Weird because the app i used for posting this story usually points me to a dupe when there is one, i'm not sure if it's part of the HN API and why this mechanism has not worked as intended.

ah. thank you. that might explain it.

I'll try the app next time, maybe that bypasses some check.

Or better, next time I submit, I'll use website regularly, and if it flags as dupe, I can switch to app and see if it bypasses the check.

There's a somewhat recent post by dang saying that (if I remember correctly) moderators sometimes manually look over rejected posts and give them a second chance if they feel it's worth a shot.