Apps marked as compatible with iPad need a UI that's actually functional at iPad's screen size and orientation options, not a scaled-up iPhone interface with broken layouts or unusable controls.
Common with apps built iPhone-first that check the "supports iPad" box without ever testing the layout on a larger screen.
"Your app does not function as expected on iPad, per guideline 2.4.1. Elements of the interface appear cut off or unusable at this screen size."
Guideline 2.4.1 expects an app that runs on iPad to work properly there. Declaring iPad compatibility is not the same as stretching an iPhone layout. If the interface breaks, controls overlap or content is unusable on a larger screen or in different orientations, reviewers may reject the app. It is common in apps built for iPhone first.
Apple sells iPads as full productivity devices, and many customers use them for work, drawing and study. An app that technically launches on iPad but behaves like a stretched phone app gives a poor impression of the whole platform. The guideline is a quality rule more than a technical one: if a developer chooses to appear in the iPad store listings, users reasonably expect an experience designed for the larger screen, in either orientation.
No. Supporting it is optional, but if you do, it needs to work.
Modern iPad apps are expected to handle resizing reasonably.
Mac compatibility has its own considerations.
Platform rules change often. This page is a plain-language explanation written by AppReviewFix, not official guidance. Check the current App Store Review Guidelines for the exact wording.