Apple may crack down on apps that no longer receive updates.exist screenshot of email Apple sent affected developers a notice called “App Improvement Notice” warning that it would remove apps from the App Store “that haven’t been updated in a long time” and gave developers 30 days time to update them.
“You can enable new users to discover and download this app from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days,” Apple wrote in an email. “If an update is not submitted within 30 days, the app will be taken down.” While Apple will remove obsolete apps from the App Store, any previously downloaded apps will remain on users’ devices.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they are removing my free game Motivoto because it is over 2 years old.
This is part of their app improvement system.
It’s not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available.
This is an unfair hurdle for indie developers. pic.twitter.com/7XNcLfiEcR
— Protopop Games (@protopop) April 23, 2022
Many app makers, such as Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe, have expressed their concerns about the change.Kabwe say on twitter Apple threatened to remove his full-featured game Motivoto because it hadn’t been updated since March 2019.
Meanwhile, Kosta Eleftheriou, developer of the FlickType Apple Watch keyboard, apple says Removed his version of the app made specifically for the visually impaired because it hadn’t been updated for two years.As Eleftheriou pointed out in his tweet, the once-super-popular pocket god Even after receiving the last update in 2015, the app remains on the App Store. Developer Emilia Lazer-Walker also reported Apple is removing “some” of her old games from the App Store. Some other developer Share the same experience and point out that they just don’t have time to update their app.
.@apple Deleting some of my old games b/c they “haven’t been updated in a long time”
Games can exist as completed objects! These free items don’t fit into an update or live service model, they’re works of art done years ago. pic.twitter.com/iflH70j7q4
— Emilia ✨ (@lazerwalker) April 23, 2022
On Apple’s App Store Improvements page, the company said: “We are implementing a process of continuously evaluating apps and removing apps that no longer perform as expected, do not follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.” There is no timestamp on the page , so it’s not immediately clear when Apple published or last updated the post.Apple did not immediately respond edgerequest for comment.
In 2016, Apple said it would start removing obsolete apps from the App Store. At the time, it also warned developers that they would have 30 days to update their apps before taking them off the shelves. That said, it’s unclear whether Apple has been enforcing this rule for years, or whether it has recently embarked on a broader sweep. Apple also doesn’t clearly outline what it considers “obsolete” — either based on the time since the app was last updated, or compatibility with the latest version of iOS.
critic The policy’s authors argue that mobile apps should remain available regardless of age, just as old video games can still be played on consoles. others say The policy is too harsh on developers, and claim Apple doesn’t fully respect the work of indie games.
Earlier this month, the Google Play Store similarly announced that it would begin restricting the visibility of apps “not targeting API levels within two years of the latest major Android release.” Android developers have until November 1, 2022 to update their apps, but they also have the option to apply for a six-month extension if they can’t meet the deadline. With both major app stores cracking down on older apps, that could make it difficult for some developers, especially indie studios, to keep up.
