Apple begins a general cleanup in the application code in the App Store

Apple cleans up App Store app code by removing deprecated code.

Apple has reportedly begun to enforce its legacy app policy more rigorously. In 2016, the Cupertino-based company said it would remove apps that no longer work, don’t meet the latest guidelines, or are outdated. In recent years, this measure has not been talked about much, but now it is coming to the fore again. In several tweets discovered by The Verge, independent developers share an email they received from Apple asking them to update their apps.

Apple cleans up App Store app code

“This app has not been updated for a while and will be taken off the market in 30 days,” the Cupertino-based company explains in the email in question. “You can keep this app available to new users on the App Store by updating it within 30 days.”

Apple says developers can earn microtransaction revenue even if the app is removed from the store. In addition, applications continue to work for those who have downloaded them to their device. Some users who have shared screenshots of this warning on Twitter are concerned that small developers will be disproportionately affected by this new initiative.

aging code preemption

“This is an unfair barrier for independent developers,” says Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe. “I end up there on a Friday night, working like hell after a day at work, trying to make some money with my independent games, trying to keep up with the changes in Apple, Google, Unity, Xcode, macOS that are happening so fast. my head is about to explode”.

On the help page for the App Store Improvement Initiative, the Apple brand explains that the measure is “to make it easier for users to find fantastic apps that meet their needs.”The American giant also indicates that it wants to make sure that the software found on the platform is “functionally and completely up to date.”

There is no easy answer to this situation. From an iOS user’s point of view, buying a new Apple device and installing apps that aren’t optimized for that device’s hardware isn’t good. In most cases, this does not encourage us to look elsewhere, but we would be happy to be able to take advantage of all the benefits that the device has to offer.