Guideline 5.1.4 - Privacy: Using 'For Kids' Without Being in Kids Category

Apple is rejecting your app because it uses 'for kids' or similar child-directed language in its metadata (name, subtitle, description, keywords, screenshots) without being published in the Kids category on the App Store. Under guideline 5.1.4, apps that market themselves to children must be placed in the Kids category, which triggers additional privacy requirements under COPPA and Apple's own children's privacy policies. This rejection is a metadata issue, not necessarily a code issue. Apple considers any of these triggers: 'for kids,' 'for children,' 'kid-friendly,' 'child-safe,' 'ages 3-8,' or similar language in your app name, subtitle, description, promotional text, or keywords. If you use this language, Apple requires your app to be in the Kids category. The catch is that being in the Kids category comes with strict requirements: no third-party analytics, no third-party advertising (except certified COPPA-compliant networks), no links out of the app, no account creation for children, and parental gates for any external links or purchases. If your app can't meet those requirements, the fix is to remove the child-directed language from your metadata, not to move to the Kids category.