App Store demands real-device recordings
- Apple told developers to give App Review fuller submission notes, demo access, and physical-device videos for apps that pair with hardware. - Apple’s December 2025 App Review post says reviewers assess apps “installed on real devices,” and hardware apps should include a video. - The guidance expands review documentation, not the written rules, as Apple tightens checks on incomplete submissions. (developer.apple.com)
Apple has not published a new App Store rule requiring screen recordings for every app. It has published new App Review guidance telling developers to provide fuller notes, demo access, and, for hardware-linked apps, a video showing the app on a physical Apple device. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) That guidance appeared in an Apple Developer Forums post titled “Tips from App Review,” created by Apple in December 2025. The post says developers submitting a new app should explain the app’s concept, business model, and any location limits in App Store Connect. (developer.apple.com) Apple also says update submissions should spell out what changed and where reviewers can find major new features. If an app needs login credentials, authentication codes, or multiple account types, those details should be provided in the App Review Information notes field before review starts. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) The physical-device requirement in Apple’s own wording is narrower than the social posts suggested. Apple says apps “connecting to hardware” should attach “a video, not a screen recording,” showing both the hardware and the app running on a physical Apple device as they pair and interact. (developer.apple.com) Apple’s forum post also says reviewers evaluate apps the way customers use them: installed on real devices and connected to real-world networks. It tells developers to test on physical devices before submitting and to use TestFlight for beta testing on those devices. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) The company’s main App Review page says incomplete submissions can delay review or fail outright. Apple says 90% of submissions are reviewed in less than 24 hours, and says more than 40% of unresolved issues relate to guideline 2.1 on app completeness. (developer.apple.com) That matters because developers often rely on App Review notes to explain edge cases that do not show up in screenshots or metadata. Apple’s App Store Connect help page says the latest approved version’s App Review information section is where developers should provide extra context that helps reviewers evaluate a submission. (developer.apple.com) Apple’s published App Review Guidelines themselves do not appear to add a blanket new mandate for real-device recordings across all apps. The change is better understood as Apple formalizing tougher submission hygiene around demo access, explanations, and physical-device evidence where hardware behavior is part of the review. (developer.apple.com) (developer.apple.com)
