Apple purges zombie apps from store
Apple is to conduct a spring clean of its App Store this month by removing ‘problematic’ apps which haven’t been updated for compatibility with the latest iterations of its operating software.
The clear out will see developers of all outmoded apps emailed to warn them of the cull together with a detailed overview of current guidelines, with a 30 day ultimatum handed down for the necessary changes to be made before they are wiped.
For more serious problems such as where apps fail to launch they will be removed immediately however.
This email read: “… there are apps on the App Store that no longer function as intended or follow current review guidelines and others which have not been supported with compatibility updates for a long time. We are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps for these issues, notifying their developers, and removing problematic and abandoned apps from the App Store.”
Apple will also crack down on ‘extremely long’ app names by imposing a 50 character limit going forward.
The clear-out will commence from 7 September.