03/05/2026
Apple has strict policies as to what creative is/is not allowed
The start of 2026 is seeing apps getting rejected at an alarming rate. Don’t know the creative policies? Here’s Apple’s visual guide to help you.
You’ve seen the posts. Apple is cracking down on sketchy subscription pages and looking closer at the creative assets teams submit.
For a long time, Apple had a visual guide into what can and cannot be done. Sometime last year, I noticed the guide had gone missing.
Last week, I stumbled upon it in a place I hadn’t seen it before.
If you’re not familiar and are starting to see an increase in rejections, there are 8 areas Apple will reject visual Assets for.
Here are the first 4;
VIOLENCE AND EXPLICIT CONTENT
→ No Violence: Graphic content, such as beating, killing, or blood, isn’t featured.
→ No Explicit Content: Images depicting content, such as s*x, suggestive themes, nudity, alcohol, smoking, illegal drugs, or profanity, aren’t featured. This includes photos and illustrations.
GUNS AND WEAPONS
→ Realistic Guns: Avoid featuring realistic guns wherever possible. If realistic guns are featured in your assets, they must be in a passive, holstered position or worn on the back. Realistic guns must also not be the focal point of your assets. If your assets glamorizes or places emphasis on realistic guns, we won’t accept the assets and will ask you to remove the guns or provide alternative visuals.
→ Fantasy Guns: Fantasy guns can be featured, as long as they are not actively firing, resemble a realistic gun, or being glamorized.
If your assets glamorizes or features an actively firing gun, we won't accept the assets and will ask you to remove the guns or provide alternative visuals.
→ Cannon-Type Weapons: Handheld and mountable cannons should only be displayed when the cannon isn’t firing. Cannons pointing toward the audience aren’t featured.
→ Swords and Knives: Weapons, such as swords, knives, or bows and arrows, can be included as part of the assets if they don’t point toward the audience. Blood on weapons isn’t allowed.
APP ICONS AND LOGOS
→ App icons or logos are best reserved for product pages. Ensure you provide assets that function as a window into your app's world.
→ Exceptions: Large-scale national or international events and assets featuring streaming shows, at Apple's discretion. For example, the series or movie title may be shown.
COPYRIGHT, REGISTERED TRADEMARK SYMBOLS, AND COPY
→ No website URLs, marketing taglines, copyright lines, or supplementary copy of any kind.
→ No references to pricing, such as “Reduced Price,” “Free,” “Low Price,” “Available for $9.99,” or “For Promo Use.”
→ No third-party trademarks without explicit authorization or usage rights.
→ No references to physical packaging, such as DVD or Blu-ray, or to other retailers.
Any of these surprise you?
Save this post as a reference for the next time you are updating screenshots, in-app events or creating feature nominations.
