Why can’t I submit my iOS app to the App Store?
The app builds and runs. App Store Connect disagrees that it is ready. Submission is a separate state machine from development. The button stays disabled, or the upload fails, because something in Apple’s checklist is incomplete — not because your code is broken.
What actually blocks submission?
No valid build attached to the version. Missing screenshots for a required device size. Incomplete metadata in any active localization. Unresolved agreements, tax, or banking in App Store Connect. Missing privacy details or review information. An expired certificate or provisioning profile on the uploaded build.
Why does this surprise AI-built apps especially?
Coding agents finish the code and stop. None of the submission requirements live in the codebase — they live in App Store Connect, in certificates, and in localized storefront assets. The gap between “it runs” and “Apple will take it” is invisible until you hit it.
How do you find the real blocker?
Run a readiness check that reads the actual App Store Connect state instead of guessing. AiSCent’s free App Store Check identifies missing builds, metadata gaps, screenshot coverage, and unresolved blockers without requiring your Apple credentials.