The question contains a hidden assumption: that "Ready for Distribution" is a temporary status with a clock running down. It is not. Ready for Distribution is the steady state of an approved app, the green status that replaced "Ready for Sale," and it persists for as long as that version is the live one. It does not expire, time out, or need refreshing. What ends it is you shipping a new version or changing the app's availability, not the passage of time. Here is what the status means and what actually changes it.
Short answer
Ready for Distribution does not expire; it is the status of an approved version that can be published, and it lasts until you change it. Per Apple's status reference, the green Ready for Distribution indicator means your app passed review and is available, or ready to be released, in the regions you selected. It stays in that state indefinitely while that version is current. The status changes only when you submit a new version, which goes through review on its own, or when you remove the app from sale or alter its availability. So there is no countdown to worry about; the approved version simply remains live until you act.
What you should know
- It does not expire: there is no clock on Ready for Distribution.
- It means approved and live: the version passed review and can be published.
- It replaced Ready for Sale: the same idea, renamed.
- A new version is separate: submitting one starts its own review.
- You change it, not time: removal or a new version ends the state.
What does "Ready for Distribution" mean?
That your app version is approved and either live or ready to release. The green status indicates App Review has approved the build and the app is available in the countries or regions you chose, or is waiting on your manual release if you set that. It is the normal resting state for a published app, the one you want to see, and it replaced the older "Ready for Sale" wording without changing the meaning. So when a version reaches Ready for Distribution, the review process for it is done, and the version is in its published life rather than in a queue. The status describes a stable condition, not a step that times out and needs renewing.
Does the status expire?
No. Ready for Distribution persists for as long as that version remains the current one, with no expiration and no need to do anything to keep it. The confusion usually comes from comparing it to time-limited states like a TestFlight build, which does expire after 90 days, but the App Store distribution status is different: an approved, live app stays Ready for Distribution indefinitely. You will not lose the status by inaction, and there is nothing to refresh. The only way out of it is a change you make, which is the opposite of a status that lapses on its own. So if you are watching it expecting it to lapse, it will not.
What changes the status?
Actions you take, not the calendar. The table lists what moves it.
| Action | Effect on status |
|---|---|
| Submit a new version | The new version enters review separately; the live one stays until released |
| Release a new approved version | The new version replaces the current live one |
| Remove the app from sale | The app becomes unavailable; status changes accordingly |
| Change regional availability | Availability updates without re-review |
| Do nothing | Stays Ready for Distribution indefinitely |
The pattern is that the current version remains Ready for Distribution until you ship a replacement or change availability. A new version does not disturb the live one until you release it, and the live version keeps its status the whole time the new one is in review.
What to watch out for
The first trap is expecting Ready for Distribution to expire like a TestFlight build and worrying when it does not; the App Store status is stable, not time-limited. The second is confusing it with manual-release states, where an approved version waits for you to publish it rather than going live automatically. The third is forgetting that a new version re-enters review fully, so the live status does not carry the new build through. Status questions are unrelated to your app's security, so they sit apart from a pre-submission scan such as PTKD.com (https://ptkd.com), which reads the binary against OWASP MASVS; the relevant habit is to scan each new version before submitting, since each one is reviewed on its own.
What to take away
- Ready for Distribution does not expire; it is the stable status of an approved, live version and lasts until you change it.
- It means the version passed review and is available or ready to release, and it replaced the older "Ready for Sale" wording.
- The status changes only when you submit and release a new version, remove the app, or alter availability, not with time.
- Each new version is reviewed separately, so scan every version with a pre-submission scan such as PTKD.com before submitting it.
