Can I update my existing iOS app without adding a storyboard?

Question

I have received an email from Apple where it says that Apps for iPhone or iPad must be built with the iOS 13 SDK or later and

I have couple of old apps in the store (written in Objective-C) where storyboard was not used, we prefer programmatic layout rather then storyboard. My question is:

1. Do they remove app from store if we do not update on time?
2. Can i update those apps without adding any storyboard?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

To your questions:

1. Do they remove app from store if we do not update on time?

I posed this question to Apple support and this was the response:

"These new requirements apply to all apps that are on the store already. To avoid removal, you will need to submit a new version with these requirements met."

2. Can i update those apps without adding any storyboard?

My understanding is that the 'storyboard' requirement pertains only to the launchscreen.