I've spent a lot of time in Apple and Google's review queues, and the pattern is always the same. Most rejections aren't about your app being "bad" — they're about missing a small, specific requirement reviewers check for every single time.

Here are the five that trip up the most developers:

1. Incomplete metadata — screenshots that don't match the actual current build, or a description that promises a feature that isn't in the submitted binary. Reviewers test against what you claim.

1. Missing privacy disclosures — if you collect any data (even analytics), your privacy nutrition label / Data Safety form has to match what the app actually does. Mismatches are an automatic bounce.

1. Broken sign-in / demo access — if your app requires login, you MUST provide working demo credentials in the review notes. No credentials = no review = rejection.

1. Placeholder or "coming soon" content — any dead links, lorem ipsum, or unfinished screens will get flagged as an incomplete app, even if the core feature works.

1. Guideline 4.2 ("minimum functionality") — apps that are too thin (a single webview, a repackaged website with no native value) get rejected outright. Reviewers are looking for a real, standalone experience.

None of these require a lawyer or a redesign — they just require going through the guidelines line by line before you hit submit. That's the whole game: reviewers aren't judging taste, they're checking a list. Beat the list and you beat the review.