On September 1, 2016 Apple sent out an email to developers with some upcoming App Store policy changes. One of these was labeled Quality Apps and seemed to be aimed both at apps that would no longer pass the review process and apps that have been long abandoned.

Quality Apps

Quality is extremely important to us. We know that many of you work hard to build innovative apps and update your apps on the App Store with new content and features. However, there are also 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.“`

This week I received one of those notices. It wasn’t for any of my active apps — instead, it was for a client app in the B2B App Store that hasn’t been updated in some time. I have no idea if that client still uses the app or not, but I’d agree it’s fair to consider the app abandoned and remove it. Here’s hoping it cleans up the App Store a bit.

The notice:

Dear Developer,

On September 1, 2016, we announced that we’re implementing an ongoing process of evaluating and removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.

We noticed that your app has not been updated in a significant amount of time.

Next Steps
To keep your app on the App Store, submit an updated version for review and make sure it follows the latest App Review Guidelines. If you are unable to submit an update within 30 days, your app will be removed from the App Store until you submit an update and it is approved.

If Your App is Removed
Your app will remain fully functional for current users. They will experience no interruption to services, will still be able to buy in-app purchases, and can re-download the app while restoring from an iCloud or iTunes backup. However, we recommend that you update your app as soon as possible to reinstate it on the App Store and ensure that it remains functional and engaging for new and existing customers.

You can continue to use your current app name, as your app has not been deleted from your account.

Additional Information
Learn more about changes to the App Store and keeping your apps up-to-date.
App Store Improvements
App Review Resources
Debugging Your Apps

Best regards,
App Store Review