An update to Tapbots' handy iPhone and iPod touch conversion app, Convertbot, has been rejected because the icon they had been using for "Time" too closely resembles Apple's own built-in "Recent" icon.
It's understandable that Apple doesn't want to confuse their users with icons that resemble each other but serve different purposes, although I doubt many users would be confused in this specific instance. The bigger issues here are the blatant inconsistencies and lack of communication.
The only way for Tapbots to find out what is an acceptable replacement icon is to resubmit the app. Apple doesn't provide any guidelines for what would be an acceptable replacement, so precious time must be wasted in order to find out, and the app could still possibly be rejected if they didn't guess correctly. The other issue is that this same "Time" icon was included in the very first release of the app, which obviously means that all of those previous App Store reviewers somehow missed it.
This definitely doesn't take the cake as the worst rejection in App Store history, but it does prove once again how much work needs to be done to fix the approval process.
This did leave me wondering, however. What would be an acceptable replacement icon? Could the developer just change the hands on the clock? Or would it have to be an entirely different icon, something like a stopwatch or an hourglass?
