The Apple App Store has loads of apps, but not all of them are consistently getting updates. It looks like the iPhone maker may be looking to delist those that did not get updated in awhile. And the time frame looks to be two years.
One such app, a free-to-play game called MotiVoto, may be getting booted because of this. Its developer, Protopop Games, has shared the notice from Apple stating that if the game does not submit an update for review in 30 days, it will be removed. MotiVoto was last updated in 2019, making it over three years since the last update. As The Verge reports, this is not the only app facing the issue.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they're removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.
It's part of their App improvement system.
This is not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
This is an unfair barrier to indie devs. pic.twitter.com/7XNcLfiEcR
— Protopop Games (@protopop) April 23, 2022
The notice claims that this is part of its App Store Improvement initiative, which is supposed to make it easier for users to navigate. This is done, in part, by removing apps that are no longer supported by the current versions of iOS.
Meanwhile, some of Apple's own apps haven't been updated for much longer than that.
Rules for thee, but not for me! https://t.co/3azyIydty7 pic.twitter.com/XxLtdP1Ep1
— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) April 23, 2022
That being said, there are cases where apps go for up to seven years with no updates without being booted. There is certainly a case for uneven enforcement of policies, though it’s not clear what other criteria must be met for an app to remain on the App Store without getting recent updates.
(Source: Protopop Games, Kosta Eleftheriou, Apple via The Verge)
