"In Review" in App Store Connect means an Apple reviewer is actively evaluating your app against the App Store Review Guidelines, which is a step further along than "Waiting for Review," where the build is only queued. Yes, a human is involved: Apple's review includes real people who open and test the app, not only automated checks. The "In Review" phase itself is usually short, often minutes to a few hours once a reviewer starts, within an overall process where Apple reviews most submissions in under 24 hours. Seeing "In Review" is generally a good sign that your submission has reached a reviewer.
Short answer
"In Review" means an Apple reviewer is actively looking at your submission, evaluating it against the guidelines before approving or rejecting it. Per Apple's App Review page, the process is fast, with the majority of submissions reviewed within 24 hours, and human reviewers are part of it, so a person may open and test your app. The "In Review" state itself is typically brief, from minutes to a few hours once it begins, and it follows "Waiting for Review," which is the queue. So the status is a positive sign that your app has reached a reviewer, and it usually does not last long.
What "In Review" means in App Store Connect
The status tells you your submission has moved from the queue into active evaluation. A reviewer has picked up your app and is checking it against the App Store Review Guidelines, looking at how it behaves, what it does, and whether it meets Apple's requirements. It is the working phase of review, between waiting in line and receiving a decision.
Because it means active evaluation, "In Review" is the point at which the reviewer needs your app to be fully usable. If your app requires a login, this is when the demo account you provided matters, because the reviewer is trying to reach and exercise your features right now. Reading the status as active work, rather than as a passive wait, explains why a complete, working submission matters at this stage. It is the difference between someone glancing at your app in a queue and someone sitting down to use it in earnest.
Is a human testing your app?
Yes. Apple's App Review process involves human reviewers who actually open and use apps, which is a defining feature of the App Store's review compared with more automated systems. While Apple also uses automated checks, a person evaluating your app is central to how App Review works, so when your app is "In Review," it is realistic that a reviewer is running it on a device.
This is why the reviewer experience matters so much. A human is forming a judgment by using your app, so anything that blocks them, a broken feature, a login they cannot get past, a crash, reads directly as a problem. Providing working demo credentials, clear notes, and a build with no obvious defects is effectively preparing for that human review, because the reviewer's hands-on experience is what the decision rests on.
How long does "In Review" last?
The "In Review" phase is usually short, often minutes to a few hours once a reviewer begins. It is not the long part of the process; the waiting happens earlier, in the queue, and once your app is actively In Review a decision typically follows fairly quickly. Apple does not guarantee a specific time, so treat this as typical rather than promised.
Across the whole process, Apple reviews most submissions within 24 hours, so from submission to decision is usually a day or less, with the In Review portion being a small slice near the end. If your app sits In Review far longer than a few hours, that is less common and can reflect a closer look at a complex or sensitive app, but the status itself moving to In Review is generally a sign you are close to a decision. If it has only just entered In Review, the most useful thing you can do is simply wait a little longer rather than act.
In Review versus Waiting for Review
These two consecutive statuses are easy to confuse. "Waiting for Review" means your submission is in the queue but no reviewer has started on it yet, so nothing is happening beyond waiting for a turn. "In Review" means a reviewer has begun the active evaluation. The move from one to the other is the transition from queued to being worked on.
The distinction changes what a delay implies. A long "Waiting for Review" is usually just queue time, while a long "In Review" is more likely a reviewer taking a closer look. Knowing which status you are in tells you whether you are simply waiting your turn or whether your app is actively being examined, and in both cases the right action is normally to wait.
The review status flow
Seeing the sequence clarifies where "In Review" sits. The table below lists the common statuses and what each means.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Waiting for Review | Submitted and queued, not yet started |
| In Review | A reviewer is actively evaluating the app |
| Pending Developer Release | Approved, waiting for you to release |
| Ready for Sale | Approved and live on the App Store |
| Rejected | An issue was found and must be addressed |
Use the table to place your submission. "In Review" is near the end of the flow, just before a decision, which is why reaching it usually means you are close to either approval or specific feedback.
What to do while In Review
For almost every submission, the answer is to wait and leave it alone. The checklist below covers the few things worth confirming so an active review is not disrupted.
| Check | Action | Done? |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm it is active | In Review means a reviewer is evaluating now | [ ] |
| Leave it alone | Do not upload a new build during review | [ ] |
| Demo ready | Ensure any demo credentials work | [ ] |
| Track the time | Note when it entered In Review | [ ] |
| Escalate if long | Contact App Review only after roughly 48 hours total | [ ] |
The mistake to avoid is uploading a new build while In Review, since that can cancel the current review and send you back to the queue. Confirm your demo login works, wait through the short In Review window, and only consider contacting App Review if the whole process clearly exceeds the normal range.
Scan before you submit
Because a human reviewer will actively test your app, a security or privacy issue that surfaces during that hands-on review can lead to a rejection, and fixing it after the fact means resubmitting and waiting again. Catching those issues before submission is cheaper than after.
A scanner like PTKD.com analyzes your .ipa and reports findings ordered by severity and mapped to OWASP MASVS, so you catch issues like unjustified permissions, cleartext traffic, or embedded secrets before a reviewer does. To be clear about the boundary: PTKD does not change your review status or speed up the reviewer. It helps ensure that when a human reviews your app, it does not present the security problems that would send it back.
What to take away
- "In Review" in App Store Connect means an Apple reviewer is actively evaluating your app, one step past "Waiting for Review," which is the queue.
- Yes, a human is involved: Apple's review includes real people who open and test apps, so the reviewer experience matters.
- The In Review phase itself is usually short, minutes to a few hours, within an overall process that reviews most submissions in under 24 hours.
- Do not upload a new build while In Review, since it can cancel the review; confirm your demo login works and otherwise wait.
- Scan your build with PTKD.com before submitting so a human reviewer does not find a security issue that causes a rejection.
