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iCloud Supports Re-Downloading Some Discontinued Apps

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,788


As noted by MacStories earlier this week, Apple's new re-downloading feature in iCloud allows users to obtain previously-purchased applications that are no longer available in the App Store. Engadget was even able to download Tris, an old Tetris clone that was removed from the App Store nearly three years ago.

While handy for grabbing apps that have become unavailable, the feature does appear to be limited to applications removed from sale by the developers and not applications removed by Apple for infringement, violations of App Store policies that had escaped the notice of reviewers, or other reasons.

But even those apps that were voluntarily removed (such as Tris) for legal reasons may soon not be available for re-download. A number of iOS developers have reported another change in the iTunes Connect app management platform to record these legally-requested removals. Upon logging into iTunes Connect following Monday's keynote, developers were met with a screen asking whether any of their applications "may have a legal issue".

icloud_legal_2.jpg

Developers responding "yes" to the question are then presented with a list of their applications and their version histories and asked to identify which applications have legal issues associated with them. Apple appears to be using this information to identify applications that should not be made available for re-download through the listings of previously-purchased items.
Select each app that may have a legal issue. You will be presented with a list of versions to choose from for each app that you select. Any app versions you choose will become unavailable to be restored and/or downloaded as a previous purchase by App Store customers.
Click to expand...
Going forward, similar questions are presented in the submission process for each application update, as outlined in the revised iTunes Connect Developer Guide (PDF), beginning on page 74.

Article Link: iCloud Supports Re-Downloading Some Discontinued Apps
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/09/icloud-supports-re-downloading-some-discontinued-apps/
Last edited:
DerfBWH

DerfBWH

macrumors 6502
Aug 11, 2008
342
411
Just commenting to say that I have, and still play, Tris. I <3 it.
 
A

AFPoster

macrumors 68000
Jul 14, 2008
1,547
141
Charlotte, NC
I mentioned this in the DUI app section stating that the iCloud would do this, they (Apple) can also remove it from your iPhone and iPad OTA if they really don't want it out there anymore in iOS 5.
 
pubwvj

pubwvj

macrumors 68000
Oct 1, 2004
1,901
208
Mountains of Vermont
This is twisted evil!

This is very wrong. I don't at all like the idea of them being able to reach in and take away what I have purchased. This is very, very wrong.
 
E

Errk!

macrumors 6502
Mar 6, 2006
321
6
Interesting. When the iCloud features first became available and I looked in iTunes on my iPad, I noticed that I was able to download a song that was no longer available in the iTunes store that I purchased there (Bam Thwok by Pixies).
 
squirrelist

squirrelist

macrumors regular
Jun 27, 2006
144
150
San Francisco, CA
AFPoster said:
I mentioned this in the DUI app section stating that the iCloud would do this, they (Apple) can also remove it from your iPhone and iPad OTA if they really don't want it out there anymore in iOS 5.
Click to expand...

Didn't they have a "kill switch" from be beginning of the app store? I don't think this has ever been activated. They said they have it there for removing malicious software.
 
A

addicted44

macrumors 6502a
Jun 6, 2005
533
168
pubwvj said:
This is very wrong. I don't at all like the idea of them being able to reach in and take away what I have purchased. This is very, very wrong.
Click to expand...

You do know that every mobile OS (including Google, which has used it FAR MORE than Apple has) has this kill switch, right?
 
Aduntu

Aduntu

macrumors 6502a
Mar 29, 2010
599
1
pubwvj said:
This is very wrong. I don't at all like the idea of them being able to reach in and take away what I have purchased. This is very, very wrong.
Click to expand...

They aren't. If you purchase it and back it up to your computer, you can continue to use it whether it's still in the app store or not. Apple has yet to take an app from those who have purchased it.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
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Since I hope to finish and sell my own game someday, this is nice peace of mind: I don’t know if I’ll pay the $99/year forever, if sales eventually taper to zero and I don’t keep developing new games. If, someday, there are no more sales, and development must cease, it will be nice to know that my past users will still have access to re-download the final version.

addicted44 said:
You do know that every mobile OS (including Google, which has used it FAR MORE than Apple has) has this kill switch, right?
Click to expand...

The kill switch is off-topic of course, but has Apple EVER used it? I hadn’t heard of any instances. I know Google has. (But then, they’re app market lacks important protections, so they are kind of stuck dealing with situations that way. I prefer Apple’s method, to stop the malware BEFORE I pay my money for it!)
 
E

ericinboston

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2008
2,005
476
This is why closed-system architectures like Apple's App Store are so hated.

This is also why folks like me will never adopt Apple's stuff for things like movie, music, and software...because Apple can just reach in and disable/delete my stuff like Big Brother. If I own something (purchased or free) in physical form (book, dvd, painting), nobody can come into my home and take it away stating I had it for awhile and now it's time it disappears.
 
N

nozebleed

macrumors 6502
Jul 30, 2008
328
46
would VLC happen to be one of these apps with "legal issues"? I cant install it, even from itunes. "not authorized"
 
N

nozebleed

macrumors 6502
Jul 30, 2008
328
46
pubwvj said:
This is very wrong. I don't at all like the idea of them being able to reach in and take away what I have purchased. This is very, very wrong.
Click to expand...

Now if you only felt this way about the government and your rights and freedoms
 
L

LegendKillerUK

macrumors 6502
Apr 9, 2010
398
0
If a developer has given up on updating a certain app what does it matter if Apple remove it? Chances are it won't work on newer versions of iOS anyway.
 
Small White Car

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
ericinboston said:
This is why closed-system architectures like Apple's App Store are so hated.

This is also why folks like me will never adopt Apple's stuff for things like movie, music, and software...because Apple can just reach in and disable/delete my stuff like Big Brother. If I own something (purchased or free) in physical form (book, dvd, painting), nobody can come into my home and take it away stating I had it for awhile and now it's time it disappears.
Click to expand...

As far as memory serves me, Apple has never done this and Google has done it once. (That we know of.)

So, where, exactly, will you be running to? A windows phone? Yeah, I'm sure Microsoft doesn't have a plan like this is place.

EDIT: And 'music' doesn't belong on your list, by the way. Apple can't do anything about that once you have it.
 
jclardy

jclardy

macrumors 601
Oct 6, 2008
4,158
4,365
pubwvj said:
This is very wrong. I don't at all like the idea of them being able to reach in and take away what I have purchased. This is very, very wrong.
Click to expand...

...this is bringing back old apps that have already been pulled, like Tris which was pulled because it is a Tetris clone.

That comment would have made sense 2 years ago when they actually pulled the app off of the store. And most likely the developer themselves pulled it because they didn't want to get sued.
 
rorschach

rorschach

macrumors 68020
Jul 27, 2003
2,272
1,856
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I think people are confused. Apple is not removing any apps on your phone or your iTunes library (aka the Kill Switch).

This is simply about whether an app you bought that has been removed from the app store can still be still be Re-downloaded from the cloud. You can always sync it from your iTunes library if you have the IPA file.
 
H

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
Errk! said:
Interesting. When the iCloud features first became available and I looked in iTunes on my iPad, I noticed that I was able to download a song that was no longer available in the iTunes store that I purchased there (Bam Thwok by Pixies).
Click to expand...

For me, I can still download the complete Bob Dylan collection and Complete Depeche Mode but not the Complete U2.

Complete Led Zeppelin is still available for me as well even though I got a refund for it from Apple.
 
A

adwebinc

macrumors member
Dec 3, 2009
47
0
Now give me a way to delete the apps that I don't want to see ever again in the cloud... especialy the ones my 11 year old downloads! :D
 
bbeagle

bbeagle

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2010
3,541
2,981
Buffalo, NY
nagromme said:
Since I hope to finish and sell my own game someday, this is nice peace of mind: I don’t know if I’ll pay the $99/year forever, if sales eventually taper to zero and I don’t keep developing new games. If, someday, there are no more sales, and development must cease, it will be nice to know that my past users will still have access to re-download the final version.
Click to expand...

That has always been the case.

When you leave the developer's program, you are no longer able to:
(a) login to see your stats
(b) update your app (bug fixes)

But the app is still available on the app store, and you will still get money when people buy it. This has always been the case.

However, where Apple gets you is that when a new version of iOS comes out, your app will no longer work with that new iOS version unless you update your app. (Older devices on the old iOS can still buy, download and use your app)
 
Starflyer

Starflyer

macrumors 6502a
Jan 22, 2003
696
1,076
ericinboston said:
This is why closed-system architectures like Apple's App Store are so hated.

This is also why folks like me will never adopt Apple's stuff for things like movie, music, and software...because Apple can just reach in and disable/delete my stuff like Big Brother. If I own something (purchased or free) in physical form (book, dvd, painting), nobody can come into my home and take it away stating I had it for awhile and now it's time it disappears.
Click to expand...

Yes, Because Apple has a habit of doing this.
 
T

The Phazer

macrumors 68030
Oct 31, 2007
2,997
930
London, UK
While handy for grabbing apps that have become unavailable, the feature does appear to be limited to applications removed from sale by the developers and not applications removed by Apple for infringement, violations of App Store policies that had escaped the notice of reviewers, or other reasons.
Click to expand...

I'm able to get an app I know was pulled by Apple for IP infringement...

Phazer
 
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