App Store guideline 4.2 minimum functionality rejection: what to do

A guideline 4.2 rejection means Apple thinks your app doesn't do enough to belong on the App Store, most often because it looks like a repackaged website. First read which part of 4.2 the message cites. If you think the reviewer missed features, reply in App Store Connect and show them. If you believe the app follows the guidelines and the reply didn't settle it, appeal. Otherwise add something only the app does, then resubmit.

As of October 28, 2026, everything below comes from Apple's App Review Guidelines and its App Review help pages, listed at the end.

What does guideline 4.2 actually say?

Guideline 4.2 is called Minimum Functionality. Its opening says your app should include features, content and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website. If an app isn't particularly useful, unique or "app-like," Apple says it doesn't belong on the App Store, and an app that doesn't provide some sort of lasting entertainment value or adequate utility may not be accepted.

The same paragraph sends two kinds of apps elsewhere: an app that is simply a song or movie belongs on the iTunes Store, and an app that is simply a book or game guide belongs on the Apple Books Store.

Which part of 4.2 caught my app?

Check whether the rejection message names a subsection of 4.2. These are the ones that tend to apply to a small app:

Part	What Apple says	Case it usually catches
4.2 (opening)	Features, content and UI beyond a repackaged website.	An app that loads your website in a web view and adds little else.
4.2.2	Other than catalogs, apps shouldn't primarily be marketing materials, advertisements, web clippings, content aggregators, or a collection of links.	A brand or event app that is mostly links and promo pages.
4.2.3 (i)	The app should work on its own without requiring another app to be installed.	A companion app that does nothing until a second app is installed.
4.2.3 (ii)	If the app needs to download extra resources to work on first launch, disclose the download size and prompt users first.	A large content download that starts without asking.
4.2.6	Apps made from a commercialized template or app generation service are rejected unless submitted directly by the provider of the app's content.	A builder or agency submitting your app from its own account.

There's also 4.2.1 for ARKit apps and 4.2.7 for remote desktop clients. If you don't build either, you can skip them.

Is a web wrapper always rejected?

The guideline doesn't ban web views. It asks for features, content and UI that go beyond a repackaged website, and it doesn't list which features count. So the question a reviewer is answering is closer to "what does the app give me that the website doesn't?"

This part is my approach, not Apple's wording: I'd look for something that only makes sense in an app for your use case, like working offline, notifications people actually want, using the camera or files on the device, or a home screen widget. One feature that matters to your users beats five added to pass review.

Reply, appeal or resubmit?

Route	Use it when	Apple says don't use it for
Reply to App Review in App Store Connect	You think the reviewer missed what the app does, or you have a question about the rejection. Apple's appeal page says to reply first.	Appeals or expedited review requests.
Appeal to the App Review Board	The reply didn't settle it, and you believe the app follows the App Review Guidelines and the Developer Program License Agreement.	Status updates, expedited reviews, or after you've fixed the issues and resubmitted.
Change the app and resubmit	You agree the app doesn't do enough yet.	No rule against it, but repeat rejections for the same guideline slow review.

When you reply, Apple's contact page asks you to be specific about the feature, guideline or step you want clarified, and to add information that helps App Review understand the app's concept if you think it was misunderstood. If you need more help after they answer, you can ask for a call in the same message window.

If you appeal, Apple asks you to cite the guideline the app was rejected under and explain point by point how the app meets it, include only relevant information, and file one appeal per rejected app, covering every guideline the rejection cites. Apple says a complete appeal doesn't guarantee the rejection is overturned.

What should my reply show?

For 4.2, the strongest reply I can think of answers the guideline's own words: what the app does beyond the website. A short list of the features that only work in the app, with a screenshot of each and where to find it, gives the reviewer something to check. If a feature needs a login to reach, make sure the App Review Information section in App Store Connect includes a working demo account.

What I'd do

Open your app and your website side by side and write down, in one sentence, what the app does that the site can't. If you can write that sentence, reply to App Review with it and screenshots. If you can't, build that one thing before you resubmit. If you want an outside read on whether your app page makes that difference clear, I'll check it for free.