I submitted Ping to the App Store and they rejected it. Here’s what I learned.
Apple flagged my use of iCloud to store friend lists and interaction data. While I disclosed this in my Privacy Policy, I didn’t think it needed an in-app disclosure.
Honestly? They have a point. When data leaves your device, users should know.
Apple didn’t give specifics even after I asked for clarification, but they were clear: alert the user about data storage.
Instead of adding another dialog, I asked myself: do I even need iCloud storage? I added it thinking it might prevent data loss if users uninstalled the app. But there’s a simpler solution.
I built an export feature (JSON or CSV) and removed all iCloud functionality. No more servers, everything stays local.
The rejection was a good reminder: any data leaving a user’s device should require explicit permission.