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Must have more than “minimal user functionality”

We get this a lot (thanks, Nick et al.):

We have determined that this application contains minimal user functionality and will not be appropriate for the App Store.

We’ve heard minimal specifics on apps that cause this rejection, but the most common implication is that apps are rejected for being simple brand showcases, showing a few photos or playing a few music tracks, without any other real purpose or features. These apps are usually developed by consultants for clients who want a brand presence in the App Store but can’t (or won’t) provide any useful functionality.

This rule has also been used to reject extremely simple joke or novelty apps.

Enforcement seems to be increasing recently. For instance, if a developer submitted a “flashlight” app today that just displayed a white screen and had no other features, it would probably be rejected for this rule, despite such apps being acceptable last year.

As this is a difficult criterion to judge, expect inconsistent enforcement, especially for questionable edge cases.