Guideline 2.5.6 - Software Requirements: Non-WebKit Browser Engine Without Entitlement

Apple is rejecting your app because it uses a browser engine other than WebKit for rendering web content, and it does not have the required entitlement. Historically, Apple required all web content rendering on iOS to use WebKit. With iOS 17.4 in the EU (under the Digital Markets Act), Apple introduced a process for alternative browser engines, but it requires a specific entitlement and is limited to EU distribution. Outside the EU, all web browsing and web content display must still use WKWebView or SFSafariViewController, both of which are built on WebKit. This means you cannot ship your own Chromium-based or Gecko-based rendering engine in an App Store app distributed globally. This rejection commonly hits: (1) apps that embed Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) or similar engines, (2) cross-platform frameworks that accidentally include a non-WebKit renderer, (3) apps attempting to ship an alternative browser globally without the EU-specific entitlement, and (4) apps using deprecated UIWebView (which Apple now rejects separately, but it surfaces as a 2.5.6 concern in some cases).