I was rejected by Apple 43 times… so I fought back (with AI)

After being rejected by the Apple App Store 43 times, I decided to take matters into my own hands by creating an AI-powered Chrome extension to assist with the App Store rejection process. Follow my journey as I share the frustrations, the lessons, and the ultimate creation of a tool designed to help developers navigate the often tedious app review process. Get the AI Assistant for App Store extension here: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ai-assistant-for-app-stor/dncflcdgedenlgpkkoanjelfgnkegbdb Apps by Adam Lyttle is the personal journey of an indie app developer, sharing valuable lessons and experiences to help fellow developers succeed in the competitive app market My channel is based on one simple premise: "A rising tide lifts all boats" — I share my experience, teach what I've learned and highlight the mistakes I've made along the way. Follow my journey here: Website: https://adamlyttleapps.com Twitter: https://x.com/adamlyttleapps Github: https://github.com/adamlyttleapps Instagram: https://instagram.com/adamlyttleapps TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@adamlyttleapps Substack: https://adamlyttleapps.substack.com The road to success in the app development world is often paved with setbacks, rejections, and countless revisions. My journey has been no different. As an indie app developer, I’ve faced numerous challenges, but none as persistent as the App Store review process. After being rejected 43 times by Apple’s App Store review team, I decided to take matters into my own hands. This is the story of how I turned frustration into innovation by leveraging AI to create a Chrome extension designed to assist developers with the App Store rejection process. Receiving an App Store rejection is never easy. Each time I submitted my app, hoping it would finally be approved, I was met with another issue to fix. It felt like an endless cycle of modifications and resubmissions. The review team would point out one problem, and after resolving it, another would surface. The process was not only time-consuming but also mentally exhausting. I often found myself asking, “Why didn’t they just tell me all the issues at once? Why do we have to do this dance, Apple?” This constant back-and-forth made me question whether I was getting carried away with my dream. I wondered if the idea of using AI to help with the app review process was out of my league. After all, I was just a SwiftUI developer with some experience in vanilla JavaScript, HTML, and PHP. Despite the setbacks, I refused to give up. Instead, I decided to channel my frustration into creating something that could potentially help other developers facing similar challenges. With the help of ChatGPT, I embarked on the journey of developing my first Chrome extension. Creating a Chrome extension turned out to be simpler than I expected. It involved basic JavaScript files, along with HTML, CSS, and images. Once I had built the extension, I integrated AI to process messages from the App Store review team, provide context, and offer step-by-step instructions on how to resolve the issues. The extension aimed to give developers an overview of the issues, resources for resolution, and additional tips from documentation. Once the extension was ready, I submitted it to the Chrome Web Store, only to face yet another review process. It was ironic that an app designed to help with review processes had to go through a review itself. To make matters worse, I discovered a bug after submission, and while the extension was under review, I couldn’t make any changes. This meant the version under review wasn’t functioning properly. Despite the challenges, I’ve come to appreciate the App Store review process. It reminded me of the days when I created shareware software, handling distribution, marketing, and user acquisition on my own. Back then, there were no standards, and anyone could release software without quality checks. Today’s app marketplaces, like the App Store and Chrome Web Store, ensure a level of quality and safety for users. The review process, though tedious, helps create better products. It ensures compliance with standards and increases user confidence. Each rejection pushed me to improve my app, making it more robust and user-friendly. The journey taught me invaluable lessons about persistence, problem-solving, and innovation. Turning rejection into innovation has been a rewarding experience. The AI-powered Chrome extension I developed is a testament to the power of perseverance and the potential of AI in app development. As I continue to refine my app and explore new features, I remain committed to sharing my journey and helping other developers succeed.