Guideline 2.3.1(a) rejection: Notes for Review and misleading marketing
What it means, why it happens, and how developers get through it.
Subject line you may see: Guideline 2.3.1(a) - Performance - Accurate Metadata
What Apple's guideline says
All new features, functionality, and product changes must be described with specificity in the Notes for Review section of App Store Connect (generic descriptions will be rejected) and accessible for review.
From App Review Guidelines, 2.3.1(a), as revised October 16, 2026.
Common causes
- Notes for Review say only 'bug fixes and improvements' for an update that adds features
- A new feature that the reviewer cannot reach, for example behind a login with no demo account
- Marketing a feature or service the app does not actually offer
- Promoting a false price, inside or outside the App Store
- Older messages: before October 16, 2026, hidden or undocumented features were cited under 2.3.1, so an older rejection may use this number for that
How to fix it
- Read the message: is it about your Notes for Review, your marketing, or a hidden feature?
- For Notes for Review: list each new feature, where it is, and how to reach it, with a demo account if needed
- For marketing: remove claims and prices the app does not deliver, on the App Store and elsewhere
- If it is about code or features the reviewer could not see, read the 2.5.19 guide
- Reply with the exact changes and a numbered path to each feature
What to put in your reply
A sample reply note. Replace the brackets with your facts and remove anything that does not apply.
Hello, Thank you for the review. Regarding Guideline 2.3.1(a), I updated the Notes for Review for version [x.y] to describe each change: 1. [Feature]: found at [screen]. To reach it, [steps]. 2. [Feature]: found at [screen]. Demo account: [provided in App Review Information]. Thank you.
Real cases: others who got 2.3.1(a)
1 public case: 1 pending. Outcomes are what the developer posted.
Questions developers ask about 2.3.1(a)
What does a Guideline 2.3.1(a) rejection mean?
In the October 16, 2026 guidelines, 2.3.1(a) asks you to describe every new feature specifically in Notes for Review, and bans misleading marketing. Hidden or undocumented features, which 2.3.1 used to cover, moved to 2.5.19.
Why do apps get rejected under Guideline 2.3.1(a)?
Common causes, based on Apple's guideline text: notes for Review say only 'bug fixes and improvements' for an update that adds features; A new feature that the reviewer cannot reach, for example behind a login with no demo account; marketing a feature or service the app does not actually offer; promoting a false price, inside or outside the App Store; older messages: before October 16, 2026, hidden or undocumented features were cited under 2.3.1, so an older rejection may use this number for that.
How do I fix a Guideline 2.3.1(a) rejection?
1. Read the message: is it about your Notes for Review, your marketing, or a hidden feature?. 2. For Notes for Review: list each new feature, where it is, and how to reach it, with a demo account if needed. 3. For marketing: remove claims and prices the app does not deliver, on the App Store and elsewhere. 4. If it is about code or features the reviewer could not see, read the 2.5.19 guide. 5. Reply with the exact changes and a numbered path to each feature.
Do I need a new build for Guideline 2.3.1(a)?
Read carefully, then decide. This one depends on details. Reply asking what exactly was flagged before changing things. This is how the guideline is usually resolved, not a prediction for your app.
How should I reply to App Review about Guideline 2.3.1(a)?
Reply in App Store Connect. Thank the reviewer and name Guideline 2.3.1(a), say exactly what changed and in which version and build, give a numbered path the reviewer can follow, and attach proof such as screenshots or a screen recording.
Is 2.3.1(a) still about hidden features?
Not in the current text. Apple's October 16, 2026 update says hidden, dormant, or undocumented features were formerly covered in 2.3.1 and now sit under the new Guideline 2.5.19. The current 2.3.1(a) is about describing new features with specificity in Notes for Review, and about misleading marketing.
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See also: 2.5.19 hidden features · What changed on October 16, 2026
Source: Apple's App Review Guidelines, section 2.3.1(a), as revised October 16, 2026. Last checked . Always read the current official text. How we write these guides.