Earlier today, Apple sent out an email to its registered developers. The email contained announcement that they will be implementing a couple of suggestions they have adapted from the developer community.
According to the email blast, the new suggestions would be implemented on September 7th, which is the same day when Apple will be hosting its iPhone 7 event.
On the email, Apple explained that they will be addressing a couple of concerns which were originally suggested by developers. These include:
- “Abandoned” and/or “problematic” apps will be removed from the store. These apps include the ones that have not been maintained or have received compatibility updates in quite some time. In addition, apps that don’t follow iOS development guidelines or work as they have been advertised will also be removed from the store.
- Apps that have long names exceeding 50 characters will no longer be accepted. This new guideline will be applicable on both newly submitted apps and updates to currently existing apps. The reason why this is no longer allowed is because Apple found that there have been some developers that resort to using extremely long app names as a way to influence their search results on the App Store.
More information on the new improvements to the App Store can be found on Apple’s dedicated webpage. Here’s the email blast that developers received:
Dear Developer,
We love helping customers discover innovative, useful, and exciting apps on the App Store. With more than 2 million apps available and around 100,000 new and updated apps submitted each week, there’s something for everyone. To make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs, we’re implementing two suggestions from the developer community starting September 7, 2016.
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.
Shorter App Names
Search is one of the most frequently used methods for customers to discover and download apps from the App Store. In hopes of influencing search results, some developers have used extremely long app names which include descriptions and terms not directly related to their app. These long names are not fully displayed on the App Store and provide no user value. App names you submit in iTunes Connect for new apps and updates will now be limited to no longer than 50 characters. You can learn more about creating effective app names, as well as icons, keywords, screenshots, and descriptions, by reading the App Store Product Page.
If you have any questions, contact us.
Best regards,
Apple Developer Relations
