What to expect during the app submission process

Last updated: March 1, 2026

Our team handles the entire app submission process, so you don’t have to. Read more below to understand the app submission and approval process.

App submission & approval process

  • We'll submit the app directly to the App and Play Stores and will provide you with regular updates throughout the process. 

  • It’s common for Apple and Google to have questions for us before the apps are approved. These are considered “rejections” from the stores, which allow us to respond to questions or fix any concerns they have. The Circle team will handle any questions or feedback from the review teams. If there is any action or opinion needed from you, your project team will reach out to you directly.

  • App approval times vary, and are largely at the discretion of Apple and Google's individual review teams. Lately we’re seeing apps approved in 1-2 weeks, depending on any comments or concerns raised by the app reviewers as well as how long their own queues are. To minimize wait time, our team will address reviewer feedback as swiftly as possible.

  • From app submission onward, you will see a member named iOS Reviewer added to your community. This account is used by Apple and Google app reviewers during the app submission and update process. This member will not interact with any public facing content and is hidden from the member directory. Please do not remove this member from your community at any point. Removing this member may lead to delays in the app approval process and/or may cause future app updates to get rejected.

  • We will provide you with regular updates throughout the app submission process. 

  • Once the apps are approved, our team will configure your push notifications and deep linking, after which we will notify you and share additional resources. For this reason, we recommend against sharing or marketing the app until your project coordinator has indicated the apps are ready for use. 

Member experience

  • Your members won't know that the app is ready to download, unless you inform them. Your CSM can help you strategize on the best approaches for informing your members about your branded app. Note that if we are replacing an existing app, you should work closely with your CSM to develop a plan for communicating the app’s release.

  • In-app sign-ups are disabled by default. While settings in your community influence parts of the app, enabling in-app sign-ups is completed on the backend. Depending on your ideal sign-up flow, we can adjust this as needed. You can work with your CSM to decide the best option for your community, either in advance of app submission or in your app review call after the apps are approved and validated. We will make any adjustments after the apps are approved. 

📚 For more information on the next steps after your apps have been approved, see the following articles: