Apple to remove outdated apps from its App Store

Apple has decided to remove applications that have not been updated in a ‘significant amount of time’ from its App Store, The Verge reported.  

Tech giant Apple is set to launch a crackdown on applications that have not been updated in the near past.

Apple sent an e-mail to developers titled ‘App Improvement Notice’, giving developers 30 days to update their apps.

Apple wrote in the email, “You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review in 30 days. If no update is submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.”

However, previously downloaded applications will remain on users’ devices.

The news has not been well received by many developers, developer of Protopop Games Robert Kabwe said that Apple is threatening to remove his fully-functional game, Motivoto, because it hasn’t been updated since March 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.

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

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The developer of the FlickType Apple Watch Keyboard Kosta Eleftheriou says Apple took down a version of his app made specifically for the visually impaired because it hasn’t been updated in two years.

.@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