App description accurately represents functionality
Why it matters
Apple Guideline 2.3.3 and Google Play's Misleading Apps policy both treat an inaccurate description as grounds for rejection — no appeal, no second chance on that submission cycle. Beyond rejection, a description that promises features the codebase doesn't deliver generates one-star reviews from users who installed expecting 'AI-powered recommendations' and found none. App stores use conversion rate and review velocity as ranking signals; a misleading description poisons both. The damage compounds: each failed submission adds days to your launch, and each negative review permanently anchors your rating.
Severity rationale
Critical because Apple and Google both reject on discovery, making an inaccurate description a hard launch blocker with no runtime workaround.
Remediation
Remove or rephrase every unsubstantiated feature claim before resubmission. Work from the store description file directly:
# Verify the store description exists and review it
cat fastlane/metadata/ios/en-US/description.txt
For each claim in the description, confirm a matching implementation exists in src/. If the codebase has no socket or messaging library, remove 'real-time messaging.' Replace superlatives ('the #1 app') with verifiable specifics ('syncs in under 3 seconds'). Store the canonical description in fastlane/metadata/ and version-control it alongside the codebase so feature claims stay synchronized with shipped code.
DetectionPro
The detection method for this pattern is part of AuditBuffet Pro.
The full method (what to look for, pass and fail conditions, and how results get reported) ships inside the App Store Metadata & Listing Audit. The pattern definition, severity rationale, and remediation remain openly licensed under CC-BY-4.0.
External references
- external · apple-guideline-2.3.3 — Apple App Review Guideline 2.3.3 — Accurate Metadata
- external · google-play-misleading-apps — Google Play Developer Policy — Misleading Apps
Taxons
History
- 2026-04-18·v1.0.0·Initial import from app-store-metadata-listing·automated