iOS App Review stuck 'Waiting for Review' for 18+ days

Hi Apple Dev Community,

We are experiencing a significant delay in the App Review process for our iOS app submission, and we are hoping to get some insights or advice from fellow developers or Apple staff.

Details:

• App Type and Version: iOS App, version 0.0.2 (build 7) – this is an initial submission for a new app.
• Submission Date/Time: February 28, 2026, at 1:28 AM (PST).
• Submission ID: 27c3cd24-74a0-4c5e-9de2-310fbab6e959.
• Development Tools: Built with Xcode 17.3, targeting iOS 17.0 and later.
• Issue Explanation: The app has been stuck in "Waiting for Review" status for over 18 days now (as of March 1, 2026, 10:18 AM PST). From what I've seen in other threads here and on Reddit, there's a widespread backlog in February 2026, with some submissions waiting 10–20+ days. Our app follows all guidelines (e.g., valid privacy policy, no private APIs, clean metadata), and we've double-checked for common pitfalls. It's streamline project without AI or complex features that might trigger extra scrutiny.

Has anyone else submitted around late February and seen similar waits? Any tips on expediting without qualifying for an official request (no immediate deadline here)? Or is this just the new normal? We've actually did the withdrawing and resubmitting with a minor build bump, but we are still getting no results.

Thanks for any help—appreciate the community!

Brian Gallagher (X @bgallagherSD)