Your favourite iPhone app may just have been deleted by Apple from App Store

If you are an iPhone user, then know that Apple has removed a massive number of apps from the App Store. Know the reason behind it.

Apple has shared the reason behind the removal of apps from the App Store. (Amritanshu / HT Tech)

App Store is the place for all iPhone and other Apple products users to download their favourite apps. But recently, several app developers have complained that Apple has told them that their apps are being removed from the App Store. To make it official, Apple's Developer team has published a blog while clarifying the criteria behind removing these apps from the App Store. And the reason is simple, the apps are outdated. However, there was nothing really wrong with these apps and if some of them were your favourites, remember they will no longer be available for download.

Apple clarified that "as part of the App Store improvements process, developers of apps that have not been updated within the last three years and fail to meet a minimal download threshold — meaning the app has not been downloaded at all or extremely few times during a rolling 12 month period." Hence, many developers of the apps have received an email notifying them that their app has been identified for possible removal from the App Store.

Does this mean outdated apps will not be available for you?

Thankfully, if any of the selected outdated apps is your favourite app and you do use it on your iPhone, then it will remain on your device. However, Apple will remove these outdated apps from the App Store, which means you won't be able to download them in future. Several app makers, such as Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe, have expressed their concerns about this change.

Not just that, but Apple also has provided another chance for developers. It says, “Apple always wants to help developers get and keep quality software on the App Store. That's why developers can appeal app removals. And developers, including those who recently received a notice, will now be given more time to update their apps if needed.” App developers will now have up to 90 days to work on the suggested changes to the apps and update them according to the current review guidelines of Apple.

The iPhone maker says that this process helps to ensure that the apps work for the vast majority of users and support the latest innovations in security and privacy. The App Store, which was launched back in 2016, has removed almost 2.8 million apps as part of this process.