The App Stores review and approval time takes between 15-30 business days. In some cases it can take longer, depending on season and how backed up the App Stores are with approving new apps.
There are 3 parts in the complete turnaround time:
Part 1 - Responsibility of the Publisher: Submission of App Specs Forms/Metadata, graphics upload, video content upload, creation of your developer accounts (depends on you the Publisher)
Part 2 - Responsibility of Lightcast: App Setup, Packaging & Submission to the App Stores (under normal circumstances this typically takes 15-30 business days if there are no customization requests)
Part 3 - Responsibility of the App Stores: Review & Approval (typically 15-30 business days if there are no delays on part of the app stores such as but not limited to holiday breaks etc.)
How you can help keep the turnaround time short and avoid delays:
1. The faster you upload graphics, fill out App Specs Forms, and upload videos, the faster Lightcast can start with Development.
2. The simpler you keep apps, the faster the review and approval of the App Stores will be. The more customizations, the more complexity you want to add prior to the initial submission to the App Stores, the longer the App Store approval will take.
3. Don’t add any delays into the development and submission process. If you ask for screen proofs or TestFlight apps prior to App-Store submission, you will have to add those days or weeks to the overall turnaround time.
4. Work on all requested items immediately if possible, especially critical items needed to complete your App Submissions - such as, and in particular - items around your Apple account if you wish to have an iOS or AppleTV App published.
5. Keep in mind the number of business days in a week when trying to calculate the turnaround time in weeks.
Assuming it takes you one week to complete the initial preparation items in Part 1, and the app setup is framework based, without customizations and without review / proof delays, then your new apps can be submitted to the App Sores within 3-4 weeks. Assuming the App Store review and approval is within the expected average range, then the expected total turnaround time could be 4-6 weeks in total, encompassing all 3 Parts: your part, Lightcast part, App-Store part.
Last but not least: there is a rush-order option at a fee for requirements where Lightcast's Development Time for Framework Base-Apps can potentially be shortened even further to 5-10 business days. It does not reduce the time Part 1 and Part 3 uses, meaning, the time it takes you as the Publisher to complete your initial items, prior to start of Development, and the time it takes the App Stores to review and approve the Apps. It might be a good opportunity to reduce the total turnaround time by valuable days prior to a critical event deadline, such as for a big Live-PPV event for example.
