App Store Rejection: Minimum Functionality and Website Design

The Rejection Reason (Guideline 4.2 - Minimum Functionality)

This is the nightmare of PWAs and hastily converted websites. Apple states: "Your app should include features, content, and UI that elevate it beyond a repackaged website."

If your Capacitor app merely displays a simple web view without interacting with the device, it will be rejected. This often happens when directly exporting projects generated by cloud agents like Replit Agent or web portals built with Softr AI without native mobile optimization.

Warning signs for Apple

1. Classic web navigation: Underlined links, no swipe gestures (swipe to go back), no native navigation bar.
2. Zero hardware: The app uses neither the camera, GPS, nor Push notifications.
3. No Offline mode: If the user loses their connection and the app displays the classic browser error (Dinosaur or "Cannot connect to server").

The Solution for Capacitor

1. Integrate native features: Add Push Notifications (Firebase or APNs), use Haptic Feedback (@capacitor/haptics) for buttons, or the native sharing system (@capacitor/share).
2. Handle Offline mode: Use local storage (SQLite, IndexedDB) or Capacitor Preferences to cache data and display an elegant "Offline mode" screen rather than a white error screen.
3. iOS-like Design: Ensure your buttons, alerts (Dialogs), and typography respect Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. For example, use native Action Sheets instead of web modals.