2.16: Multitasking apps may only use background services for their intended purposes: VoIP etc

Question

I created an iBeacon app to detect beacons using phonegap/cordova. How the app works is that once it detects a nearby beacon and the app is closed or running in the background i use local notification which includes an audio (common apple notication sound). I don't know why apple rejects it with the below comment:

2.16: Multitasking apps may only use background services for their intended purposes: VoIP, audio playback, location, task completion, local notifications, etc. Next Steps The audio key is intended for use by applications that provide audible content to the user while in the background, such as music player or streaming audio applications. Please revise your app to provide audible content to the user while the app is in the background or remove the "audio" setting from the UIBackgroundModes key. Your app does not provide continuous streaming audio. For details on delivering an audible alert for a local notification, please refer to the About Local and Remote Notifications Programming Guide. We hope you will consider making the necessary changes to be in compliance with the App Store Review Guidelines and will resubmit your revised binary.

Answer 1

Even our App received a rejection last week for the same reason.

We didn't even need to submit a new binary. All we did was explained to the reviewer why we were using each of the background modes which we had listed in our plist. We did this by uploading a video in which we explained the purpose of each background mode. And then provided a link of this video in the resolution centre in iTunes connect. The reviewer had a look at it and later approved our app.

So you have to do a similar thing. If you need the background mode(audio in your case). Just explain it's intended purpose to the reviewer in the resolution centre. Else, just upload a new binary with the audio background mode removed from the plist.

Answer 2

Apple's comment is quite clear. Your app is incorrectly specifying that it needs the audio background mode. But it doesn't. That mode is only to be used to play audio (such as music) while the app is in the background. It is not to be used just to get audio from a local notification.

Remove the audio background mode setting from your app and Apple will be happy.