iOS app review queue, does it reset if you change metadata?

Question

I know updating and re-submitting your app binary puts you back in the iOS app market review queue and resets the clock to the 6 - 8 days waiting period again . . . but does anyone know if changing the metadata (description, keywords or adding another language) also puts you in the back of the queue ?

My 1st binary was approved and published within 5 days (yea) but the update I have submitted has been waiting there for 10 days now . . . maybe because i have added some description translations and changed the screenshots ?

Anyone know this by experience please ?

Answer 1

1O Days isn't that long for Apple to approve big updates.

As long as you are not submitting a new binary, your app will stay in the queue.

So, if your app is "In Review/Ready for Sale or Ready for Release" you can't change the Metadata, but you'll have to upload a new binary. However, as I understand it, in your case, the app in "Waiting for Review".

In this state you can change whatever you like about your all. You can even resubmit a binary and still remain in the queue.

Your App ID is in the queue, not your binary itself. As long as you don't reject or get rejected, ( note, not metadata rejected ) your app will remain in the queue.

Hope this helped :)

Answer 2

As long as your app status is not "In Review", you can change any information including metadata without your app being moved in the queue. The only time your app is moved in the queue is when your binary is rejected.

If Apple stalls the review process because of a metadata issue with your app and you receive an email that you need to fix something with the metadata specifically, then NO, your app still does not move to the end of the queue; you would simply fix the metadata issue and your app would continue with the review process.

At least the information above has been my experience on more than 1 occasion. Of course, there are other factors that could play into your specific outcome.

Also, the number of days your app will be in review depends on a few things too. Holidays will typically see a longer wait time, but thats not always true. 1 Christmas holiday I had an app approved in litterally minutes (holiday rush to get apps cleared out?). Recently, I had an updated hit the app store in literally 3 days, from time of Upload to Ready for Sale.

The point is, Apple and the review process altogether is unpredictable.