Apple is reportedly cracking down on apps that are already updated and are no longer getting updates.
In an email sent to developers affected by the new rule, the tech giant gives heads up about removing apps from the App Store that have not been updated in a significant amount of time and gives developers 30 days to update them.
Apple App Store to Remove Outdated App
According to The Verge, Apple stated that developers could keep the app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review in 30 days.
If no updates are submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from the App Store. However, if a user has to download the outdated app on their device, it will not be affected by the removal.
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Developers React to New Rule
Several app makers, like Protopop Games developer Robert Kabew, have expressed their concerns about the sudden change.
Kabwe wrote on Twitter that Apple is threatening to remove his fully-functional game, "Motivoto" because it has not been updated since 2019.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they're removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.
— Protopop Games (@protopop) April 23, 2022
It's part of their App improvement system.
This is not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
This is an unfair barrier to indie devs. pic.twitter.com/7XNcLfiEcR
Meanwhile, Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer of the FlickType Apple Watch keyboard, says the tech giant took down a version of his app made for the visually impaired because it has not been updated since 2020.
Eleftheriou pointed out that the once very popular "Pocket God" app still remains on the App Store even though its last update was in 2015.
Emilia Lazer-Walker, another game developer, also shared her concerns about Apple's new policy. She said that the tech giant is removing a couple of her older games.
Several other developers share the same experience, noting that they just have not had the right time to update their apps.
On Apple's App Store page, the tech giant said that they are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer function as intended, do not follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.
There is no time stamp on the page, so it is unclear when the tech giant published or last updated the post.
In 2016, Apple said that it would start removing abandoned apps from the App Store. At the time, it also warned developers that they would have 30 days to update their app before it got taken down, according to 9to5Mac.
That said, it is not clear whether Apple has continuously been enforcing the rule over the years or if it recently started conducting a wider sweep. The tech giant did not outline what it considers an "outdated" app.
Critics of this new policy argue that mobile apps should remain available no matter their age, much like old video games remain playable on consoles.
Others say that the policy is unnecessarily tough on developers and claim that the tech giant does not fully respect the work that goes into indie games.
In early April, Google Play Store announced that it would start limiting the visibility of apps that do not target an API level within two years of the last major Android release version.
In 2021, Apple App Store postponed accepting other payment options due to the latest court order request.
In 2022, Apple App Store will take down video game clones on iOS.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
