How do I fix a 5.1.1 rejection?

Let people in first: Gate only what genuinely needs an account. Browsing, reading and trying should work signed out. Write real purpose strings: Explain the benefit in the user's terms — say what the camera is used for, not that access is required. Ship account deletion in-app: Not an email request, not a web form buried in settings: an in-app path that actually deletes the account and its data. Ask at the moment of use: Request permissions when the feature that needs them is being used, not at first launch.

5.1.1Apple App Store

Guideline 5.1.1 — Data Collection and Storage

Something about how you collect data does not meet Apple's rules: you asked too early, you asked without explaining, or you made leaving harder than joining.

What the rejection usually says

Your app requires users to register before they can access non-account-based features.

Your app does not include the required account deletion option.

Your app requests access to sensitive user data without a clear purpose string.

Wording varies between reviewers; the substance does not.

Why it gets triggered

Registration is required to use features that do not need an account.
A permission prompt appears with a vague purpose string, or before the user understands why.
The app supports account creation but offers no in-app way to delete the account.
Data is collected that the app does not need for the feature at hand.

How to fix it

1.Let people in first
Gate only what genuinely needs an account. Browsing, reading and trying should work signed out.
2.Write real purpose strings
Explain the benefit in the user's terms — say what the camera is used for, not that access is required.
3.Ship account deletion in-app
Not an email request, not a web form buried in settings: an in-app path that actually deletes the account and its data.
4.Ask at the moment of use
Request permissions when the feature that needs them is being used, not at first launch.

A reply you can adapt

Short, specific, and stating what changed — reviewers read hundreds of these.

Thanks for the review. Registration is no longer required for browsing and search — an account is now requested only when saving. We have added in-app account deletion under Settings, and rewritten each permission string to explain the specific benefit.

AppSubmit does this for your app, specifically

Paste the rejection and the decoder reads it against your actual listing, build and release history — then writes the fix plan and drafts the reply. It also watches your submissions, so the next rejection reaches you as a notification rather than a surprise.

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