Intended changes to Apple’s App Store dev guidelines - do we NS2 users have anything to worry about?

edited May 2022 in General chat

Apple’s intentions are discussed (with developer contributions) in this thread on the Audiobus forum:

https://forum.audiob.us/discussion/49954/apple-says-apps-that-havent-been-updated-in-two-years-will-be-removed-from-sale

(it is noted during the discussion that Apple have - since that thread was started - taken note of developers’ feedback and adjusted their intended policy a little bit)

So, basically, do us as users of NS2 have anything to be worried about given the acceptance that NS2 is unlikely to receive too much in the way of updates going forward?

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Comments

  • Good question.
    Just to be clear, NS2 is not abandonware. There is currently a pause in development, but Matt is NOT talking about giving up on NS2. He has committed to regular maintainance fixes whenever Apple breaks something, so I think Matt will (based on the past) wait to see if anything breaks before trying to fix it. If it ain’t broke… The last update was 9 months ago. I predict there will be additional features added eventually, even if this will still be some years off.

    I don’t know what Apple’s policy will mean practically as to what constitutes “updates”, but NS2 has had updates every year since it’s release. I think Apple’s new policy is directed at apps that are clearly abandonware. I didn’t read the entire AB thread, but this post stood out to me:

    “If my app is removed, will current users be able to access my app?”

    “Yes. Your app will remain fully functional for current users. They will experience no interruption to services and will still be able to buy in-app purchases. 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.”

    So… to me that sounds like existing users have nothing to fear. This would only make an app undiscoverable in the AppStore for new users until an update makes the app rediscoverable. Unless I am missing some other detail….?

  • @SlapHappy said:
    Good question.
    Just to be clear, NS2 is not abandonware. There is currently a pause in development, but Matt is NOT talking about giving up on NS2. He has committed to regular maintainance fixes whenever Apple breaks something, so I think Matt will (based on the past) wait to see if anything breaks before trying to fix it. If it ain’t broke… The last update was 9 months ago. I predict there will be additional features added eventually, even if this will still be some years off.

    I don’t know what Apple’s policy will mean practically as to what constitutes “updates”, but NS2 has had updates every year since it’s release. I think Apple’s new policy is directed at apps that are clearly abandonware. I didn’t read the entire AB thread, but this post stood out to me:

    “If my app is removed, will current users be able to access my app?”

    “Yes. Your app will remain fully functional for current users. They will experience no interruption to services and will still be able to buy in-app purchases. 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.”

    So… to me that sounds like existing users have nothing to fear. This would only make an app undiscoverable in the AppStore for new users until an update makes the app rediscoverable. Unless I am missing some other detail….?

    The big bone of contention for me is that yes the app will continue to work on my current device even if Apple withdraws it from the App Store, but as my employer forces me to take a new device every 2 years will I be able to install NS2 to a new device should the unthinkable come to pass? (I’m lucky that they provide me an iPhone & that I can load whatever apps I like on it - the trade off of course is my employer gets 24/7 access to me…)

    So, yeah, I realise I’m good for now on this one but going forwards things don’t look quite so certain?

  • @TakkAtakk said:

    The big bone of contention for me is that yes the app will continue to work on my current device even if Apple withdraws it from the App Store, but as my employer forces me to take a new device every 2 years will I be able to install NS2 to a new device should the unthinkable come to pass? (I’m lucky that they provide me an iPhone & that I can load whatever apps I like on it - the trade off of course is my employer gets 24/7 access to me…)

    So, yeah, I realise I’m good for now on this one but going forwards things don’t look quite so certain?

    You can rest a little bit easier on that point. Apple only said apps would be "removed from sale" not that they would be completely removed. There's a difference. Apps that are simply removed from sale can no longer be purchased, but they remain accessible to you in your purchased items. You would still be able to install them on a new device.

    The only way an app would be removed entirely is if Matt himself decided to do so, or if he discontinued paying his yearly developer fee to Apple. That's true regardless of whether Apple removed them from sale related to the above discussion.

    If you're concerned about that then I suggest installing the free iMazing app. You can use this to back up all apps you own that are still accessible so that you can restore them even if they're completely removed down the line. The catch is you have to back them up before they're removed because during the backup process they're downloaded from the App Store rather than copied from your device.

  • @number37 said:

    @TakkAtakk said:

    The big bone of contention for me is that yes the app will continue to work on my current device even if Apple withdraws it from the App Store, but as my employer forces me to take a new device every 2 years will I be able to install NS2 to a new device should the unthinkable come to pass? (I’m lucky that they provide me an iPhone & that I can load whatever apps I like on it - the trade off of course is my employer gets 24/7 access to me…)

    So, yeah, I realise I’m good for now on this one but going forwards things don’t look quite so certain?

    You can rest a little bit easier on that point. Apple only said apps would be "removed from sale" not that they would be completely removed. There's a difference. Apps that are simply removed from sale can no longer be purchased, but they remain accessible to you in your purchased items. You would still be able to install them on a new device.

    The only way an app would be removed entirely is if Matt himself decided to do so, or if he discontinued paying his yearly developer fee to Apple. That's true regardless of whether Apple removed them from sale related to the above discussion.

    If you're concerned about that then I suggest installing the free iMazing app. You can use this to back up all apps you own that are still accessible so that you can restore them even if they're completely removed down the line. The catch is you have to back them up before they're removed because during the backup process they're downloaded from the App Store rather than copied from your device.

    Ah, yes - that’s a key difference. Many thanks for pointing that out 👍😊🙏

  • @number37 said:

    If you're concerned about that then I suggest installing the free iMazing app. You can use this to back up all apps you own that are still accessible so that you can restore them even if they're completely removed down the line. The catch is you have to back them up before they're removed because during the backup process they're downloaded from the App Store rather than copied from your device.

    This sounds like a good way to go for some apps that seem to have uncertain futures. I think of Nave for example. Is there any way to save apps directly from an iDevice? I’d love to back up my copy of Alchemy. I have it on an old iPhone & iPad, but would like to get it on a couple more old iPhones. As far as I know there is no way, except perhaps jailbreaking, if that is still a thing.

  • @SlapHappy said:

    @number37 said:

    If you're concerned about that then I suggest installing the free iMazing app. You can use this to back up all apps you own that are still accessible so that you can restore them even if they're completely removed down the line. The catch is you have to back them up before they're removed because during the backup process they're downloaded from the App Store rather than copied from your device.

    This sounds like a good way to go for some apps that seem to have uncertain futures. I think of Nave for example. Is there any way to save apps directly from an iDevice? I’d love to back up my copy of Alchemy. I have it on an old iPhone & iPad, but would like to get it on a couple more old iPhones. As far as I know there is no way, except perhaps jailbreaking, if that is still a thing.

    If an app has been removed from the App Store and you haven't already backed it up using iMazing then I know of no other way to preserve it. Perhaps through jailbreaking, but I doubt it. In any case it wouldn't be worth it because I imagine you'd have to jailbreak both the older device and the newer one.

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