How to Speed Up App Review in the App Store: Requesting an Expedited App Review Step by Step

How Standard Review Works and How Long It Takes

Before you try to speed things up, it helps to understand how the process is built. After you submit a build, your app moves through a chain of statuses in App Store Connect: first Waiting for Review, then In Review, and after that — approval, ready for release, or rejection. When people say an app "got into review," they mean exactly that move from the waiting queue into the In Review status — the moment your build is actually picked up.

Based on experience and Apple's own statements, most apps are reviewed within roughly 24–48 hours, and the company works hard to keep the pace fast. In practice, though, a build can get stuck in the queue noticeably longer due to load, app complexity, or additional checks. That noticeable overrun of the usual window is the signal that it may be time to consider expedited review.

What Expedited App Review Is

Expedited App Review is the official mechanism through which you ask the App Review team to prioritize your app and review it outside the general queue.

One key thing to lock in right away: expedited review affects speed, not the verdict. It does not improve your chances of approval and does not "forgive" violations — your app still has to pass review under the same rules. If there are problems in the build, it will still be rejected, just faster. So Expedited App Review isn't a loophole — it's a way to cut the wait when you have a genuine reason for it.

We covered this question in short-video format on our channel — watch the Short. That’s also where the whole FAQ series on Apple Developer accounts and working with mobile apps is published.

When It's Appropriate to Ask — and When It Isn't

Apple grants expedited review for exceptional circumstances and evaluates each request individually, with no guarantee of approval.

Here it's worth being honest about a nuance. In short-video format the topic often gets simplified to "if your app hasn't entered review within 24 hours, request an expedited review." In practice, teams do use this tool when a build is stuck. But officially Apple expects not the fact of waiting but a clear reason. A request with no concrete justification can be declined, so it should be approached thoughtfully.

How to Submit the Request, Step by Step

The process itself is straightforward. You'll need a developer account that has access to the app in question.

1. Go to the developer site and sign in with an account that has access to the app.
2. Open the Support section and go to Contact Us (the link is usually at the bottom of the page).
3. Choose the App Review category.
4. Select Expedited App Review (the request for an expedited review).
5. Fill in the form: provide the app name, its App ID, the platform, and the reason for the request.
6. Submit with the Send button.

Once submitted, the request goes straight to the App Review team, and from there everything depends on how convincingly you've stated your reason.

How to Word Your Reason So the Request Works

Wording the reason is half the battle. The main rule: be specific and frame it through user impact, not in vague terms. A blurry "urgent, please speed this up" works poorly. A strong request names the problem, who it affects, the scale, and the deadline.

• If it's a bug — include steps to reproduce it in the current version of the app. Apple explicitly asks for this so the team can verify the issue.
• If it's an event — state the date and your direct connection to it.
• Quantify the impact where you can: how many users are affected, what the revenue hit is. Concrete numbers carry more weight than abstract "urgency."

What to Expect After Submitting and How Long to Wait

Apple handles expedited requests on a case-by-case basis, and it often happens within a few hours. In practice, many teams note that after the request the app enters review noticeably faster — sometimes within roughly 15 minutes to an hour, though it can take longer.

Keep two caveats in mind: Apple doesn't guarantee a specific timeframe, and expediting affects your position in the queue, not the final decision. Your app gets picked up faster, but it's reviewed by all the same rules.

Why It Matters Not to Abuse It

This is probably the most underrated point. Apple states plainly that submitting an excessive number of expedited review requests can lead to future requests simply being ignored. In other words, abuse "burns" your access to the tool itself.

So treat Expedited App Review as a lever for emergencies, not as a routine accelerator for every release. Every request should be justified by a real reason. That disciplined approach protects both your ability to expedite reviews in the future and your account's overall standing in Apple's eyes.

Bonus: How to Run Into Long Reviews Less Often

The best way to avoid needing an expedited review is to pass review cleanly the first time. A few habits that noticeably cut both the risk of rejection and the waiting time:

• Submit only finished, tested builds. Per Apple's statistics, the most common cause of review issues is app incompleteness (crashes, placeholders, unfinished content). Test on current OS versions and close out bugs before submitting.
• Fill in the App Review Information section. If your app requires sign-in, special settings, or instructions — provide a demo account and notes. Without them, review drags out.
• Check the essentials. All links must work, and links to support and your privacy policy must be present.
• Build in buffer time and schedule event-tied releases ahead of time using the publication schedule in App Store Connect.

Conclusion

Expedited App Review is a real, official Apple tool that genuinely helps: when your app is stuck in the queue or you have a hard deadline, it can move your build into review in a short time. But it's not a magic "skip the line forever" button. Use it with a concrete, honest reason, word the request specifically, and don't abuse it — otherwise you risk losing the ability to expedite at all.

And if you pair this tool with submission discipline — fully finished builds and carefully filled-in review information — you'll get stuck waiting far less often.