Apple provided more clarity on its intent to remove outdated apps from the App Store. The updating deadline was extended.
Last month, an internal e-mail leaked Apple’s intent to remove App Store apps that haven’t been updated ‘for a long time’. Shortly after, Apple published the announcement on its website. Developers were given 30 days to update their apps. An update submitted after this period could lead to the restoration of removed App Store apps.
Apple’s announcement caused great unrest among developers. Many argued that these apps still worked fine on modern systems. Many developers noted apps should be seen as finished works, some of which may never need updates. Other developers indicated that Apple was acting inconsistently by giving some apps preferential treatment.
Apple changes stance
The tech giant responded in a new announcement. Apple states that the removals are part of a process that’s been running since 2016. To date, the process removed 2.6 million legacy apps. Apple clarified that apps need to go three years without updates to be removed. In addition, apps that have been frequently downloaded in the past year are exempt from removal.
Updating deadline extended
Finally, the time period in which developers can update was changed from 30 to 90 days. If developers have difficulty updating their apps within the given period, Apple is open to extensions. The tech giant can be contacted to arrange a different deadline.
16 hours ago
