App Store 2.5.3 rejection: Harmful code and system disruption
By The Draftbit team · Updated
Sources checked
This guide is for iPhone and iPad apps whose code or dependencies can damage or disrupt device or system services.
Apple has identified behavior that could harm the device or interfere with system services. Under 2.5.3, responsibility includes code and files your app transmits, even when a third-party component introduced them.
Isolate the reported behavior
Preserve the build and library versions, then reproduce only in a safe test environment. Check downloaded files, network responses, notification handling, and the component named in the notice. We’d involve a developer with security experience before distributing another build.
Remove the cause
Remove or replace the harmful code and investigate how it entered the app. Check other releases using the same component. Hiding the feature from App Review leaves the underlying problem in place and can create a separate review violation.
Test the corrected binary and the delivery paths that supplied the code or file. Give Apple the identified cause, the version removed, and evidence that the harmful behavior no longer occurs. Apple treats serious and repeated violations as grounds for removal from the developer program, so a clear account of the actual fix is essential.
Messages this guide can help with
App Store 2.5.3 rejection; app store 2.5.3 denial; Guideline 2.5.3; Harmful code and system disruption
Official sources
We checked these instructions against the sources below. The console layout may change, and your review decision may call for different steps.
- Apple App Review guideline 2.5.3 Checked 22 September 2026