Apple has informed developers that apps and games that have been running for two full years without an update may be at risk of being removed from the App Store.
The change comes as part of Apple’s App Store enhancement scheme, which aims to make the online shop easier to use and ensure that customers “find good apps to suit their needs” that are compatible with newer iOS devices.
In an email to Protopop Games, Apple reportedly said: “This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days. No action is required for the app to remain available to users who has already downloaded the app.
“You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days. If no update is submitted within 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.”
I feel sick. Apple has just sent me an email that they are removing my free game Motivoto because it is more than 2 years old.
It’s part of their app enhancement system.
This is not fat. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
This is an unfair barrier for indie developers. pic.twitter.com/7XNcLfiEcR
– Protopop Games (@protopop) April 23, 2022
“This is not cool,” the developer tweeted in response to the email. “Console games from 2000 are still available for sale. This is an unfair barrier for indie developers.
“I sit here on a Friday night and work on myself [the] bones after my daily work, trying my best to scratch the life of my indie games, trying to keep up with Apple, Google, Unity, Xcode, MacOS changes happening so fast, my head spinning while doing worse on older devices, “the developer added.
Apple confirms that the changes affect all applications, not just games, and should Apple staff encounter issues with in-store apps, they will contact the developers.
“To make it easier for customers to find great apps that suit their needs, we want to ensure that apps available on the App Store are functional and up-to-date. We are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer work as intended do not follow current review guidelines or are outdated, “Apple said.
As Apple explained in its email to developers, you should have no trouble using it, even if your favorite app or game has been removed from the store, including microtransactions.
ICYMI, a new EU law could be passed that would force Apple to allow users to install third-party apps on their devices, a process known as side-loading. The law, known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), has not yet been passed by the European Parliament, but if it is passed, it can be enforced as early as October.
That would mean Apple would be forced to allow users to access both third-party stores and third-party apps – something the company strongly opposes as it could compromise security.