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I have a build that is stuck in prepare for submission, it keeps telling me the following:

Your app contains NSUserTrackingUsageDescription, indicating that you will request permission to track users. To publish this information on your app's product page, you must indicate which data types are tracking users. If this is incorrect, update your app binary and upload a new build to App Store Connect.

No matter what I say or do I can never get beyond this. I have uploaded binary after binary and even answering the questions nothing solves the problem.

Suggestions? I can't seem to find a way to delete this "prepare for submission" without deleting the app that is currently on the app store.

shim
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Douglas W. Palme
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  • try this https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65454668/how-should-i-fill-out-the-apple-app-privacy-in-app-store-connect/65454902#65454902 – vishwajit76 Mar 26 '21 at 13:13

5 Answers5

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Step 1:

Under the "Usage Data" Section. Select "Advertising Data".

Step 2:

Then enable the common options.

  • Third-Party Advertising
  • Analytics
  • No, advertising data collected from this app is not linked to the user’s identity
  • Yes, we use advertising data for tracking purposes

That's All. Be transparent, If you are really tracking the users then select the related options.

Waheed Akhtar
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It's counter-intuitive, but you are publishing App Privacy for a version of the app that is already on the App Store, not for the update you are preparing to submit.

So if the app version that's already published has NSUserTrackingUsageDescription, you need to select "Yes, used for tracking purposes" for now.

After you upload a new binary with NSUserTrackingUsageDescription removed, and it passes review ("Ready for Sale") you can change App Privacy and select "No, not used for tracking purposes"

Lveecode
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  • But how you can pass review with NSUserTrackingUsageDescription removed, if your policy says that you do track users? – Shalugin Jun 04 '21 at 14:31
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    @Shalugin the policy is for the version that is already published on the App Store, so you will successfully pass review even if it new build isn't in line with what is in the policy at the moment. I assumed initially that the policy changes are submitted with the build, but since it's not the case, that's the order we do it in. – Lveecode Jun 05 '21 at 16:14
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    Exactly the answer I was looking for. Thank you. – Lucas Chae Feb 11 '23 at 17:09
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Apple has made it complicated as ever, thanks again Apple.

As mentioned above we could not change the Privacy data types in the Appstore connect because the current live version does use that permission.

We did upload a new binary with NSUserTrackingUsageDescription removed, and just got rejected. they ask us to add that permission or modify the privacy section, which we can not do. We replied explaining the situation, I'll modify this comment according to their reply.

Update: At first Apple review team insisted we should either change the privacy settings (can't) or submit a new app version. I found this help page: https://help.apple.com/app-store-connect/#/dev1b4647c5b Which under "Adding and removing data types" Mentions this part: "If your app is currently available on the App Store, make sure your responses reflect the data collected only from that app version."

Screenshot

I quoted it to Apple review team, and now finally update was approved!

Lior Gross
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My app wasn't live and in the App Privacy section I ran into the same error as the op. My app uses Core Location. To address this issue go to App Store Connect > App Privacy:

1- under Data Types > Location > I selected Precise Location > Next > Save

2-under the gray Location/Precise Location Section (pictured below) press the blue Edit Button and tick these 3 selections:

• Used for App Functionality

• Linked to the user's identity

• Used for tracking purposes this is the last option, you must tick Yes, we use precise location data for tracking purposes. This will make the error go away

Now the Location section it looks likes this and the error went away

enter image description here

Lance Samaria
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    But what if you're NOT using location for tracking? This is not an acceptable answer to me. The App Privacy page seems to require you to have at least one "tracking" item selected. – Behnam Kamrani Apr 18 '23 at 07:03
  • @BehnamKamrani What are you talking about? You are tracking the user because location services is being used. Once location services is activated your app is tracking the user by knowing their location . That's why the last option "Used for tracking purposes" is selected. You don't have to save the location of the user at all, but irregardless you're tracking the user. What's your definition of tracking? – Lance Samaria Apr 18 '23 at 20:50
  • Tracking does not mean "location tracking" here. It's defined by Apple as "...whether an app can track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for the purposes of advertising or sharing with data brokers." ref: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212025 @Lveecode has the right answer to the question. – Behnam Kamrani Apr 18 '23 at 23:40
  • @BehnamKamrani So why is that when I selected "No" for "Used for tracking purposes" it kept saying that there was something wrong? Only after I selected yes did it let me continue on. – Lance Samaria Apr 19 '23 at 02:17
  • That's because your existing binary has NSUserTrackingUsageDescription. You need a new binary with NSUserTrackingUsageDescription removed--as described in @Lveecode answer. – Behnam Kamrani Apr 19 '23 at 20:34
5

We solved this issue.

We choose one option in App Privacy and select

Yes, we use product interaction data for tracking purposes

Question was:

Do you or your third-party partners use product interaction data for tracking purposes?

Btw, we added nsusertrackingdescription property and ask user for permissions since iOS 14.

Although we tried to upload build without this flag, but no success.

pavelcauselov
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