show Apple that your app provides enough native value.