iOS - Update an app that has been removed from the app store

Question

On Android I think that you can 'unpublish' an application so that no new users can download the application but that the user who already have the application will recieve new versions that are uploaded to google play (or so it seems to say here: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/113476?hl=en&ref_topic=3450986 )

However I can't find any information on iOS. Can I remove the app but still update existing customers with a new version?

Just for context the update I want to issue for both OS is basically an app which displays a 'app is now closed' message.

Any help would be gratefully received.

Answer 1

Can I remove the app but still update existing customers with a new version?

As far as I am concerned, you can't do this in the App Store.

Answer 2

No, this isn't possible. Once you remove the app, nobody will see it in the app store. Existing users of the app won't see any updates that you may have published before removing it that they never installed. It's just gone if you remove it from the app store.

You could publish an app update that includes some kind of notification system within the app, and keep that in the store long enough for most users to upgrade. Then after you pull the app from the store, you could update this message (presumably it would retrieve this message from your server) to state that the app is no longer available, and maybe direct them to whatever you have that you're replacing it with (assuming you're replacing it). Otherwise, I don't see why you necessarily need to inform existing users that you've removed the app. If there are server-side components that it accesses, and you're shutting those down, I guess the app will simply cease to function for existing users.

Answer 3

I also don't think there is a way to offer updates without new customers being able to buy the app.

Why not increase the price of the app to the highest price allowed in the app store, so that no one will buy it? That way you can offer an update for your existing customers, but effectively stop new sales. If the new price is $1999.00 US, I doubt if you will get any takers...