Error fixes / App Store
App Store
App Store: review could not sign in
Review could not get past sign-in because there was no working demo account, or the server was down.
The error
Guideline 2.1(a) - Performance - App Completeness We need a demo account to complete the review. Provide a user name and password in App Review Information. The demo account should be able to reach the app's features, and the back end must be available.
What it means
Guideline 2.1(a) says you must include demo account information if the app includes a login, and you must turn the back end on. It also says placeholder content should be gone, and the app should have been tested on a device. Reviewers do not want to sign up with a credit card, an invite code, or an email inbox they cannot open. If a legal or security duty stops you sharing a password, Apple allows a built-in demo mode only with prior approval, and that mode has to show the full features. A password in a screenshot is not a substitute for the App Review Information fields.
Fix
- Create a user that already has the content you want reviewed. Sign in with it on a clean device.
- Put the username and password in App Store Connect, on the version, under App Review Information.
- Leave the API running on a host that does not sleep. Check it from a phone that is not on your desk.
- If sign-in needs a code, either turn that off for this user or include a code the reviewer can see in the notes.
- Upload a new build only if you had to change the app. If the binary was fine, reply with the credentials and ask them to continue.
Prompt
Fix prompt
App Review cited Guideline 2.1(a) because they could not sign in. Find the sign-in gate and any check that blocks a normal password account, such as a required phone code or a payment. Do not hard-code a password in the app. Tell me how to create a demo user on the server, and which process must stay running during review. Do not print existing user passwords.
Questions
I put the password in the review notes and they still asked. Why?
Use the username and password fields in App Review Information. A note is easy to miss. The account also has to work while they try it, so the server has to be up.
Can the reviewer create their own account?
Do not rely on that. Guideline 2.1(a) asks you to include demo account info when there is a login. Sign-up that needs a payment or an external inbox is how this rejection happens.
Is a demo mode allowed instead of a password?
Only with prior approval from Apple, and the mode has to show the full app. Guideline 2.1(a) says that. A mode that hides the paid features will be rejected as incomplete.