In an update to its App Store Review Guidelines, Apple warned that it will now remove existing apps from the platform if they are copycats, unmaintained, or fail to attract a steady user base.
Previously, Apple only blocked unoriginal or duplicate apps at the submission stage. Now, the company is retroactively targeting stale or low effort software already listed on the store, sparking frustration among independent creators.
Apple is explicitly aiming for oversaturated categories that clog search results. The company updated its official documentation to tell developers:
“Don’t submit apps that are indistinguishable from what’s already widely available. Opportunistically creating variants of existing app categories or popular apps degrades App Store discovery, reduces overall app quality, and harms both users and developers.”
The guidelines specifically flag common categories like dating, flashlights, sound effects, wallpaper, simple timers, and fortune telling. Unless these apps provide a vastly improved experience, Apple noted:
“We may remove these apps from the App Store going forward if they are not updated, improved, or do not attract customers.”
Apple also doubled down on its famous stance against what it considers “mediocre” software, explicitly stating:
“Other kinds of apps, such as drinking games, Kama Sutra, fart, and burp apps, are mediocre, low-quality, or low-effort and do not add value to the App Store.”m
Under Apple’s enforcement policy, an app is flagged for potential removal if it meets two specific criteria: it hasn’t been updated in three years, and it has failed to meet a “minimal download threshold” over a rolling 12 month period.
If an app is flagged, the creator receives a warning and is given 90 days to submit a meaningful update. If they don’t, the app is pulled from public view, though past downloaders can still use it on their devices. Apple also warned that developers who continuously push clone apps face permanent banishment from the official Apple Developer Program.
While Apple claims this protects users and improves app discovery, indie developers especially game designers are pushing back. They argue that many apps and games are built as finished, standalone pieces of art that shouldn’t require infinite updates or high volume to exist.
The move highlights an ongoing friction point: Apple treats the App Store as a living, curated service, while creators argue it should behave more like a digital library that preserves software history.
