Native Firebase without GoogleService-Info.plist — crashes at launch
Check PB-49 · App Store Review Guideline 2.1 · Probable rejection · verified 2026-09-16
Why App Review rejects under Guideline 2.1
2.1 is the single most common rejection because it is a catch-all: crashes, dead links, placeholder content, a demo account that does not work, a feature the description promises but the build does not have. The reviewer runs the app on a real device for a few minutes and reports whatever breaks. The frustrating part is that most 2.1 rejections are mechanical and visible in the build before you upload: a framework that was not embedded (crash on launch), a support URL that returns 404, a leftover localhost address from development. Fix what they named, then look for what they did not name — on the next round they only re-check the diff.
How to fix it
FirebaseApp.configure() aborts with "Could not locate configuration file GoogleService-Info.plist" when the file is not in the app bundle; the reviewer sees a crash on first launch (2.1). Download GoogleService-Info.plist from the Firebase console for this bundle id and add it to the target (Xcode: check 'Copy Bundle Resources'; Expo: expo.ios.googleServicesFile in app.json). If you only use the Firebase JS SDK, the native FIRApp reference means a native module is linked — remove it or configure it.
How RejectProof detects it
The scan reads your .ipa in the browser (or locally with npx rejectproof): Info.plist, entitlements, the privacy manifest, embedded frameworks and the executable itself. Check PB-49 reports the exact evidence it found — the key, the symbol, the file or the URL — so you can confirm it in your own project before changing anything. Nothing is uploaded; only a small redacted summary is sent to build the report, and you see it first.
Related Guideline 2.1 checks
- PB-30 Development server references left in the build
- PB-33 Dead links inside the app
- PB-34 Embedded framework missing — crash on launch
- PB-35 Missing arm64 slice / unsupported architecture
- PB-36 Minimum iOS in Info.plist does not match the binary
- PB-42 WKWebView links open in a new window but nothing handles the popup