Can I submit a new app version in iTunes Connect without cancelling the former that is "Pending developer release"?

Question

I have an App in iTunes Connect that has the status Pending developer release , i.e. it has been approved by Apple's review team and now I can release it manually whenever I want. (Note, this is the initial launch, i.e. there is currently no vesion of that app available in the App Store).

My question now is if it is possible to already submit a new version in iTunes Connect without cancelling the already approved version, by cancelling I precisely mean lose the opportunity to release it to the App Store.

Answer 1

No, you can only have one version of the app in the release process.

The only you can do is change the build of that version (Changing builds) while the version is not yet submitted for review. But, if the review has happened, you will need to reject the current binary, requiring the review to happen again.

---

Note that:

Answer 2

There are two things I interpreted from the documentation that are possible once your app has already gone through the review process in a situation such as yours.

1. Release the app, remove it from sale to users, "replace" it without needing to review again
2. Remove build from review and start the process over from the beginning

Apple's documentation isn't entirely clear on this, easy to misinterpret, confusing and/or possible Apple is confused themselves. In the section "Changing an App's Status" it mentions that if you have an issue with a "version" of your app that is released you can remove it from sale and then "replace" it without having to go through the review process again. I'm guessing Apple means "update" instead of "version" here, although it's probably wrong to assume anything in this particular circumstance. According to another stackoverflow member I recently had a discussion with this about, regardless if it's an "update" or new "version" you would need to go through the review process again from the beginning to actually "replace" it, which does seem more logical. I trust they are correct, and Apple's choice of words in this particular circumstance is incredibly poor.

Here are the two processes summarized:

Remove the app from sale to users

_{To remove your app from sale on the store:}

1. Open the App Details page for the app, as described in Creating an iTunes Connect Record for an App.
2. Click Pricing and Availability.
3. Select Remove from Sale from the Availability section.

Whether for marketing reasons or because you find an issue with a version of an app that’s on the store, you can remove an app from the store. You can replace the app on the store without requiring the app to be reviewed again.

Removing a Build from Review

You can remove the build you’ve submitted if its status is any of the following:

• Waiting For Export Compliance
• Waiting For Review
• In Review
• Pending Developer Release
• Pending Apple Release

_{To remove your build from review:}

1. Open the App Details page for the app, as described in Creating an iTunes Connect Record for an App.
2. Select the platform version you want to remove. Above the app’s metadata, this message appears: “You can only edit all information while your version is waiting for review. To submit a new build, you must remove this version from review.” Click “remove this version from review.”

Removing a build removes your app version from Apple’s review queue and changes its status to Developer Rejected. When you resubmit your app, the review process starts over from the beginning. Only users with the Admin, Technical, or App Manager role can remove a build from review.

↳ https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/LanguagesUtilities/Conceptual/iTunesConnect_Guide/Chapters/ChangingAppStatus.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011225-CH30-SW17