Apple's App Store submission cycles

Apple's App Store review process-which is more strict than Google Play's-can cause major delays between the time an app iteration is ready for release and the time it actually goes live. This lag creates headaches that makes timing difficult and extends the time it takes to learn from your customers.

With web apps, developers have the luxury of being able to push an experiment over coffee at breakfast and then roll that back by the time they get into work. A range of tools that power continuous integration and continuous deployment enable significant agility in the web arena.

However, mobile app developers have often waited for weeks, and, at times, months in order to see their apps listed in the App Store. Apple's draconian review processes have left developers feeling like they would be better off talking to a wall.

During the early days of the App Store, companies fell over each other trying to build relationships with Apple to ensure that their submissions went through smoothly. I remember app submissions that took months, requiring several email exchanges between our team and the category leader at Apple:

Fortunately, times have changed, and today Apple is committed to prompt reviews.

However, when in doubt, check out www.appreviewtimes.com to see the average app store review times for the iOS and Mac App Stores. At the time of writing this book, the review times were in days, but that changes quickly around holidays and important Apple announcements.

App Store submission cycles must be taken into account by Lean developers, who focus on shortening the time it takes to complete a cycle of the Build-Measure-Learn loop. Progress can quickly grind to a halt when you are left waiting with uncertainty about when you can actually start testing with your users. The unpredictable nature of the App Store makes it hard to run an agile cycle with rhythm and velocity, and rapidly run through a closed loop with your customers.