---
title: "Guideline 1.2 User-Generated Content Rejection: Fixes"
canonical: "https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-1-2-user-generated-content"
description: "Rejected under App Store Guideline 1.2? The four moderation tools Apple requires, the EULA and 24-hour rule in rejections, and 2026 rules for chat and AI apps."
kind: "reference-library/app-review"
published: "2026-10-10"
lastUpdated: "2026-10-10"
verifiedAgainst: "Apple's App Review Guidelines (last updated June 8, 2026), Apple Developer News (July 24, 2025; Nov 13, 2025; Feb 6, June 8 and July 9, 2026), App Store Connect age rating definitions, and rejection messages on Apple Developer Forums read through archived copies, on Oct 9, 2026"
author: "Ahmed Gagan (https://asoitis.com/about)"
---

# Guideline 1.2 User-Generated Content: filtering, reporting, blocking — and the 2026 changes for chat and AI apps

> Guideline 1.2 requires apps with user-generated content or social features to include a way to filter objectionable material, a way to report content with timely responses, the ability to block abusive users, and published contact information. Rejections usually also ask for terms users must accept and action on reports within 24 hours. Add all of them before submitting, including in chat and AI features.

Any app where users post, message or share needs four safeguards before App Review will approve it — and since 2026, a plan for keeping them working.

> According to ASOitis, Guideline 1.2 changed twice in 2026: in February Apple named “random or anonymous chat” among the user-generated content apps that don't belong on the App Store, and in June it added that developers must remove violating content and may be pulled from the store until they show improvement — moderation is now an ongoing obligation, not a launch checklist.

Guideline: [1.2 — User-Generated Content](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#user-generated-content) (1. Safety; Apple text last updated June 8, 2026)

## Key facts

- **Required safeguards:** 4 — Filter, report, block, contact info
- **Report response in rejections:** 24 hours — Remove the content, eject the user
- **Anonymous chat:** Named Feb 6, 2026 — Among apps that “do not belong”
- **Social media descriptor:** Sept 2026 — Age rating answers required

## The four safeguards Apple requires

Guideline 1.2 says apps with user-generated content or social networking services “must include”:

**Guideline 1.2's requirements and what they mean in an indie app**

| Apple's requirement | What a reviewer looks for | Simplest implementation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “A method for filtering objectionable material from being posted to the app” | Something that stops obvious abuse before it's public | A word filter or moderation API on posts, names and images |
| “A mechanism to report offensive content and timely responses to concerns” | A Report action on every post, profile and message | A Report button that sends the item to a queue you check daily |
| “The ability to block abusive users from the service” | Block on every user, working immediately | Block hides that user's content and messages for the blocker |
| “Published contact information so users can easily reach you” | A way to reach you from inside the app | A support email in Settings — see [Guideline 1.5](https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-1-5-developer-information) |

The same guideline adds that apps “used primarily for pornographic content, Chatroulette-style experiences, random or anonymous chat, objectification of real people… making physical threats, or bullying do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without notice.”

## What the rejection asks for — more than the guideline says

Rejection messages under 1.2 list concrete precautions, and two of them go beyond the guideline's own text. One developer [posted](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/116703) the full list:

> Require that users agree to terms (EULA) and these terms must make it clear that there is no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users - A method for filtering objectionable content - A mechanism for users to flag objectionable content - A mechanism for users to block abusive users - The developer must act on objectionable content reports within 24 hours by removing the content and ejecting the user who provided the offending content
>
> — [App Review rejection under 1.2, posted on Apple Developer Forums](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/116703)

So build for the rejection, not just the guideline: terms with a zero-tolerance clause that users accept before they can post, and a process to act on reports within 24 hours. Reviewers check each item — one app with pre-approval moderation and a report button was [still rejected](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/679400) because it had no in-app block.

**Report and block on every post (SwiftUI)**

```swift
PostRow(post: post)
    .contextMenu {
        Button("Report", systemImage: "flag") {
            Task { await moderation.report(post) }   // goes to your review queue
        }
        Button("Block \(post.author.displayName)", systemImage: "hand.raised") {
            Task { await moderation.block(post.author) } // hide their posts and messages now
        }
    }
```

## What changed in 2025 and 2026

**Recent Apple changes affecting apps with user content**

| Date | Change | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| July 24, 2025 | New age ratings (13+, 16+, 18+) and questions on in-app controls and capabilities; answers due by Jan 31, 2026 | Answer the questionnaire; consider chat and AI features in your rating |
| Nov 13, 2025 | 1.2.1(a): creator apps must flag content above the app's age rating and age-gate it | Age restriction based on verified or declared age |
| Feb 6, 2026 | Random or anonymous chat apps explicitly subject to 1.2 | Anonymous chat needs the full moderation set — or rethink the concept |
| June 8, 2026 | New 1.2 paragraph on developer responsibility for violating content | Keep moderating after approval |
| July 9, 2026 | Social media capability questions and a Social Media content descriptor; answers required from September 2026 | Answer for any feed that redistributes user content |

> It is your responsibility to remove content that violates this guideline, your terms of service, or your community standards. If we find such content, we will ask you to remove it, and provide a plan to improve your compliance with this guideline. Based on your response, your app may be removed from the App Store until you can demonstrate improvements that bring your app into compliance.
>
> — [App Store Review Guidelines, 1.2 (added June 8, 2026)](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#user-generated-content)

The age rating side is less scary than it sounds: in Apple's [age rating definitions](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/age-ratings-values-and-definitions), user-generated content, messaging and chat, and advertising are listed as capabilities even at 4+. What changes the rating is how often sensitive content can appear — and for social feeds, whether under-13s are kept out. Apple's definition for that option says that “at a minimum, the Declared Age Range API is called to check users' age ranges before enabling social media features.”

## AI chatbots and generated content

- **Chatbots inside your app are your responsibility.** Guideline 4.7 covers software not embedded in the binary — including “chatbots” — and 4.7.1 requires the same filtering, reporting and blocking tools as 1.2.
- **AI affects your age rating.** Apple's July 2025 note says to consider “how all app features, including AI assistants and chatbot functionality, impact the frequency of sensitive content appearing within your app.”
- **Sending user data to an AI provider needs consent.** Since November 2025, Guideline 5.1.2(i) requires you to disclose sharing personal data “with third-party AI” and get explicit permission — see our [5.1.2 page](https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-5-1-2-data-use-and-sharing).
- **Let people report AI output.** A Report action on generated replies and images covers the 1.2 requirement and gives you the data to tune your filters.

> **The Review Check ($49).** Launching a social, chat or AI app? We check filtering, report, block, terms and contact info against 1.2, 4.7 and 5.1.2 before you submit — $49, two business days. https://asoitis.com/checkout/start?plan=review

## Fixing a 1.2 rejection and replying

1. **Add terms users must accept** — A clear zero-tolerance clause for objectionable content and abusive users, accepted before anyone can post or message.
2. **Filter before content goes public** — Text filtering at minimum; image moderation if users upload photos.
3. **Report and block everywhere** — On posts, comments, profiles, messages and AI output — reachable in one or two taps.
4. **Commit to 24-hour action** — Set up a queue and alerts so reports are reviewed, content removed and users ejected within a day.
5. **Show contact information** — A support email or form inside the app and on your Support URL.
6. **Reply with where each one lives** — App Review checks every item; tell them exactly how to find each one.

**Reply in App Store Connect — Guideline 1.2**

```text
Hello App Review team,

Thank you for the feedback on Guideline 1.2.

Build [number] includes:
- Terms (EULA): users must accept them at sign-up before posting. They
  state zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive users.
- Filtering: posts and usernames are filtered before publishing.
- Report: long-press any post, comment or profile > Report.
- Block: long-press any post or open a profile > Block.
- Reports are reviewed within 24 hours; violating content is removed
  and the user is removed from the service.
- Contact: Settings > Contact Support ([email]).

Thank you,
[Name]
```

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Guideline 1.2 require?

Apps with user-generated content or social features must include a method for filtering objectionable material, a mechanism to report offensive content with timely responses, the ability to block abusive users, and published contact information.

### Do I need an EULA for user-generated content?

App Review rejections under 1.2 ask for terms users must agree to, making clear there's no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users. Add them and require acceptance before users can post.

### How fast do I need to act on reports?

The guideline says “timely responses”. Rejection messages are specific: act on objectionable content reports within 24 hours by removing the content and ejecting the user who posted it.

### Are anonymous chat apps allowed on the App Store?

Since February 6, 2026, Guideline 1.2 names random or anonymous chat among user-generated content apps that do not belong on the App Store and may be removed without notice. Any chat feature also needs full moderation tools.

### Does user-generated content raise my age rating?

Not by itself: Apple's age rating definitions list user-generated content and messaging as capabilities even at 4+. The rating depends on how often sensitive content can appear and, for social feeds, how you restrict users under 13.

## Sources

1. [App Store Review Guidelines — 1.2 User-Generated Content](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#user-generated-content) — Apple Developer
2. [Updated guidelines: random or anonymous chat (Feb 6, 2026)](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=d75yllv4) — Apple Developer News
3. [Updated App Review Guidelines (June 8, 2026)](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=a233fmpw) — Apple Developer News
4. [Social media age rating questions (July 9, 2026)](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=tlur8uvi) — Apple Developer News
5. [Updated age ratings (July 24, 2025)](https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=ks775ehf) — Apple Developer News
6. [Age ratings values and definitions](https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/reference/app-information/age-ratings-values-and-definitions) — App Store Connect Help
7. [Forum: 1.2 rejection with EULA and 24-hour rule (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/116703) — Apple Developer Forums
8. [Forum: 1.2 rejection for missing block (archived)](https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/679400) — Apple Developer Forums

## Related

- [Guideline 5.1.2: Data Use and Sharing](https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-5-1-2-data-use-and-sharing) — Consent for sending user data to third-party AI.
- [Guideline 1.5: Developer Information](https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-1-5-developer-information) — The contact information 1.2 also requires.
- [Guideline 4.0: Design](https://asoitis.com/app-review/guideline-4-0-design) — The other rejection social apps meet on the same review.
- [The Review Check — $49](https://asoitis.com/fixes) — Moderation tools checked before you submit.
- [All app review fixes](https://asoitis.com/app-review)


## Have it done for you

**The Review Check — $49 one-time.** Send us your TestFlight build. We check every place users post, message or generate content for the filter, report, block, terms and contact info App Review expects.

- Buy: https://asoitis.com/checkout/start?plan=review
- 15-minute founder call: https://cal.com/ahmedgagan/asoitis-chat

## About ASOitis

ASOitis is a founder-run App Store Optimization (ASO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) agency for indie iOS apps. iOS only; organic ASO + GEO + funnel work, implemented for you. Reference library: https://asoitis.com/app-review, https://asoitis.com/reviews, https://asoitis.com/compare, https://asoitis.com/glossary, https://asoitis.com/aso