Apple has officially announced a radical overhaul of its App Store moderation policies. The tech giant is launching a large-scale campaign to clean up its digital marketplace, aimed at removing apps that have not been updated for years, offer no value to users, or fail to attract a new audience. This decision is a direct result of changes announced at the WWDC conference.
From Warnings to Real Action
Previously, Apple's policy regarding oversaturated categories was restrained. The company merely warned authors against creating obvious clones and promised to reject such submissions during the initial review. Last year's guidelines even included an ironic remark: "There are already enough burping apps, flashlights, fortune-telling apps, dating apps, alcohol games, and Kama Sutra apps in the App Store. We will reject them unless they offer a unique experience."
However, the approach has now changed drastically. Apple is not just blocking new "one-day" apps but is also beginning to fight existing content. If an app has not received updates for years and has lost audience interest, it faces removal from the catalog.
Categories of "Well-Formed" Apps
The company has expanded the list of areas now considered "well-formed." This list includes tools that were once popular but are now perceived as digital clutter. Any new submission requests in these categories will be automatically rejected, unless the developer can prove revolutionary innovation or significant functional improvement.
The main innovation is that moderation now challenges old projects as well. A flashlight app or a wallpaper collection that simply "hangs" in the store without support no longer has the right to exist.
Threat of Ban for Developers
Rules have tightened not only for products but also for authors. Developers who consciously ignore requirements and continue to spam with "low-quality" (low-effort) software face severe punishment. Apple has warned that for the regular publication of mediocre programs, the company will completely revoke membership in the Apple Developer Program. Restoring access in such cases will be impossible.
Goal — Quality, Not Chaos
In a comment to journalists, Apple representatives explained that removals will not happen instantly or without warning. Authors will receive official notifications through the standard App Store Improvements procedure. This will give conscientious studios time to release the necessary update and save their projects.
The main goal of such a strict policy is to relieve search results and improve the system for discovering quality software. At WWDC, the company presented new tools for personalized recommendations and marketing dashboards. Cleaning up the App Store of digital clutter is intended to help talented developers who truly put effort into their products find real customers on the iOS platform faster.