Skip to main content

App Store and Google Play requirements

Our app can't be updated anymore. What changed?

Apple and Google raised the minimum every app update has to meet. If your app was built with older tools, such as Xamarin, your team may not be able to ship even a small fix, and on Android new customers may stop finding it. Start with an $8,000 audit: in 1 to 4 weeks you learn what is blocking updates, what your options are, and what each one costs.

For businesses whose customers or staff depend on the app.Audits are $8,000, in 1 to 4 weeks.

Tell us what is going on

Who this is for

This is for you if

  • Your customers or staff use the app every day.
  • The last update was a struggle, or nobody has tried one in a while.
  • Your developer says the app needs "a big upgrade" before anything else can ship.

This is not for you if

  • You need a standalone website with no app behind it.
  • You need a fix this week for less than the cost of the audit.

Right now · Reviewed November 4, 2026

What changed: Google Play target API level requirements and the Xcode minimum

Each fact links to the platform that set the rule. These dates change every year, so this block is reviewed and expires on its own.

Apple: new tools for every update

Since April 28, 2026, every update sent to the App Store has to be built with Xcode 26. An app your team cannot build with current tools cannot ship a fix.

Source: Apple Developer

Google Play: a newer Android target

Since August 31, 2026, every update has to target Android 16 (API level 36). The last extension ended on November 1, 2026.

Source: Play Console Help

Google Play: hidden from new customers

Apps that target older than Android 15 (API level 35) stop being offered to new users on newer Android phones. People who already have the app keep it.

Source: Play Console Help

Xamarin

Microsoft ended Xamarin support on May 1, 2024. Its last supported versions build with Xcode 15 and target Android API level 34, so they cannot produce an update either store accepts today.

Source: Microsoft

What does not happen

Neither store deletes an app just for being out of date. Apple removes an app only after three years without an update and almost no downloads, and it gives 90 days' notice first.

Source: Apple Developer

What to do first

  1. Ask when the app last shipped, and whether the next update can be built today.

    Ask for both stores. "We haven't tried in a while" is an answer worth knowing.

  2. Find out what the app is built with.

    Native Swift or Kotlin, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Cordova or Ionic. The answer decides how big the job is.

  3. Check Google Play Console for a target API level warning.

    It shows on the app's policy status page.

  4. Keep your Apple Developer membership paid.

    If it lapses, new customers cannot download the app and nothing can ship.

  5. Make sure your company holds the store accounts, the code and the signing keys.

    If it does not, start there: see "Our developer is gone, and we don't control our code or App Store account."

  6. Choose a path: update the app, move it to a supported platform, or retire it.

    An audit gives you the facts to choose.

What it costs

Audits are $8,000.

For one app and one codebase, in 1 to 4 weeks. Larger apps are quoted higher. The audit is paid on its own; the update or move it recommends is priced separately. Prices are for remote work. On-site work is quoted separately and priced higher.

How the audit works

What you get from the audit

A written verdict

Whether the app can be updated as it is, and exactly what blocks it.

Your options, priced

Update the tools, move to React Native, or retire the app, with the trade-offs of each. If .NET MAUI fits better, we say so, and a .NET team carries it out.

An account and signing check

Who holds the App Store and Google Play accounts, the code and the keys.

A fixed quote

For the work that follows, if you decide to go ahead.

Case study

Moving an established product off Xamarin

How we moved a Xamarin app to React Native, and what we kept along the way.

Read the case study

Common questions

Will Apple or Google delete our app?

Not for being out of date alone. Apple removes an app only after three years without an update and almost no downloads, and gives 90 days' notice. Google Play stops offering older apps to new users on newer Android phones, but current users keep them.

Can we leave the app as it is?

Current users can keep using it. But you cannot ship a fix when something breaks, and on Android fewer new customers find it over time.

Do we have to rebuild the app from scratch?

Not always. Microsoft says Xamarin apps moving to .NET do not need to be rewritten, and many apps only need their tools brought up to date. The audit tells you which path fits your app.

Is Xamarin still supported?

No. Microsoft no longer supports Xamarin. Its successor is .NET MAUI, which Microsoft updates every year.

How long does the audit take, and what does it cost?

1 to 4 weeks, and $8,000 for one app and one codebase. Larger apps are quoted higher.

Tell us what is going on with your app.

A short note is enough. We reply with whether we can help and what the first step costs.

Tell us what is going on