Apple warns developers it will pull apps without recent updates from the App Store

AppleInsider

Developers are complaining on social media that Apple is preparing to remove apps from the App Store that haven't been updated for a long time, unless developers issue an update quickly.

In a number of posts to Twitter on Saturday, developers have revealed they have received emails from Apple about an "App Store Improvement Notice." The email warns developers that the app "has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days."

Apple's message says the app can be kept available for new users in the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days, reports The Verge. "If no update is submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from sale."

Apps that are removed from the App Store won't affect apps already downloaded to user devices, with features such as in-app purchases set to continue working. The requirement to update only applies to the App Store listing itself.

The apps in question haven't been updated in years, prompting Apple's warnings of delisting. Robert Kabwe posted that the free game Motivoto faces removal because it's more than two years old.

I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they're removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.

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

-- Protopop Games (@protopop)

April 23, 2022

Kawbe also complained that the notice is "not cool," and that "games from 2000 are still available for sale," before declaring "This is an unfair barrier to indie devs."

Others have raised the issue that games "can exist as completed objects," ones which aren't suitable for updates or a live serviced model. " According to developer Emilia Lazer-Walker, the apps are "finished artworks from years ago," and that it isn't "viable for me to spend multiple days updating each of a few free small games I built in 2014."

The problem isn't limited to just games. Kosta Eleftheriou said Apple removed a version of his FlickType Keyboard aimed at visually impaired users because it hadn't been updated in two years. Eleftheriou then points out "Meanwhile, games like Pocket God have not been updated by the developers for 7 years now."

The process is part of a policy established in 2016, one that implemented an ongoing process of evaluating legacy apps for issues. On a support page, Apple says the program is to "make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs," by checking that "apps available in the App Store are functional and up-to-date."

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crowley

Seems bonkers to arbitrarily delete them unless there are complaints about compatibility.

cbazz

I don’t know if it’s the right word, but could you run the source code through their new tools and “recompile it” to create an updated version?

bobolicious

...a pc coder friend told me he will update a single pixel to trigger update notices, and then gets ad revenue streaming in as a result...
Is another business model to change and complicate things in order to sell training...?
I just wrote development of my main app about a couple of interface design 'upgrades' that actually made the application less efficient and thus less effective.
Any debate on how churn meaningfully benefits users will rage on...

edited April 2022

22july2013

As the article says, it's not that the developer has to update the app, but that "the requirement to update only applies to the App Store listing itself." In other words, old apps haven't updated their App Privacy information on the app store in years. It's not that the app is bad, it's that the app developer has not told potential purchasers what data the app is obtaining from the user. It makes me wonder if developers of apps like Motivato are obtaining user data and sending the data to FaceBook for a bounty fee. Indie devs who complain about privacy label requirements are probably Facebook shills. It's like driving public roads without a driver's license, and then complaining that Apple has infringed on their "rights" because they are "sovereign developers."

The move doesn't impact me because I would never download any app that doesn't have an App Privacy section in its App Store description. Apple's motivation here is simply to plug one of the holes in its walled garden. They should have done this over a year ago. Shame on Apple.

itinj24

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .  iOS 15 has been a nightmare for HomeKit and especially Siri on the HomePod. That’s just one example. 

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

loopless

I pulled my app from the App Store because to submit an update even if you do not change a line of code became very onerous. For example, to comply with GDPR you need to have a link to a privacy notice. Rather than do that myself, I paid one of the services out there that will do it for you , but that cost $. I also had to pay some pixel pushers to generate new high res artwork.  I understand Apples motivation to get rid of old 'junky' apps but this seems a little harsh. Also , as everyone knows, Xcode seems to change a lot for what seems arbitrary reasons and to fire up a new Xcode to build old apps ( again not changing a line of code) can be quite a battle sometimes.

hmlongco

Sorry that it's onerous for a developer to keep an app up to date, but I have to agree with Apple on this one.

Apple updates iOS with new features all of the time and old apps that haven't received an update since iOS 6 or so reflect poorly on the store, hide more modern apps in the clutter, and perhaps more to the point probably don't reflect modern security practices and privacy notifications and behaviors.

slow n easy

itinj24 said:

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .  iOS 15 has been a nightmare for HomeKit and especially Siri on the HomePod. That’s just one example. 

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

That last line is exactly what I say over and over again. I might be one of only a handful of people in the world that still uses Mojave but I like iTunes and would prefer to not give it up until I have to. I like my operating system the way it is and don’t need any changes.

genovelle

slow n easy said:

itinj24 said:

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .  iOS 15 has been a nightmare for HomeKit and especially Siri on the HomePod. That’s just one example. 

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

That last line is exactly what I say over and over again. I might be one of only a handful of people in the world that still uses Mojave but I like iTunes and would prefer to not give it up until I have to. I like my operating system the way it is and don’t need any changes.

There are a lot of hackers that love this stance. Apple makes changes that benefits their customers first. I’m certain they address quite a few issues behind the scenes as to not alert hackers to flaws that they can exploit when stubborn users refuse to update. Old apps can serve as an back door for hackers under the right circumstances. 

Instead of developers complaining because they don’t understand the reason for a change, they should know that Apple doesn’t believe in wasting their resources for no reason. If they invested time and resources into a change, there is a reason and likely a reason that it would not be productive to broadcast. 

mikethemartian

Dealing with Apple must be like dealing with a HOA.

jeffharris

slow n easy said:

itinj24 said:

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

That last line is exactly what I say over and over again. I might be one of only a handful of people in the world that still uses Mojave but I like iTunes and would prefer to not give it up until I have to. I like my operating system the way it is and don’t need any changes.

I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to Monterey from Mojave.
There were a few old 32-bit applications that I was running, like Adobe CS6, but got tired of weird compatibility issues. I also got education pricing on Adobe rental fees.

Agreed that iTunes is MUCH better than the Music app. I had to completely rebuild my music library after the update because of what Monterey AND iOS 15 did. Missing albums. scrambled artwork, randomly reassigned genres. Most of my 1050 complete albums were affected! A nightmare. Hours of work to make it right.

Reading the Apple Support Forums, MANY people, DJs, teachers, professors, trainers, lost all their Playlists. ALL of them.
Apple had no answers on how to restore them. Luckily I didn't have playlists.

Monterey is buggy as hell, too. My wife complains about it. That's DEFINITELY not a good thing.

Apple has gotten REALLY sloppy, I must say. My first Mac was a 512K, so I've seen it ALL!

mplsp

genovelle said:

slow n easy said:

itinj24 said:

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .  iOS 15 has been a nightmare for HomeKit and especially Siri on the HomePod. That’s just one example. 

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

That last line is exactly what I say over and over again. I might be one of only a handful of people in the world that still uses Mojave but I like iTunes and would prefer to not give it up until I have to. I like my operating system the way it is and don’t need any changes.

There are a lot of hackers that love this stance. Apple makes changes that benefits their customers first. I’m certain they address quite a few issues behind the scenes as to not alert hackers to flaws that they can exploit when stubborn users refuse to update. Old apps can serve as an back door for hackers under the right circumstances. 

Instead of developers complaining because they don’t understand the reason for a change, they should know that Apple doesn’t believe in wasting their resources for no reason. If they invested time and resources into a change, there is a reason and likely a reason that it would not be productive to broadcast. 

But we’re not talking about avoiding security updates, we’re just talking about change for the sake of change. I have to agree here - if an app is working and people are happy then let it be. I’m sick of dealing with ‘updates’ that give me a ‘fresh new look’ but really just break the program that worked fine before they messed with it.

slow n easy

genovelle said:

slow n easy said:

itinj24 said:

Ridiculous... I have an app that’s pretty much one of a kind and works really well. Hasn’t been updated in a while but why should it if it works?  

Funny thing is, Apple always breaks a lot of things with their software updates .  iOS 15 has been a nightmare for HomeKit and especially Siri on the HomePod. That’s just one example. 

 No need to update for the sake of updating.  

That last line is exactly what I say over and over again. I might be one of only a handful of people in the world that still uses Mojave but I like iTunes and would prefer to not give it up until I have to. I like my operating system the way it is and don’t need any changes.

There are a lot of hackers that love this stance. Apple makes changes that benefits their customers first. I’m certain they address quite a few issues behind the scenes as to not alert hackers to flaws that they can exploit when stubborn users refuse to update. Old apps can serve as an back door for hackers under the right circumstances. 

Instead of developers complaining because they don’t understand the reason for a change, they should know that Apple doesn’t believe in wasting their resources for no reason. If they invested time and resources into a change, there is a reason and likely a reason that it would not be productive to broadcast. 

I’m not necessarily saying you are wrong, but I still receive security updates. Apple is still supporting Mojave, so I don’t think my decision is reckless.

inspiredcode

I don't think Apple is charting the right path, but something needs to be done about all the broken games on iOS and macOS.

For games, I think there should be a subset of Apple APIs that are guaranteed not to change (including a stable architecture using Rosetta or LLVM bitcode). People like their games to be able to run forever. If a game can never break API compatibility, we wouldn't have the problem of so many games that stop working. This would also help promote games to a form of media. Media should never stop working just because it is older.

There is a *BIG* reason why game publishers think the 30% cut they pay to Xbox and PlayStation is fair, but they feel the 30% cut to Apple isn't. Those platforms guarantee a game will run for the life of the platform without changes. If the game publisher doesn't have to retain developers to support the game throughout its lifespan they are getting their money's worth. They would make more money over the long term and they wouldn't have to face angry gamers when the game stops working. If Apple can provide the same guarantees, I think they can argue that they are pricing fairly.

edited April 2022

chasm

slow n easy said:

I’m not necessarily saying you are wrong, but I still receive security updates. Apple is still supporting Mojave, so I don’t think my decision is reckless.

You're correct, and your decision to stay on Mojave is fine.

For now.

If I've counted correctly, you will stop receiving security updates later this year, which macOS 13 comes out. THEN you'll need to make a decision about either taking that machine offline, or updating.

I have a 2012 MBP that is still on Mojave to maintain compatibility with a few old audio plugins and games. None of this requires internet connectivity to accomplish, so it is already offline from the net for security reasons. Naturally, I also have newer machines that run the latest software.

The day is certainly coming when I will need to move on (all the games, for example, are still available -- but on iOS!), and those discontinued audio plugins will fail, finally forcing me to find modern equivalents from other companies, but today is not that day.

PS. The Music app had a rough start, but it's fine now. Separating out podcasts and audio books turns out to have been a very smart idea, the manual syncing of iOS devices that was once in iTunes works exactly the same (and I mean EXACTLY) in Finder, and the only real loss was the listing of internet radio stations -- but there are myriad radio apps for that. So NBD in the end, just a lining up with the (smarter) way iOS handled it.

chasm

22july2013 said:

As the article says, it's not that the developer has to update the app, but that "the requirement to update only applies to the App Store listing itself." In other words, old apps haven't updated their App Privacy information on the app store in years.

Thank you. Now I wish we could get all the misinformed commenters here to actually read the article carefully and understand why they are barking up the wrong tree.

chasm

InspiredCode said:

For games, I think there should be a subset of Apple APIs that are guaranteed not to change (including a stable architecture using Rosetta or LLVM bitcode). 

There is a *BIG* reason why game publishers think the 30% cut they pay to Xbox and PlayStation is fair, but they feel the 30% cut to Apple isn't. Those platforms guarantee a game will run for the life of the platform without changes.

I think you're forgetting that game consoles never, ever update their OS on the level of computers. They fix bugs (sometimes, and not very quickly) and that's basically it.

Just imagine if Apple (or Microsoft) were to take that approach -- and remember that if a dev's code is "guaranteed" to run on the platform for life that means there is ZERO incentive for them to ever fix bugs -- and I think you'll see how foolish your proposal is.

Also, most game developers don't pay 30 percent to Apple (or Google for that matter); unless they are very big players, they are paying 15 percent.

kbuffett

What’s the best way to report substandard apps or apps that you suspect don’t handle your information legally?

swat671

How hard is it to recompile an app? Especially one so old it’s about to get removed any way? If it’s that out of date and you as the developer are not willing to update it, then I’m not willing to use it. 

crowley

swat671 said:

How hard is it to recompile an app? Especially one so old it’s about to get removed any way? If it’s that out of date and you as the developer are not willing to update it, then I’m not willing to use it. 

https://twitter.com/aaefiikmnnnr/status/931222777301835782

Kind of hard, sometimes.