Apple deletes iPhone apps if they are not updated enough

[Lakados]

If this were done on Android it would drive me up the wall. I have apps on my Android that are far older than 3 years, and still work perfectly fine. I use Revanced for YouTube and I have to disable auto udpates because Google will remove Revanced in favor of the YouTube app. Though next time I reflash my phones rom I will probably avoid Google's software all together just because I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. Nobody has any business removing my apps.

Google does it too just slower, instead of a time since last update they have a minimum compiled by version. So once they cross that threshold it gets removed it just takes longer to get there.

I’m trying to find the article I was reading a few days ago on a similar topic to this. Google pulls some 300k apps from the store every year because they’ve been abandoned, mostly programs aimed at children’s education or entertainment.

Apple used to simply leave most be until the developer account expires or it’s not compatible many are theorizing that Apple pulled the cutoff date it did was because that’s around the time they introduced many of their privacy protections that blocks usage tracking and enforced the privacy settings. Word is the EU is looking to slap Apple with another set of fines for apps tracking users but they are a little busy with the whole Russia thing so they are getting ahead of it to prevent it from happening or at least greatly reduce it.

 

[1_rick]

I have apps on my Android that are far older than 3 years

I just reinstalled a dumb mountain climbing game that got pulled off the store in like 2016. Still works in Android 12.

 

[DukenukemX]

Google does it too just slower, instead of a time since last update they have a minimum compiled by version. So once they cross that threshold it gets removed it just takes longer to get there.

The good news is that I actually own my phone and I can remove Google, and I do plan on it. It's called F-droid. I did install the Google apps on my phone because I'm too lazy, but they do drain battery and they do interfere with my phones operation. You can't do that on iPhone.

I’m trying to find the article I was reading a few days ago on a similar topic to this. Google pulls some 300k apps from the store every year because they’ve been abandoned, mostly programs aimed at children’s education or entertainment.

The internet is full of APK files that you can download and install the app. I do this often, especially with Netflix as older versions of Netflix work on certain Android devices. Particularly the unapproved devices.

Apple used to simply leave most be until the developer account expires or it’s not compatible many are theorizing that Apple pulled the cutoff date it did was because that’s around the time they introduced many of their privacy protections that blocks usage tracking and enforced the privacy settings. Word is the EU is looking to slap Apple with another set of fines for apps tracking users but they are a little busy with the whole Russia thing so they are getting ahead of it to prevent it from happening or at least greatly reduce it.

Maybe, or Apple just wants to remove older apps that do it for free. This could be Apple encouraging developers to charge a fee. The only reason people use older apps is either because it works or it's free. I don't even bother looking for stuff on the Google Play store because I'll most likely find an app that's full of ads or wants a fee.

I just reinstalled a dumb mountain climbing game that got pulled off the store in like 2016. Still works in Android 12.

I have old emulators from several years ago that works just fine on Android 12. Emulators that I can't find on the Google Play Store. I don't think I've ever had an issue using an older app on new Android OS's.

 

[Lakados]

The good news is that I actually own my phone and I can remove Google, and I do plan on it. It's called F-droid. I did install the Google apps on my phone because I'm too lazy, but they do drain battery and they do interfere with my phones operation. You can't do that on iPhone.

Sort of can, the MDM I use for all the Apple devices lets me do much of that including publish our own apps outside the app store. But yeah Google Android official stuff has just so much tracking in everything that it sucks up battery hard reporting it all back.
By the time we have it all blocked so much of the Android stuff stops working that we just don’t bring them in any more.

 

[Aurelius]

If this were done on Android it would drive me up the wall. I have apps on my Android that are far older than 3 years, and still work perfectly fine. I use Revanced for YouTube and I have to disable auto udpates because Google will remove Revanced in favor of the YouTube app. Though next time I reflash my phones rom I will probably avoid Google's software all together just because I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. Nobody has any business removing my apps.

I don't think you quite understand the issue. Apple isn't removing the app from people's phones; it's removing the app from the App Store. Still a problem if there's an old app you really want and it doesn't carry over through your backup, but Apple has very rarely yanked apps from people's devices. Google has been more aggressive about that, than Apple, in fact. I know because my iPhone still has a few apps for defunct services that I keep around for nostalgia's sake.

 

[NickM]

Well the app in the article has been updated, they just recompiled it with the new libraries in the newer XCode version.

I sort of applaud Apple for this, lots on Twitter complaining that it’s unfair to indi devs?

If you are actively supporting the software yet can’t be bothered to update the library and recompile it once every couple of years to at the very least make sure it’s compatible with the new iOS versions then your not supporting it.

I mean even Google mandates that any apps in the Play store be recompiled every couple of years. They will just delist your stuff if it was compiled with a anything below version x.x and that version changes every couple of months.

Yeah, but Apple bad!