Legacy 32 Bit Apps

[InAustralia]

With iOS10.3, I have 136 applications which are legacy 32 Bits apps which are going to cease working soon.
There are probably 20 of those apps which I use regularly, and losing them will be a pain. I have already started to look for alternatives as those apps are not going to be updated.

What does annoy me is that some developers have taken this as an opportunity to launch a new app (rather than update the existing app), which means that I need to re-purchase the app again. One app I paid $12.99 for about 2 years ago. The app has been re-launched as a "new" app with a purchase price of $12.99. Looking at the app, it is exactly the same application (except updated). There is no discount or bundling offered either which allows existing app owners to re-purchase the app at a discount. - Disappointed.

Why is Apple allowing apps which are going to cease working soon to be still available to purchase on the App Store? There was an app I purchased (Harry Potter Spells) just at Christmas for my daughter which is on the list of apps which are going to stop working. Whilst I have only spent about $5 (including unlocking of an in-app purchase), it is not likely to be updated as the last update was in 2014. It's not a small developer either (Warner Bros) and a prominent brand, but I don't think they are going to spend money updating the app.

 

[Conutz]

It's always a difficult one. To be honest, I think the economics of a once-off payment just don't work. Look at the big software companies, e.g. MS. A few years back, there would be a periodic new Office release that you would have to pay for at either full or upgrade price. And that's a company with a huge client base.

A smallish developer on the App Store won't survive more than a couple of years, IMO, hoping for more and more once-offs...particularly those in "niche" markets. There are really only two options, excluding advertising: periodic upgrade or subscription. Although I'm not in love with the idea of ongoing payments, how else can we really expect some of these guys to keep developing, let alone stay in business?

Looking at it from the other side, imagine the confidence the developer will have knowing that there is some form of ongoing income. It's dependable, allowing commitment to the "cause". I also think it's self-regulating - if the dev doesn't put in enough effort, the users will stop paying. And from the other side again, wouldn't we like to see the apps we depend on keep going and get better?

With this model, a lot more apps would survive and be adapted to new platform requirements. It just makes sense to me...

Sorry about your experience though, it can be ultra-frustrating, especially with the bigger names you mention. Contact them and ask them what their plans are for the title. Good luck!

 

[CTHarrryH]

How have you determined which are 32 bit apps - is there a list somewhere?

Based upon my experience most apps now make money from ads not from initial purchase

 

[InAustralia]

How have you determined which are 32 bit apps - is there a list somewhere?

Based upon my experience most apps now make money from ads not from initial purchase

Since 10.3, there is a new section in settings. It is a bit buried though.

Go to Settings / General / About / Applications (there should be a ">" if you have any 32 bit apps)

In addition, I did contact a few of the developers of some of the apps I still use and asked if they were going to make an update (Warner Bros, Hasbro and a few independents). Only got one response which was a straight "No".

It would be good if Apple (via the App Store) showed which Apps were 32 bit apps, that way you can make a decision (before purchasing) if you want to buy it as the app may have a limited life.

 

[CTHarrryH]

Thanks - there is only 1 in my list that I really care about so I'll look to replace.

 

[pacorob]

That's a huge list of 32 bit apps that you still have and some of which you still frequently use! I get your frustration there @InAustralia especially the thing that they no longer update the 32 bit version of the app but that they do create a new one and don't offer a discount for the existing buyers from the 32 bit version of the app, but I also agree with the things @Conutz said. Have you guys also seen this topic and this topic regarding the whole 32 bit thing?

I just updated one of my iDevices to 10.3.1 and noticed I have 9 apps installed on my iPhone 5s and 32 apps on my iPad mini2! which seem to be 32bit only when checking Settings app > General > Info > Apps which is more then I though. Thanks for the details on that btw.
I previously thought I only had three apps which were 32 bit (2 Dutch games for the kids and TouchArcade).

Which apps do you still frequently use and haven't been updated? Did you try to approach the developers? Did you get a response from any of them? I did that once for a music discovery app that wasn't updated in ages but was really great but e.g. UI wise (iOS6 look and feel) it wasn't suitable for iDevices with bigger screen sizes beyond 4inch as well.

How have you determined which are 32 bit apps - is there a list somewhere?

Based upon my experience most apps now make money from ads not from initial purchase

I hate that is the case especially with games. I would rather pay once 10 euro/dollar to get a great app/game without ads and in-app purchases. I don't mind to pay a bit more after 1 or 2 years or so to support the developer.

 

[CTHarrryH]

Looking at my list which is small - same thing there are new "versions" but not upgrades from existing and the new ones have ads or charge yearly for ad removal. Some of these apps I paid for originally but I guess honor doesn't count. Interesting a couple of the new ones that I have looked are are bad compared to the old version - fancy but less info and less easy to use - I guess this is progress.
Still looking for the right solutions but as others not happy that some app developers have decided to be greedy and abandon long time users.

 

[InAustralia]

Which apps do you still frequently use and haven't been updated? Did you try to approach the developers? Did you get a response from any of them? I did that once for a music discovery app that wasn't updated in ages but was really great but e.g. UI wise (iOS6 look and feel) it wasn't suitable for iDevices with bigger screen sizes beyond 4inch as well.

A lot of the applications are games (which my daughter still plays), but there are a number of applications I still use. I know that there are alternatives (and I have started to look for them already), but list of apps we still use regularly are:

• Scanner+ Pro
• ForumRunner
• Timer
  
• My Measures Pro - This is the app which was updated to 64 bit and released as a new app
  
• Game of Life Zapped. It is a companion app to a physical board game, without the app the game is unplayable. Hasbro responded to my email and said there is no intention of updating the app.
• Uno - No plans to update. A new version has been released which relies on in app purchases
• Fragger
• Forensic
• Monopoly - Hasbro said no plans to update. A new version has been released (which I need to repurchase)
• Yahtzee - no plans to update. A new version has been released which relies on in app purchases
• Trivial Pursuit - no plans to update
• Jenga - no plans to update
• AppShopper - no plans to update
• Flight Control
• Harry Potter Spells - still waiting to hear from Warner Bros
• Sword + Poker
• Strimko (a fun puzzle game where i have paid a lot in in-app purchases to unlock extra puzzles)
• Lots of Lego games
• Macworld
• Maths for kids

There are a number of big developers in this list and as said before, disappointed that I need to re-purchase the app if I still want them. At least the apps still work on our old iPad 2

 

[pacorob]

How have you determined which are 32 bit apps - is there a list somewhere?

Based upon my experience most apps now make money from ads not from initial purchase

A lot of the applications are games (which my daughter still plays), but there are a number of applications I still use. I know that there are alternatives (and I have started to look for them already), but list of apps we still use regularly are:
There are a number of big developers in this list and as said before, disappointed that I need to re-purchase the app if I still want them. At least the apps still work on our old iPad 2

Thanks for the input on the exact apps that you or your daughter still uses. I've also noticed that big companies such as Lego, Warner Bros, Hasbro do ask again money for a new version of the 64bit and even change the type to in-app which remains horrible to me especially when it's not to remove ads or something but like that you have to pay for 10 features all separately 0.99 cents or something.

Here is my 32bit app list.
I didn't also though that some (Xmas Bus, Toca Doctor) apps from Dr. Panda and Toca Boca were 32 bit which develops loads of iOS app (still).

iPhone:
- Delicious (tagging sites)
- Kinderliedjes #1 (kids app, Dutch)
- TouchArcade (game news app)
- KoeDoetBoe (kids app, Dutch) - updated 20th Sept '17 64 bit!
- CastBrowser (Cast websites to your Chromecast, I have alternatives that also work so not a big issue)
- Sneeuw (wintersports snow height app, no longer in App Store)
- CM Security (cache clearing, removed from App Store because Apple didn't allow anymore I guess)
- VVV (Thé Dutch tourist office, so bizarre that they haven't updated this app in ages)

iPad:
- Xmas Bus (kids game)
- Kinderliedjes #1 (kids app, Dutch)
- Angry Birds (free)
- Side by Side
- TouchArcade (game news app)
- Z2 (game)
- KinderTevee (kids video YouTube app)
- Puyo Battle (game)
- PlayMatic (kids game)
- Toca Doctor (kids game)
- Golf Extreme! (no longer in app store, game)
- Devour (interesting videos, kind off like Hyper)
- KoeDoetBoe (kids app, Dutch) - updated 20th Sept '17 64 bit!
- Stick Tennis (game) - updated 24th April '17 64 bit!
- Flick Tennis HD (game)
- Sneeuw (wintersports snow height app, no longer in App Store)
- 3D Mini Golf (game)
- Majesty: The fantasy kingdom (game, paid version) - updated 4th May '17 64 bit!
- The Next Web (tech news)
- Animals (kids game)
- CC Tennis (game)
- Ragdoll 3 DX (game
- Delicious (tagging sites)

 

[Stefan johansson]

Replace the ones you can live withouth,for the others,try contact developers and encourage them to update.
However,due to some Apple regulations,some apps will not be legit anymore.
When installing new apps,check update history first,if an app is not updated the last 2-3 years,it's probably obsolete.

 

[Conutz]

if an app is not updated the last 2-3 years,it's probably obsolete.

I normally look for updates within the last few months before considering!

 

[Stefan johansson]

I normally look for updates within the last few months before considering!

so do I,in most cases.

 

[Conutz]

so do I,in most cases.

And that's why it's so important that developers have a little income. Excitement and hope will only keep them going for so long...

 

[Stefan johansson]

And that's why it's so important that developers have a little income. Excitement and hope will only keep them going for so long...

Very good point,and that's exactly why I prefer the paid version of the apps I use!

 

[CTHarrryH]

Can some one enlighten me here - forget about updating functions, etc. what does it take to make a 32 bit app into a 64 bit app? Is is as "simple" as taking the source and using that in a 64 bit code generator or whatever it is called. In the decades old application development that I did - it would have been just a matter of running the source through a different compiler and generating the execution code.
So what does it take in the modern app world,

 

[mrex]

I normally look for updates within the last few months before considering!

Unfortunately it doesnt tell if the app will work with ios 11 or not.

Edit. Njah, the year was 2015, not 2016 as i remembered, when apple started to reject only 32bit app updates.

 

[Conutz]

Unfortunately it doesnt tell if the app will work with ios 11 or not.

That's not the point, it's whether it's likely to be supported.

 

[mrex]

That's not the point, it's whether it's likely to be supported.

Ah, i remembered the year wrongly.. 32bit apps updates (only) has been rejected already from 2015. For a some reason i remembered that it started on the end of the last year. It started on june 2015.

 

[mrex]

...

 

[simonmet]

What does annoy me is that some developers have taken this as an opportunity to launch a new app (rather than update the existing app), which means that I need to re-purchase the app again. One app I paid $12.99 for about 2 years ago. The app has been re-launched as a "new" app with a purchase price of $12.99. Looking at the app, it is exactly the same application (except updated). There is no discount or bundling offered either which allows existing app owners to re-purchase the app at a discount. - Disappointed.

That sounds like it is or should be a breach of the App Store's terms and conditions. I'd consider notifying Apple.

Sometimes developers fork their apps and leave the old one available for users who prefer the older version, but that's when the new version is signicantly redeveloped with major design changes or feature additions. It sounds like that's not the case here since you say it's basically the same.

Are other people responding negatively in the reviews? Do you mind telling me which app (PM if preferred)?

In some good news, the classic game Osmos was recently updated for the first time in about 4 years, thus gaining 64-bit and larger screen support! So it certainly can happen that old apps are resurrected!

 

[Mr.Man11223]

Sorry guys, Apple doesn't feel like making IOS 11 backwards compatible, it would take too much effort and why would we want to use our apps, that would be absolutely retarded!!!111!!1

 

[InAustralia]

Are other people responding negatively in the reviews? Do you mind telling me which app (PM if preferred)?

The App is called My Measures Pro (which is $12.99 in the Australian App Store). It is exactly the same application as it was under the 32 bit version.

 

[simonmet]

The App is called My Measures Pro (which is $12.99 in the Australian App Store). It is exactly the same application as it was under the 32 bit version.

Looking at the app it appears the developer changed from a pay up-front to an In-App purchasing model. But both apps appear to be getting developed and maintained, with the last reported updates being within a week of each other.

So it looks like you're not missing out on anything and don't need to repurchase the app, unless I've mistaken or misunderstood something.

 

[itsjustmeee]

There's a few go-to games that I would have a very hard time losing. As a matter of fact, I'll probably just keep my iPad Air 2, not update it and buy a new iPad Pro for the forward updates. What would be really interesting is if some developer made a sort of 32 bit emulator app for IOS 11. Somehow the legacy apps could be played through it. But I'm sure Apple would frown on such things and probably squash it.

 

[lexvo]

Fortunately I only had two apps in use which were 32 bit. One is a Japanese dictionary (Imiwa, free, which hasn't been updated for a long time) which I replaced by Midori, a paid app with regular updates. The other is Appshopper.