Help › Guideline 4.2 – Minimum Functionality
Guideline 4.2 Minimum Functionality rejection: when your app looks like a website
Updated [DATE] · Plain-English guide, not official Apple or Google text.
What the rejection looks like
“Your app provides a limited user experience as it is not sufficiently different from a mobile browsing experience.”
Real example shared publicly: source. Exact wording varies.
Common causes
- App is mainly a WebView of a website
- Most content links out to Safari
- Too few features (single page, a list of links)
- Content belongs in Books or Music, not an app
How to fix it
- Identify what the app does that a website in Safari can't: offline use, notifications with real value, camera, widgets, on-device data
- Stop sending users out to Safari for core content; show it natively in the app
- Replace a full-screen WebView with native screens for the main flows (at least the core ones)
- Add at least one meaningful native feature tied to the app's purpose (e.g. offline saving, widgets, reminders)
- Remove placeholder or 'coming soon' sections
- Make the core value visible within the first minute of use
Decode your exact message
Paste your full rejection into the free decoder to confirm the guideline and see the likely causes. It runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Want the reply written for you?
The $9 Fix Pack (coming soon) adds a reviewer reply template, a resubmission checklist and ready prompts for your coding tool for this guideline.
See the Fix PackFAQ
Is a WebView app always rejected?
Not always, but apps that are mostly a website in a WebView often get 4.2. Native screens for core flows and real device features help.
What counts as 'native value'?
Offline access, useful widgets or notifications, camera or other device features, and fast native navigation for core content.
Official source: https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#minimum-functionality