My App has been rejected because of UIBackgroundModes

Question

We found that your app uses a background mode but does not include functionality that requires that mode to run persistently. This behavior is not in comp

Answer 1

I had the exact same problem and rejection reason.

What I did was file an appeal, citing Technical Q&A 1668, "Playing media while in the background using AV Foundation" (Usually here, but not at the moment), where it explicitly says that the UIBackgroundModes audio key may be used to play video in the background, either over AirPlay, or on a local device by detaching the AVPlayerLayer from the AVPlayer.

About a week later, my appeal was approved and the app was submitted to the store. Not that I ever received an explicit answer from Apple about this. But, the approval was the important part, I guess.

// edit: I filed a radar with Apple asking for an explicit video backgrounding mode a few weeks back. Its on OpenRadar now, if you want to dupe it.

Answer 2

I had the same problem and where I was using the UIBackgroundModes key to play videos in background via Airplay. while Technical Q&A 1668, it is clearly mentioned like this

Important: The UIBackgroundModes audio key will also allow apps to stream media content in the background using AirPlay (see also Special Considerations for Video Media).

Answer 3

You will not have to resubmit the app, they will respond to you.

https://developer.apple.com/appstore/contact/appreviewboard/index.html

This link will get you to the form for the appeal process, though I assume you have already done this based on info in your post. If you feel like you need an expedited review there is a link for that as well. You just have to make your case, try to be very careful to address every point they make about why your app doesn't meet the guidelines.