Games that have been removed from Apple’s App Store appear to be once again showing up in user’s purchase history.
However, the truth behind Apple’s policy change – if indeed there has been one – remains uncertain. It was reported earlier this week that apps that have been removed from sale for whatever reason (typically bug or iOS compatibility fixes) were also no longer available to redownload – something that until now has not been the case.
Apple even went as far as to confirm that "if [developers] remove their apps from the store, they cannot be redownloaded until the app has been resubmitted to the App Store".
However, Pocket Arcade reports that Apple appears to now be singing a different tune. While the company initially reiterated the policy change to Touch Arcade in a now removed tweet, it subsequently stated that in fact its original practices were still in place.
If true that means it will continue to host backups of apps even if they have been pulled from sale unless a developer specifically requests otherwise. This is certainly supported by the reappearance of at least some titles that were for a period completely unavailable.
So, a case of different entities within the vast Apple empire getting confused? Or has the criticism of the policy forced a change of heart? Perhaps we’ll never know.