Apple's Reportedly Pulling Old Apps From the App Store
Apple is reportedly pulling apps that haven't been updated in a while from the App Store.
The Verge reports that developers started discussing these efforts on Twitter on April 22. Some have posted screenshots of the message warning them about the pending removal of their apps, which Apple is calling an App Store Improvement Notice, as seen in the example below.
Apple didn't immediately respond to request for comment.
The company says in the App Store Improvements page on its website that it's "implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated." But it's not clear when the page was posted.
The effectiveness of this policy largely depends on how Apple decides what apps should be removed. If the company is removing functioning apps that simply haven't been updated, that's a problem. But if the apps don't work—and haven't for a while—it's easier to justify their removal.
Apple says it's giving developers 30 days to update their apps if they want to remain on the App Store. That's easier said than done for some developers, however, especially if substantial changes are required to make the software function on current versions of iOS.
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