Rule: Competitor Platform Terms in Metadata

March 19, 2026 · View on GitHub

  • Guideline: 2.3.1 – Performance – Accurate Metadata
  • Severity: REJECTION
  • Category: metadata

What to Check

App Store metadata (name, subtitle, description, keywords, promotional text, What's New) must not reference competing platforms or brands.

Banned Terms

  • Android, Google Play, Google Play Store
  • Samsung, Galaxy Store
  • Huawei, AppGallery
  • Amazon Appstore
  • Windows Store, Microsoft Store
  • APK, sideload

How to Detect

In Xcode project files

# Check Info.plist and project files for competitor terms
grep -ri "android\|google play\|samsung\|huawei\|apk\|amazon appstore\|windows store\|microsoft store" *.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj **/Info.plist

In source code (user-facing strings)

# Search localizable strings and string catalogs
grep -ri "android\|google play\|samsung\|huawei\|apk\|amazon appstore\|windows store\|microsoft store" --include="*.strings" --include="*.stringsdict" --include="*.xcstrings" .

# Search hardcoded strings in source
grep -rn "android\|google play\|samsung\|huawei\|apk\|sideload" --include="*.swift" --include="*.m" .

In local metadata (if fastlane or similar)

grep -ri "android\|google play\|samsung\|huawei\|apk\|amazon appstore\|windows store\|microsoft store" ./fastlane/metadata/ ./metadata/ 2>/dev/null

In App Store Connect (manual check)

Verify app name, subtitle, description, keywords, promotional text, and What's New text do not contain competitor platform references.

Resolution

  1. Remove all references to competing platforms from metadata fields
  2. Replace with generic terms:
    • "Available on Android" -> "Available on multiple platforms"
    • "Also on Google Play" -> remove entirely
    • "Transfer from Android" -> "Transfer from your previous device"
  3. Check App Store Connect metadata manually for any remaining references

Example Rejection

Guideline 2.3.1 - Performance - Accurate Metadata

We noticed that your app's metadata includes references to other mobile platforms, which is not appropriate for the App Store. Specifically, the following content was found:

  • "Android" mentioned in the app description

Next Steps: Remove all references to other mobile platforms from the app's metadata.