Guideline4.2
Minimum Functionality
4.2 is Apple saying the app does not do enough as an app. A wrapped site, a few static pages, or a utility that just launches Safari will land here.
§ 01What this rejection usually means
- The reviewer could use the product, but they did not see iOS-specific value.
- This is different from 4.3. 4.2 is “too thin.” 4.3 is “too much like something else.”
- A new build is almost always required. A reply that restates your vision rarely helps.
§ 02Common causes
- WKWebView of the marketing site with a tab bar.
- One feature plus a settings screen.
- Content that never updates and has no offline or device integration.
- An app whose only job is to collect an email or open a partner site.
§ 03How to diagnose your case
- List what the app does that the mobile website cannot.
- If the honest answer is “almost nothing,” do not appeal. Add a real native capability or do not resubmit yet.
- If Apple misread a dense app as a shell, reply with a three-step path that shows the native work.
§ 05What to inspect in your project
Checklist
- Primary flows that work offline or use device APIs (camera, files, notifications, widgets)
- Home screen after login is not a single WebView
- Empty states that still show a product, not “coming soon”
- Features mentioned in the listing actually exist in the binary
§ 06What not to do
Do not
- Do not add a random QR scanner to “look native” and resubmit.
- Do not appeal 4.2 with a business plan.
- Do not confuse this with 4.3 and start renaming the bundle ID.
§ 07Questions people ask next
- Is a WebView app automatically 4.2?
- A WebView that is the whole product usually is. A WebView used for one article or a help center is not the same thing.