How We Published Permute-se on the Apple App Store After 25+ Reviews and 2 Months of Approval
By Bruno Hoinacki
For business owners
Publishing an app on the Apple App Store goes far beyond writing code. It is a process that demands technical rigor, attention to policies, UX adjustments, privacy compliance, payment flows, and above all, a great deal of persistence. This is the real story of how Forcoder guided Permute-se to approval after more than 25 review cycles and roughly 2 months of dedicated work.
+25 Review cycles
~2 Months to approval
100% Apple compliance
What is Permute-se?
Permute-se is an innovative real estate platform that enables direct property swaps, connecting owners who want to trade their properties without the need for complex financial intermediation. Forcoder was responsible for the complete development of the product: from architecture design to delivering the mobile app to the app stores.
Unlike simple MVPs, Permute-se was built with a robust stack, carefully planned UX, and a business structure that includes subscription plans, profile management, a property matching system, and secure authentication flows.
Why is the Apple App Store so demanding?
Apple maintains one of the most rigorous review processes in the world to ensure the quality, security, and privacy of the apps available in its store. Every submission goes through human reviewers and automated systems that evaluate dozens of criteria — and any inconsistency results in rejection.
For apps that involve user registration, personal data collection, recurring payments, and device permissions, the requirements are even stricter. Permute-se fell into all of these categories, which made the process especially challenging and technical.
- Clear, accessible privacy policies within the app
- Full compliance with data usage guidelines (App Tracking Transparency)
- Authentication flows with mandatory Sign in with Apple
- Subscription structure via In-App Purchase (StoreKit)
- Camera, photo library, and location permissions properly justified
- Complete functionality with no placeholder content
- Responsive interface with no broken UI elements
- Account deletion process available and working
The phases of the process: from build to approval
The path to official publication was divided into well-defined stages, each with its own technical and strategic challenges.
Phase 1
Mobile Development and Architecture
The Forcoder team built the Permute-se app with a focus on scalability and performance. The architecture was designed to support complex features such as property matching, a chat system, a photo gallery, and integration with external APIs, all while keeping the user experience smooth.
Phase 2
Custom UX and UI
The entire interface was designed from scratch, focused on the real estate user's journey. Usability testing, navigation flow adjustments, and visual refinements were carried out to ensure an intuitive experience both for those listing properties and for those looking for properties to swap.
Phase 3
Apple Developer and App Store Connect Setup
Forcoder handled the creation and setup of the Apple Developer account, Bundle ID registration, distribution certificate configuration, provisioning profiles, and the complete App Store Connect structure, ensuring all publishing infrastructure was correctly configured before the first submission.
Phase 4
First Submissions and Apple Feedback
The first reviews already brought detailed feedback. Apple flagged inconsistencies in the authentication flow, the absence of the Sign in with Apple button as a mandatory option, and the need for a more detailed privacy policy directly accessible within the app.
Phase 5
Privacy and Data Collection Compliance
One of the most critical points was compliance with App Privacy — the App Store section that requires developers to declare exactly which data is collected, for what purpose, and whether it is linked to the user's identity. Permute-se's entire data collection structure was reviewed, documented, and declared accurately.
Phase 6
Permissions and Justification Review
Apple requires every permission requested from the user (camera, photo library, location, notifications) to come with a clear justification in the app's configuration file. All permissions were reviewed, the request messages were rewritten in Portuguese in direct language, and unnecessary permissions were removed.
Phase 7
Subscription Structure and In-App Purchase
Permute-se has paid plans with premium features. The subscriptions were implemented strictly following Apple's StoreKit model, including product setup in App Store Connect, purchase flow integration in the app, handling of automatic renewals and cancellations, and the mandatory restore purchases button.
Phase 8
Review Cycles: More Than 25 Iterations
Over approximately two months, the app went through more than 25 rounds of submission, rejection, adjustment, and resubmission. Each cycle brought new findings — from small UI details to deeper technical issues related to data security and compliance with Apple's Human Interface Guidelines.
Phase 9
Testing, Staging, and Final Validation
Before each submission, the app went through a rigorous testing process on physical devices running different iOS versions, validation of all critical flows, edge case testing, and a manual review of Apple's compliance checklist. This process was key to progressively reducing the number of rejections.
Phase 10 — Approval
Official Publication on the Apple App Store
After all the technical, privacy, UX, and compliance adjustments, Permute-se was finally approved and officially published on the Apple App Store. The app is available for download on all iPhones, marking the end of an intense technical journey and the delivery of a high-quality product.
Lessons learned: what this process taught us
Publishing on the Apple App Store is a discipline in itself. Having a working app is not enough — you need an app that is compliant. Some of the main lessons Forcoder took from this process:
- Plan for compliance from the start — Apple's guidelines should drive architecture decisions, not be treated as a final step
- The privacy policy is a technical requirement — it must be built into the app, not just on an external website
- Sign in with Apple is not optional — if the app offers social login, Sign in with Apple is mandatory
- In-App Purchase has specific rules — any paid feature involving digital content must use Apple's system
- Testing on physical devices is irreplaceable — simulators do not capture every behavior Apple's reviewers evaluate
- Persistence is part of the process — rejections are normal, and every piece of feedback is an opportunity to improve
- Documenting the process speeds up future releases — accumulated learning becomes a competitive advantage
Why does hiring an experienced software house make a difference?
Many companies underestimate the complexity of publishing an app on the Apple App Store and end up facing costly delays, repeated rejections, and frustration. Having a team that has been through this process, knows the pitfalls, and has a methodology to guide each phase makes all the difference in the final result.
Forcoder combines technical expertise in mobile development with product vision, strategic UX, and deep knowledge of the policies of the major app stores. The Permute-se case is proof that, with method, persistence, and expertise, it is possible to deliver a quality product that meets the highest standards in the mobile market.
Have an app that needs to be published?
Forcoder can guide the entire process — from development to store approval. Talk to our team and find out how to turn your idea into an approved, published app.
