This is the "deny list" — building an interface that mimics the App Store itself, incentivizing users to click or view ads for rewards in ways that manipulate ad impressions, or forcing extra app downloads as a condition of using the current app are all explicitly prohibited practices.
A common trigger is a rewards-for-engagement app whose "watch this ad for coins" loop is structured in a way Apple reads as artificially inflating ad impressions.
"Your app manipulates or artificially inflates ad impressions or install counts, which is an unacceptable business model per guideline 3.2.2."
Guideline 3.2.2 lists business practices that are not allowed. They include building an interface that mimics the App Store, rewarding users for clicking or viewing ads in ways that inflate impressions, and requiring users to install other apps as a condition of using the current one. It is the prohibited-list counterpart to the acceptable models in 3.2.1.
Each prohibited practice tries to gain commercial advantage by distorting the system. Fake store interfaces confuse users and bypass Apple's controls. Incentivised ad engagement damages advertisers and trust in the ad ecosystem. Forced extra downloads turn one app into an acquisition channel for another. Naming them clearly helps developers recognise the line, which tends to appear in rewards and growth-oriented apps.
Rewards tied to app functionality can be fine. Rewards for clicking or viewing ads in ways that inflate impressions are restricted.
An interface that presents and distributes other apps as if it were a store.
Within limits, as long as it is not forced.
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.