Finishing the build is only part of launching an iPhone app. Knowing how to publish an app on the App Store means working through Apple's enrollment, build requirements, store listing, privacy disclosures and App Review, and each of those has details that can delay a launch. None of it is especially hard. Most of the problems we see come from leaving it until the week the app is meant to go live.
This guide walks through the full process in order, with the costs Apple publishes and the reasons apps are most often sent back. It is written for founders and product owners who want to understand the steps, whether they submit the app themselves or a development team does it for them.
Before you start: what you need
Have these ready before the first upload. Gathering them late is the usual reason a submission slips by days.
- An Apple Account with two-factor authentication turned on, owned by the business rather than one employee.
- Company details: legal entity name and D-U-N-S Number if you publish as an organization.
- A Mac with the current Xcode to build, sign and upload the app.
- Store assets: app name, subtitle, description, keywords, screenshots for the required device sizes and an app icon.
- A privacy policy URL and a clear picture of what data the app and its third-party SDKs collect.
- A support URL and, if the app has logins, a working demo account for the reviewer.
How to publish an app on the App Store, step by step
Here is the order we follow when we take an app through Apple's process.
1. Enroll in the Apple Developer Program
Apple's program enrollment guide says the Apple Developer Program annual fee is 99 USD, in local currency where available, and that prices may vary by region. Individuals and sole proprietors are listed on the store under their personal legal name. Organizations, including companies, non-profits and government bodies, are listed under their legal entity name and must provide a D-U-N-S Number for verification. Apple also offers fee waivers to some organizations, such as accredited educational institutions.
2. Build with the required tools
Apple sets minimum toolchain versions and raises them regularly. Its upcoming requirements page states that since 28 April 2026, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 or later using an SDK for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26 or watchOS 26. Check that page before every release, because a build made with an older Xcode will be refused at upload.
3. Create the app record in App Store Connect
In App Store Connect, create a new app with its name, primary language, bundle ID and SKU. The bundle ID must match the one in your Xcode project. Choose the name carefully; it has to be unique on the store and it is the first thing people see.
4. Complete the listing, privacy and age rating
Fill in the description, keywords, screenshots, category, pricing and availability. You also need to complete the App Privacy section, describing the data the app collects, including data collected by third-party SDKs, and answer the age rating questions. Apple introduced an updated age rating system and asked developers to answer the new questions by 31 January 2026 to avoid interruptions when submitting updates.
5. Upload a build and test with TestFlight
Archive the app in Xcode and upload it to App Store Connect. Use TestFlight to put the exact build you plan to ship in front of internal and external testers first. External testing needs a TestFlight review, so allow for that in the plan.
6. Submit for review and release
Attach the build to the version, add notes for the reviewer and submit. Apple states that, on average, 90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours, and you are notified by email as the status changes. Once approved, the version can release automatically, release automatically no earlier than a date you set, or wait for you to release it manually.
What it costs to publish
| Cost item | What Apple publishes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Developer Program | 99 USD per year, in local currency where available | Required to distribute on the App Store |
| Fee waivers | Available to some organizations, such as accredited educational institutions | Apply through Apple's enrollment process |
| Commission on paid apps and In-App Purchase | 15% for qualifying members of the App Store Small Business Program | For developers with up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior calendar year, and for new developers |
Under the App Store Small Business Program, developers who made up to 1 million USD in proceeds in the prior calendar year, and developers new to the App Store, can qualify for a reduced commission rate of 15% on paid apps and In-App Purchases. You have to enroll in the program as the account holder and accept the Paid Apps agreement; the lower rate is not applied automatically. The larger cost of any app is building it, which our guide to MVP development cost breaks down.
Why apps get rejected, and how to avoid it
Apple's App Review Guidelines are long, but a handful of rules cause most first-time rejections.
- Incomplete apps (guideline 2.1): submissions should be final versions with working URLs and no placeholder content. Test on real devices before submitting.
- No reviewer access: if the app has accounts, provide an active demo account or a full demo mode, and keep your backend live during review.
- Minimum functionality (guideline 4.2): the app should go beyond a repackaged website. A thin web wrapper is a common rejection, which matters if you are weighing a PWA vs native app.
- Account deletion: if the app lets people create an account, it must also let them delete it from within the app.
- Privacy mismatches: the App Privacy answers must match what the app and its SDKs actually collect.
How the App Store fits into your launch plan
Anyone learning how to publish an app on the App Store for the first time should plan for at least one rejection and resubmission, even though review itself is usually quick. Enroll early, because organization verification needs your D-U-N-S details to match. Prepare store assets and privacy answers while the final features are being built, and run a TestFlight round on the release build. Our guide to how long it takes to build an app shows where these steps sit in a full project plan.
After launch, every update goes through the same review. Keep the release process documented so it does not depend on one person's memory, and recheck Apple's requirements before each major release.
Submitting yourself or through your developer
You do not need to be an engineer to understand how to publish an app on the App Store, but you do need to own the accounts. The safest setup is a developer account in your company's name, with your development team invited as members with the roles they need. That way the app, its reviews, its sales history and its signing certificates stay with the business if you ever change teams.
Founders who handle the submission themselves usually find the listing, privacy answers and screenshots take more effort than the upload. Teams that do it for you should hand over a written release checklist, so the next person who learns how to publish an app on the App Store for your product starts from your process rather than from scratch.
Get your app built and published
Knowing how to publish an app on the App Store is one thing; getting a first submission approved without delays is another. Our iOS and Android app development team builds apps and takes them through App Store and Google Play submission, with the developer account and all code owned by you from day one. You get senior engineers and weekly demos, including the release build.
If you have an app ready to ship, or one still in development, tell us what you are building. A senior engineer will reply within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to publish an app on the App Store?
Apple lists the Apple Developer Program annual fee as 99 USD, in local currency where available, and that membership is required to publish. If you sell the app or in-app items, Apple also takes a commission; members of the App Store Small Business Program pay a reduced 15% rate. Development costs are separate and usually far larger.
Is it free to publish an app on App Store?
Not usually. You need a paid Apple Developer Program membership, which Apple lists at 99 USD per year. Apple offers fee waivers to some organizations, such as accredited educational institutions. Commission only comes into play if you sell the app or digital items inside it.
How hard is it to get an app published on the App Store?
It is manageable if the app is complete and follows the App Review Guidelines. Apple says 90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours on average. Rejections usually come from incomplete apps, missing demo accounts, privacy answers that do not match the app, or apps that are little more than a repackaged website.
How much does Apple charge to publish an app?
Apple charges the annual Apple Developer Program fee, which it lists as 99 USD in local currency where available. On top of that, it takes a commission on sales of paid apps and In-App Purchases, which is 15% for qualifying members of the App Store Small Business Program.
Can I publish an iPhone app without a Mac?
Building, signing and uploading an iOS app is done with Xcode, which runs on macOS, so a Mac is part of the standard process. Some teams use cloud build services that run macOS for them, but the Apple Developer Program membership and App Store Connect steps are the same either way.
