Apple to Clean Up App Store, Eliminate Outdated and Non-Functional Apps

[developer13245]

Complete B.S.
Developers can install old versions of Xcode and still update the apps.

Sorry, you're the one who is full of it. The 3GS max iOS version is 4.2.1, and the last version of Xcode to support that min deploy target is Xcode 4.4.1. Apple now requires 64 bit binaries for all updates, which first appeared in Xcode 5.0. So there is no way to submit app updates to support the 3GS.

 

[bennyf]

Complete B.S.
Developers can install old versions of Xcode and still update the apps.


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From the announcement:

If my app is removed, will current users be able to access my app?
Yes. Your app will remain fully functional for current users. They will experience no interruption to services and will still be able to buy in-app purchases. However, we recommend that you update your app as soon as possible to reinstate it on the App Store and ensure that it remains functional and engaging for new and existing customers.​

That's all I wanted to hear. Sounds like apple is taking a very balanced approach. My old 3GS will still have access to these "pulled" apps.

You are missing something.

As a developer, I can only have _one_ version of my app in the app store. If I use any feature whatsoever of iOS 7, 8, 9 or 10 in a new version, then my app cannot run on an iPhone 3GS. And if I put that new version on the store, the old version is _gone_. iPhone 3GS owners can't use the new version because 3GS supports only iOS 6, and they can't download the old version because it's _gone_. Especially bad if you need to restore your phone from a backup, because apps are not stored in the backup, they are re-downloaded from the app store, and the old app version is gone.

So as a developer, I cannot for example fix bugs in an old version. Only the latest version can be in the store.

I'm not a developer but can observe that my older devices will often ask whether I want to download an older version of an app because the latest one isn't compatible with my device/iOS version. So, maybe Apple keeps the old version of your app available even if you as a dev can't get to it.

 

[thatanonymoususer]

From what I have seen and witnessed and tried there is no way to load your apps onto iTunes in the current iTunes software. Even though I can download all the DDR games their servers won't allow you to play cause well there are none, which is bull.

How are you doing this?

Because of app-thinning as of iOS 9, (separating out different resolution resources, etc so that you don't download iPad resources to your iPhone) you can't backup apps from the device to iTunes anymore. To get around this, I have iTunes->Preferences->Store->Automatic Downloads->Apps checked. iTunes will then download the universal version of the app with all resources when you download an app on any of your devices and keep it in your library. It can get pretty big, but it's worth it when your favorite app leaves the App Store.

You can search for and download an app directly by going to the App Store tab in iTunes if there's an app still in the App Store that you want a backup of. Automatic downloads won't download already-downloaded apps.

If you keep the apps downloaded this way, you'll want to keep them updated by going to the content drop-down thing->Apps->updates and update all apps.

Unfortunately, if you didn't already download the DDR app by now to iTunes, you won't be able to download the app without getting some sort of cracked version, and you won't be able to transfer it to a new device. I downloaded it back in 2013 to my iTunes, and it's been there as an .ips ever since. In-app purchases won't work after it's been removed from the App store, so any multi-part episodic games like The Walking Dead will eventually become useless if removed from the store.

 

[developer13245]

Here's a good story:

http://carlosmejiagreene.tumblr.com/post/150198222535/flickr-and-me

Don't be fooled...
These are exactly the types of apps the tech oligarchs want killed. Apps like these take a few people out of the available tech labor pool that people like zF***erb0rg tap to work 14 hour days.. until they're burned out, which at that point they just layoff to the old useless folks dead pool...

 

[agsystems]

Of course we can. You can remove an app from sale at any point from iTunes connect.

but they won't because their thinking is that at least the $99 registration fee would be paid by keeping the app in the store.

 

[dysamoria]

Have they actually started removing stuff yet? I still see apps listed that haven't been updated in 3 years...