iOS user friendly, mobile menu

Question

I am creating a hybrid app (JQuery mobile / Phonegap). It needs to be published on the Apple app store. I would like it to be user friendly. It should also meet Apple's guidelines.

About the app.
The app will be in Arabic (back button located on right hand side, menu on left, text on right).

It's a Learn new language app. The app is divided into different chapters. Each chapter has its own exercises, listening exercises, grammar section ect.

My main concern is Example 1:
I am using a hamburger menu. Within the hamburger menu, is an accordion menu.
Is this allowed for iOS? I haven't seen any other iOS apps, doing the same. I also looked at the guidelines, and couldn't find anything.

I am worried that my app, might not meet the App store requirements. The last thing i want, is for my app to be denied.

Example 1

I have also created another solution, example 2. It has a main menu. When you click on a chapter, you are taken to a new screen with an accordion menu.

Example 2

Main goal, is to make it user friendly and to get it approved, on the Apple app store.

Let me know which example you prefer and why.
If you have any other suggestions or useful examples, I can take a look at, please let me know.

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Short answer : This kind of navigation is NOT forbidden by Apple.

In your case, the menu seems to allow user to browse only through sections of a specific content, but your App could have more parts than the exercices.

A lot of mobile Apps use Tabbar, especially on iOS. The use of TabBar is recommended for really different sections of an interface, eg : "Home | Chapters | Favorites | Account". This component provide the ability to quickly switch between tabs preserving the state of each of them.

About side menus I would recommend the use of side menu for complex arborescence with relative items, for example a side menu is really useful when you have to display a lot of shopping categories in an e-commerce App.

About your two proposals, in my opinion the first one is the best. Providing a constant access to the whole structure of your App seems more user friendly. You could also provide some "Next" and "Previous" buttons allowing user to navigate without the menu between chapters and sections.

If you really want to be iOS UX Guidelines compliant I strongly suggest you to have a look to the iOS Design Principles : https://developer.apple.com/ios/human-interface-guidelines/overview/design-principles/