Will an app built with an older version of Swift be able to live indefinitely on app store?

Question

Alright, have a question here -

A while ago I built an app in Swift using pods that, for one reason or another, disappeared one day. Meaning the project was there, but it reverted to a MUCH older version and was inrepairable. It's a great app and I released on the app store, so others are using it and that's great but I am unable to update it. The binary is gone.

My question is - with the updating of the app store and Swift (ie Swift 3 now instead of 2) will my app be able to run still on the app store in years to come? Right now with Swift 3/ios 10 it still runs well. It's good.

But can an app written in an older version of Swift live indefinitely on the app store? Or will it die one day? Hoping its not the former..

Answer 1

even app which are written in objective - c also works fine which is more older then swif t, then why your swift app will not work? it will definitely work without any failure!! doesn't matter whether it is swift 2 or swift 3 !!!

Answer 2

Whether an app built with Swift will still be available in the App Store in a few years doesn't depend on the fact it's written in Swift. For a released app, Swift is compiled to binary code and Swift libraries are bundled with app. There are no Swift specific dependencies left.

However, Apple might have other reason to pull your app:

• Your app hasn't been updated in a long while.
• Your app hasn't been updated for the latest devices (eg new screen formats).
• Your app was built against an old iOS version that lasted iOS versions are no longer compatible with. (Each iOS version contains compatiblity code to run old apps, eg iOS can still emulate the pre-iOS 7 UI.)
• Your app crashes on newer devices or iOS versions.
• Your app violates App Store rules but it wasn't discovered on the initial submission.

Having said that, if your app doesn't crash or violate rules, it'll likely take a few years until there is a realistic chance for it to be pulled.