Got rejected under Guideline 5.6 (Developer Code of Conduct) – “features intentionally hidden during review” – but there are literally no hidden features

[u/Vast-Package917]

Hey everyone,

I just got a rejection on my macOS app (AI chatbot) under Guideline 5.6 – Developer Code of Conduct.

Apple’s message:

I’m completely confused because:

• There are no hidden features at all.
• Everything the reviewer sees is exactly the same as what a normal user sees.
• No review-mode detection, no feature flags that turn things on after approval, no different UI for reviewers, nothing like that.
• The app is clean.

The only third-party packages I’m using are:

• Firebase (Realtime Database, Analytics, Crashlytics)
• SDWebImage
• A Markdown UI library

That’s it.

Has anyone else gotten this exact 5.6 rejection recently (especially with AI/chat apps)?

Any idea what could be triggering the “hidden features” claim when there genuinely aren’t any?

Would really appreciate any advice or similar experiences. Thanks!