Apple has started actively removing outdated apps from the App Store

The American corporation Apple is changing its policy regarding applications that have not been updated for a long time. In a screenshot titled "App improvement notification" sent to developers, the company warns that it will remove apps from the App Store that have not been "updated for a significant amount of time." At the same time, the authors of such applications are given only 30 days to update them, reports The Verge.

"You can make this app available to new users so that they can discover and download it from the App Store by submitting updates for review within 30 days. If the update is not sent out within 30 days, the app will be withdrawn from sale," Apple wrote in an email.

At the same time, although the corporation will remove outdated apps from the App Store, all previously downloaded apps will remain on users ' devices.

A number of app manufacturers have expressed concern about the changes.

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

In particular, Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe wrote on Twitter that Apple is threatening to remove its fully functional Motivoto game, since it has not been updated since March 2019.

Meanwhile, Costa Eleftheriu, developer of the Apple Watch FlickType keyboard, said that Apple has removed a version of its app designed specifically for the visually impaired because it hasn't been updated in two years. At the same time, the once super-popular Pocket God app, according to him, still remains in the App Store, although it received its last update in 2015.

In turn, developer Emilia lazier-Walker also said that Apple is removing "several" of its old games from the App Store. A number of other developers have a similar unfortunate experience, noting that they simply did not have time to update their applications.

.@apple is removing a few of my old games b/c they have «not been updated in a significant amount of time»Games can exist as completed objects! These free projects aren’t suitable for updates or a live service model, they’re finished artworks from years ago. pic.twitter.com/iflH70j7q4

— emilia ✨ (@lazerwalker) April 23, 2022

"We are implementing an ongoing app evaluation process, removing apps that no longer function properly, do not comply with current review guidelines, or are outdated," the company explained on the Apple App Store Improvements page.

However, there is no timestamp on the page, so it is not immediately clear when the corporation published or Last updated this publication.

As the publication recalls, Back in 2016, Apple announced that it would start removing abandoned apps from the App Store. At the same time, the company also warned developers that they will have 30 days to update their app before it is removed.

However, it's unclear if Apple has consistently followed this rule over the years, or if it has recently started conducting a broader review.

Apple also doesn't explicitly state what it considers "deprecated" — whether based on the time that has elapsed since the last app update, or whether it relates to compatibility with the latest version of iOS.

Meanwhile, critics of the policy argue that mobile apps should remain available regardless of their age, just as older video games remain available on consoles. Others believe that this policy is too strict for developers, and argue that Apple does not have much respect for working on indie games.