Apple published a revised set of App Review Guidelines on October 16, 2026. Most of the changes target content safety, but two of them touch what every app maker prepares before a submission: a new guideline 2.3.14 for creative assets, and guideline 2.5.19 on hidden or undocumented features. This post lists what Apple changed, what each change means for your screenshots, metadata and review notes, and what to check before your next build goes in. Every fact below comes from Apple's own pages, linked in the Sources section.
What did Apple change in the October 2026 App Review Guidelines?
Apple's developer news post "Updated App Review Guidelines are now available" (October 16, 2026) lists six changes. They are small in word count and uneven in impact, so here is the full list in one place.
| Guideline | Change | Who is affected |
|---|---|---|
| Before You Submit | Links to additional documentation | Everyone |
| 1.2 | Clearer scope, plus Developer Code of Conduct risk | Apps with user content |
| 2.3.14 | New: creative assets | Anyone using product page headers |
| 2.5.19 | New: hidden, dormant or undocumented features | Everyone |
| 3.1.1(a) | External purchase link wording | Apps with external links |
| 5 | Human trafficking and child exploitation clarified | Everyone |
A second Apple post the same day, "Strengthening App Review Guidelines against nonconsensual intimate imagery and bait-and-switch apps", explains the reasoning behind 1.2 and 2.5.19. Apple says translations of the updated guidelines will appear on the Apple Developer website within one month.
What is the new guideline 2.3.14 on creative assets?
Guideline 2.3.14 is new, and it is the one that matters for ASO. It says creative assets let you highlight the value of your app in new ways compared to app-in-use screenshots and preview videos, and that they can be used across the App Store, including the product page header and in search results.
Apple attaches conditions. Creative assets must pertain to your app's content and functionality or overarching brand, follow standard metadata guidelines and be appropriate for all audiences. They should not include:
- Inappropriate content
- References to other apps with an intent to mislead
- Unverifiable product claims
- Specific or discounted pricing information
Apple's asset best practices page (iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 and later) adds more detail. Creative assets should avoid website URLs, copyright symbols, logos or references to other platforms or marketplaces, and Apple-designated recognitions such as Editor's Choice, App of the Day or Apple Design Award winner. Apple also tells you to avoid claims that cannot be verified, such as awards your app has not received.
In practice, a creative asset is a different object from a screenshot. If you already read our post on feature callout annotations, the split is the same one: screenshots show the app in use, creative assets carry brand and campaign messaging. Apple's October 5 post "Showcase your apps with new assets on the App Store" announced the assets, a preview tool in App Store Connect that supports Dark Mode, different devices and orientations, and an Asset Library for uploading and organizing creative assets, screenshots and app previews. Apple notes you can submit creative assets for approval ahead of a seasonal campaign and use them once you are ready.
Does the screenshot rule 2.3.3 still apply?
Yes, and Apple pointed to new guidance for it. The October 5 news post links an App Review help page titled "2.3.3 - Show your app in use with screenshots". The guideline itself did not change in October. The help page spells out how App Review applies it, and the numbers are exact.
App Review takes the set of screenshots submitted for each supported device into account and approves only those submissions where more than half of the screenshots show the app in use. Apple gives the arithmetic itself: with three screenshots per device, two must show the app in use. With four, three must.
| Screenshots per device | Minimum in use | Marketing slots |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | 6 | 4 |
Apple states the three and four examples. The five and ten rows are our own application of "more than half", so treat them as arithmetic, not as a quote.
The same page answers questions we get often. The number of screenshots can differ by device, and one screenshot for a device is sufficient if it shows the app in use. Screenshots can differ between localizations, and each localization's set is judged on its own for the majority rule. An image of your app can also run across two or more screenshots. Screenshots that mention third-party platforms, for example in a status bar, are assessed under guideline 2.3.10.
What should your screenshot set look like after this update?
Nothing in the October update forces a redesign. The useful reading is that Apple now draws a clean line between two asset families, and each family has its own rules.
- Keep the majority of every screenshot set in use. Count per device and per localization, not per app.
- Move campaign and brand messaging to creative assets. Seasonal offers, new content announcements and brand moments belong there, with no prices and no discount claims.
- Strip pricing from every asset type. Guideline 2.3.7 already says screenshots should not include prices, and 2.3.14 repeats the rule for creative assets.
- Remove unverifiable claims. "Best app" and "#1" need proof Apple can check. Awards you have not won are out.
- Do not let overlays crowd out the interface. Apple's guidance says to keep primary functionality visible behind text and image overlays.
- Preview before you submit. The App Store Connect preview tool shows how assets look in search and on the product page.
If you ship screenshots in many languages, step one is the easy one to miss. A German set that swaps two in-use screens for text-only slides because the translated headline needs more space can drop below the half mark for that localization. Our character limit overflow post covers how translated text grows, and the screenshot size tool lists the dimensions per device.
What does guideline 2.5.19 mean for your review notes?
Guideline 2.5.19 asks for no hidden, dormant or undocumented features. Your app's functionality should be clear to end users and to App Review. Hiding undocumented features in the binary, for example through code obfuscation, is grounds for removal from the App Store and termination of your developer account.
Apple says this clarifies a long-standing policy that was previously covered in guideline 2.3.1. That guideline still requires that all new features, functionality and product changes are described with specificity in the Notes for Review section of App Store Connect, and that generic descriptions will be rejected.
Two habits follow from that for a small team:
- Feature flags. A flag that is off in review and on after approval is a dormant feature. Mention it in your review notes with what it does and when it will switch on.
- Remote config and server-driven UI. If the server can change what the app does, document the range of behavior in the notes, not only the state you are submitting.
The companion news post explains the target. Apple describes bait-and-switch apps as apps that misrepresent their purpose during review and only reveal harmful capabilities after approval. A normal indie app with an honest flag is not that, but the written note is what shows the difference.
Which other changes can affect an indie app?
Guideline 1.2. Apple clarified which app content and app types fall under the guideline. It added that failing to implement appropriate safeguards, or failing to remediate violations after notice, is a potential Developer Code of Conduct violation. The companion post says content moderation requirements now explicitly cover nonconsensual intimate imagery, including imagery generated with AI tools. If your app hosts user-generated content, Apple reiterates the existing requirements: filter objectionable material, give users a way to report offensive content and let users block abusive accounts.
Guideline 3.1.1(a). Apple removed the bullet on Music Streaming Services Entitlements, which is now incorporated into the bullet on StoreKit External Purchase Link Entitlements. It also clarified that links may be provided to a permitted destination. If you do not use external purchase links, nothing changes for you.
Guideline 5. Apple clarified that apps found to facilitate human trafficking or the exploitation of children will be removed from the App Store and blocked from alternative distribution.
Before You Submit and After You Submit. Both sections gained links to additional documentation. This is the source of the new help pages, including the 2.3.3 page above.
Pre-submission checklist for the next build
Run this list once per release. It takes about 15 minutes for a small app.
- Count in-use screenshots against total screenshots for each device and each localization. More than half must show the app in use.
- Check every screenshot, preview and creative asset for prices, discounts, URLs and copyright symbols.
- Check for unverifiable claims and for Apple-designated recognitions you do not hold.
- Compare screenshots with the current UI, since Apple's guidance says to update screenshots with each new version.
- List every feature flag, dormant code path and server-controlled behavior in Notes for Review.
- If the app hosts user content, confirm filtering, reporting and blocking exist and work.
If your assets are on the way to a launch, our free promotion guide covers what to do after approval, and the Apps of the Week hub shows how other indie apps present themselves.
FAQ
When did the new App Review Guidelines take effect?
Apple published them on October 16, 2026. Apple's news post does not state a separate effective date, so assume the revised text applies to your next submission.
Is 2.3.14 required, or can I ignore creative assets?
Creative assets are optional. Guideline 2.3.14 only applies if you use them. Screenshots and previews are still the core of your product page.
Can creative assets show a discount for a seasonal sale?
No. Guideline 2.3.14 says creative assets should not include specific or discounted pricing information.
Do my localized screenshot sets each need to pass the majority rule?
Yes. Apple's 2.3.3 help page says each localization's screenshots are still assessed on whether the majority show your app in use.
Sources
- Apple Developer News, "Updated App Review Guidelines are now available", October 16, 2026
- Apple Developer News, "Strengthening App Review Guidelines against nonconsensual intimate imagery and bait-and-switch apps", October 16, 2026
- Apple Developer News, "Showcase your apps with new assets on the App Store", October 5, 2026
- Apple App Review Guidelines, sections 2.3.1, 2.3.3, 2.3.7, 2.3.14 and 2.5.19 (developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines), checked October 17, 2026
- Apple App Review Help, "2.3.3 - Show your app in use with screenshots"
- Apple, App Store asset best practices (developer.apple.com/app-store/asset-best-practices)
Updated October 17, 2026. Last checked against Apple's pages on October 17, 2026. Apple may revise the guidelines again, so confirm the current text before you submit.