Getting a new game approved on the App Store is taking much longer than usual. Several developers told Mobilegamer.biz, in a report published on October 20, 2026, that reviews that used to take 24 to 48 hours now stretch to several days and, in some cases, several weeks. They blame a flood of apps and games made with AI.
What developers are seeing
- One studio says reviews often take 3 to 5 days, even when it asks for an expedited review
- One CEO had five apps waiting for more than a week; Google Play approved all of them within 24 hours
- Some report vague feedback, automatic rejections and test accounts or review notes being ignored
- Some games have been flagged as spam or copies because of generic mechanics or visual style
A mid-sized studio with a five-year-old game saw no change when updating it, which suggests the bottleneck is in new submissions.
The numbers behind it
The Information reported in April 2026 an 84% year-on-year rise in App Store submissions, linked to AI tools. Apple told Mobilegamer.biz that it processed an average of 378,000 submissions a week over the last 12 weeks, and that its average review time is 1.5 days for all apps and 14 hours for minor updates.
What Apple is doing
Apple says it has prioritised updates to existing apps, expanded automation, strengthened abuse detection and launched an App Review Help portal. It adds that every app faces the same standards for quality, privacy and security, however it was built, and that developers can request an expedited review.
This article was written with AI assistance from the sources linked above.
