Two weeks ago, the tech giant informed developers that any app that hadn’t been updated for “a good while” would be removed from the App Store. However, Apple has given developers 30 days to rectify the situation by submitting an update.

Unhappy with Apple’s new policy, developers complained on social media, saying the changes were unfair to independent developers. Apple listened to their complaints and decided to extend the update deadline to 90 days.

Details on Apple’s new policy

Apple has implemented a new policy against outdated and discontinued apps for three years. The new policy also goes after developers whose apps “have not been downloaded at all or very rarely in a rolling 12-month period”. Obviously, there is a download limit to be reached but the company did not specify.

Apple also said that deleting old apps makes it easier to find new ones. This policy also allows users to enjoy games and tools for the latest operating systems and devices. The rules are getting stricter as the company wants to give users a better experience on the App Store.

Developers take this new policy as a boycott

We have to admit that the old applications no longer work as well on the latest generation of phones, tablets and laptops. They provide a poor user experience. As such, Apple requires all apps on the App Store to work on all modern screen sizes, including the SDK, API, and other features offered in the iOS and macOS ecosystems.

However, it is very difficult for indie developers to keep up with platform changes, leaving the amount of work required to deploy even a minor update. And 30 days is not enough for them to make updates. Luckily he had a grace period. Note that if the application was downloaded by a user, it will not be removed from the user’s device.

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