The normal path, start to finish

Most submissions move through the same happy-path sequence. Knowing the order makes it obvious when something is out of place:

  1. Prepare for Submission → you're still editing the version
  2. Waiting for Review → submitted, sitting in the queue
  3. In Review → a reviewer is actively looking at it
  4. Pending Developer Release or Ready for Distribution → approved

Rejections branch off the middle of that path — Metadata Rejected or Rejected — and there are a few processing states (like Pending Developer Agreement or Processing for App Store) that can hold you up before or after review. Below is what each one actually means.

Before review

Prepare for Submission

The version exists in App Store Connect but hasn't been submitted. You can edit everything — metadata, screenshots, build selection — freely here. Nothing is with Apple yet. If you're stuck at this stage, it's because you haven't hit "Add for Review" / "Submit for Review," or a required field (build, screenshots, age rating, export compliance) is still incomplete.

Waiting for Review

Your submission is in the queue but a reviewer hasn't started yet. This is the state people most often describe as "stuck," because nothing visibly happens. It's usually just queue time — most apps sit here anywhere from a few hours to a day or so before moving to In Review. This is also the only stage where you can request an expedited review to jump the queue.

Preparing for Review / Pending

A brief transitional state as Apple's systems ingest your build. It clears on its own — you don't need to do anything.

During review

In Review

A reviewer is actively evaluating your app right now. This is a good sign — you're at the front of the line. It typically lasts anywhere from under an hour to a day. Once a review has started, resist the urge to reject the build and resubmit unless you've spotted a genuine problem; doing so throws you back to the end of the queue.

Waiting for Review vs In Review: "Waiting" means queued but untouched — the clock you're watching is queue time. "In Review" means a human is actively looking — you're essentially at the finish line. Confusing the two is the #1 reason developers panic prematurely.

Approved states

Pending Developer Release

Approved — but it won't go live until you press the button, because you chose "Manually release this version" when you submitted. This is the state you want if you're coordinating a launch date, a press embargo, or a marketing push. It'll sit here indefinitely until you release it.

Ready for Distribution (formerly "Ready for Sale")

Approved and live — or scheduled to go live. If you chose automatic release, the app lands here and is published; if you set a future date, it's queued for that date. Note that even after this status flips, it can take a few hours for the app to appear and be searchable across all App Store storefronts due to CDN propagation.

Processing for App Store

A short post-approval state while Apple finalizes the build for distribution. Common after approval and after uploading a build to App Store Connect. It clears automatically, usually within an hour.

Rejection and hold states

Metadata Rejected

The reviewer found a problem with your metadata — screenshots, description, keywords, support/marketing URLs, or a missing demo account — rather than the binary itself. The important upside: you can usually fix the offending text or assets and resubmit without uploading a new build, which often keeps your place in line. A frequent trigger is screenshots that don't match what the app actually does. (We cover this state in depth in what to do when Apple rejects your screenshots.)

Rejected

The reviewer found a guideline issue with the app itself — a crash, broken functionality, a design or policy violation. You'll get a message in Resolution Center citing the specific guideline. You'll typically need to fix the app, upload a new build, and resubmit. For the common causes and how to respond, see the most common App Store rejection reasons.

Developer Rejected

You (or someone on your team) cancelled the submission — either intentionally or by rejecting the build to make a change. If you didn't mean to, just resubmit. Note this sends you back to Waiting for Review at the end of the queue.

Pending Developer Agreement / Pending Contracts

Not a review state at all — a legal/banking one. A paid-apps agreement or updated terms haven't been accepted, or tax/banking info is incomplete in the Agreements, Tax, and Banking section. Review can't complete until this clears. Check that section and accept any pending agreements.

When is it actually "stuck"?

Most of the time it isn't — it's just slower than you'd like. Here's a rough sense of what's normal versus worth acting on:

Before assuming a delay is Apple's fault, check Resolution Center and the Agreements/Tax/Banking section — those account for a large share of "my app has been stuck for a week" cases. For a full picture of typical timing and what influences it, see our guide to how long App Store review takes.

Where screenshots fit into this

Two of the statuses above are avoidable if your listing is airtight before you submit. Metadata Rejected is frequently triggered by screenshots that misrepresent the app — fabricated UI, features that aren't in the build, or the wrong device sizes. And time spent stuck in Prepare for Submission is often just missing screenshots for a required device.

Both are quick to eliminate. With ezscreenshots you drop your real captures, pick the preset for each required size, add captions that describe what's genuinely on screen, and export the full set in minutes — no account, no export limit, entirely in the browser. Accurate, complete screenshots mean you sail into Waiting for Review instead of bouncing back out of it. If you're assembling the whole submission, our step-by-step submission checklist covers every required field.

Don't let screenshots stall your submission.

Missing or mismatched screenshots are a top cause of Metadata Rejected — and of sitting in "Prepare for Submission" longer than you should. ezscreenshots exports a complete, correctly-sized set in minutes. Free, browser-based, no account.

Try ezscreenshots →

Summary