How Long Does App Store Review Take in 2026? (Plus Google Play)

Quick answer: Apple says App Review typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours, and incomplete submissions take longer. Google Play says reviews can take up to seven days, or longer in exceptional cases, and recommends a buffer of at least a week. Plan a few days of slack on iOS and a week on Android.

Apple's App Review page gives the only official numbers: App Review works around the clock, typically reviewing at least 50% of submissions in less than 24 hours and 90% in less than 48 hours. You get an email each time the status changes.

Two caveats are built into that statement:

• "Typically" isn't a promise. By Apple's own figure, up to one submission in ten takes longer than 48 hours, and Apple doesn't publish a maximum.
• Incomplete submissions are slower. Apple warns that missing information can delay review or cause the submission to fail.

Apple doesn't publish separate figures for new apps versus updates, by category, or by region. Any precise average you see elsewhere is an estimate, not Apple data.

Review is only one stage. Here's the whole path, with what you control at each step:

After release, it can take some time for the new version to show everywhere on the App Store, including search, so don't announce a launch the minute the status changes.

If the submission is rejected, the clock effectively restarts: you fix, reply and resubmit, and the submission goes back into the queue. That's why the quality of your first submission matters more than any timing trick.

Common reasons a review stalls or stretches:

• Missing information. No demo account, a login that needs a code sent to your phone, or features reviewers can't find. App Review may message you and wait.
• A rejection and resubmit cycle. Each round adds another wait. Apple says over 40% of unresolved issues relate to guideline 2.1, App Completeness, so a solid build and complete review notes save the most time. See App Store rejection reasons.
• Complex functionality. In-app purchases, subscriptions, account systems, hardware accessories or region-specific content take longer to test.
• Regulated categories. Banking, crypto, healthcare, gambling and similar apps must be submitted by the legal entity providing the service, and reviewers check for that.
• Pulling the build. If you remove a submission from review to change something, it becomes Developer Rejected and has to be submitted again.
• Holiday periods. Check Apple Developer news in December for any holiday schedule announcements before planning a late-December release.

If the status hasn't moved for several days, check App Store Connect for unanswered messages from App Review before anything else. You can also contact App Review about a submission through Apple's support form.

Apple accepts expedite requests for extenuating circumstances. Its help page names two:

1. Critical bug fix. Include the steps to reproduce the bug in the current live version.
2. Event-related app. Explain the event, its date, and your app's connection to it. Apple recommends scheduling releases for events in advance, but you can ask if review is running close to the date.

Submit the request through the expedited review form after your build is in the queue. Approval of the request isn't guaranteed, and the app still has to pass review. Treat it as an emergency tool, not a routine shortcut.

• Submit early and release manually. Choose "Manually release this version", submit days before your launch, and click Release when you're ready. Approval and launch become separate decisions.
• Or schedule it. "Automatically release this version after App Review, no earlier than" a date and time you set works well for coordinated launches.
• Use phased release for updates. It rolls automatic updates out over seven days, and you can pause if something breaks.
• Get TestFlight approval first. The first build you add to an external TestFlight group goes through beta review; later builds may not need a full review. Testing early surfaces problems before the store submission. The TestFlight guide explains the flow.
• Reply fast. Watch your email during review. A same-hour answer to a reviewer question can save a day.
• Run a checklist. The App Store submission checklist catches the gaps that cause slow, incomplete submissions.

Google is more conservative in what it publishes. For certain developer accounts, Google says reviews may take up to seven days or longer in exceptional cases. For managed publishing, it describes processing as taking a few hours or up to seven days, and recommends a buffer of at least a week between submitting and going live.

Things that matter on Google Play:

• Changes aren't sent automatically. You submit them from the Publishing overview page.
• New changes can reset your place. Google says review time counts from the last submitted change, and submitting more changes while others are in review may push your app to the back of the queue.
• Managed publishing lets you hold approved changes and publish them at a time you choose.
• New personal accounts also need to pass a 14-day closed test with at least 12 testers and apply for production access, which Google says usually takes seven days or less to review. See Google Play closed testing and how to publish on Google Play.