Store requirement deadlines
Missing Google Play's target API deadline or Apple's SDK requirement can stop you releasing updates, sometimes at the worst moment.
Mobile · Maintenance
Mobile app maintenance services that keep a live app publishable and stable
Phones update, store rules change and libraries age whether or not you ship new features. We keep your Android and iOS apps current, compliant and stable between releases.
What is App Maintenance?
Mobile app maintenance services are the ongoing work needed to keep a published app working, secure and accepted by Google Play and the App Store after launch. That includes adapting to new Android and iOS versions, meeting each store's minimum SDK and target-level requirements, updating third-party libraries, fixing crashes and bugs, renewing certificates and keeping privacy declarations accurate. Without it, an app that works today can be blocked from updates or start failing on new devices.
An app is not finished at launch. Google Play raises its target API level requirement every year, Apple periodically requires builds made with a newer Xcode and SDK, and both stores change privacy and account policies. Meanwhile, payment, analytics and map SDKs release breaking versions, and new OS releases change permissions and background behavior. Teams often discover all of this at once, when an urgent fix can't be published because the build no longer meets store requirements.
What breaks apps after launch
Breaking OS updates
New Android and iOS versions change permissions, notifications and background limits, and features that worked can quietly stop.
Outdated dependencies
Old SDKs and packages accumulate security issues and eventually block framework or OS upgrades.
No one owns the app
The original developer has moved on, documentation is thin and nobody is sure how to build or sign a release.
Our App Maintenance service
App audit and takeover
Review of source code, build setup, signing keys, store accounts and dependencies, with a written list of risks and priorities.
OS compatibility updates
Testing on each new Android and iOS release and fixing what breaks, ideally during the beta period before users upgrade.
Store compliance
Raising target API levels and SDK versions on schedule, updating Data safety and App Privacy details, and responding to policy notices.
Dependency and framework upgrades
Planned updates of Flutter, Kotlin, Swift, Gradle, CocoaPods or Swift Package dependencies, and replacement of abandoned libraries.
Crash and bug fixing
Monitoring crash reports and ANRs, reproducing issues, fixing by user impact, and shipping hotfixes when needed.
Small enhancements
Minor features, copy and content changes, and adjustments requested by users, released on a regular cadence.
Included capabilities
- Crash and ANR monitoring
- Target API level upgrades
- Xcode and iOS SDK updates
- Dependency audits and upgrades
- Certificate and key renewals
- Privacy declaration updates
- Regression testing before releases
- Release notes and version history
- Prioritized maintenance backlog
What App Maintenance changes for your business
Updates stay publishable
Store requirements are tracked and met ahead of deadlines, so an urgent fix isn't held up by compliance work.
Fewer crashes over time
Issues are tracked and fixed by user impact rather than by who complained loudest.
Lower upgrade cost
Small regular updates are cheaper than one large catch-up after years of neglect.
No single point of failure
Documented builds and secured signing keys mean the app doesn't depend on one person.
Where it makes the biggest difference
Inherited app from another vendor
The original developer is gone; we take over the code, rebuild the release process and keep it running.
Store warning or blocked update
Google Play or Apple flags a target level, SDK or policy issue, and the app needs to be brought into compliance.
Stable app, no in-house developers
A business app that does its job but needs someone watching crashes, OS releases and store changes.
Product teams focused on new features
In-house teams who hand off upgrades and compliance work so their roadmap isn't interrupted.
How maintenance works
We stabilize first, then work to a calendar of known store and OS deadlines.
Audit
Code, build, accounts, dependencies and crash data reviewed; risks ranked by urgency.
Stabilize
Build reproduced on our side, signing secured, critical crashes and compliance gaps fixed first.
Plan
A maintenance calendar covering known store deadlines, OS releases and planned upgrades.
Maintain
Regular cycles of fixes, upgrades and small enhancements, each regression-tested before release.
Report
Summaries of what changed, current crash trends and upcoming requirements.
What it connects to
App Maintenance
- Firebase Crashlytics
- Sentry
- Google Play Console and Android vitals
- App Store Connect
- GitHub repositories and Actions
- Third-party SDK release feeds
Built with
Security, quality and scale
Security patches
Dependencies with known vulnerabilities updated or replaced as part of routine maintenance.
Signing key custody
Upload keys, certificates and provisioning profiles stored securely and renewed before they expire.
Access hygiene
Store console and repository access reviewed, with former contributors removed.
Backend compatibility
API and server changes checked against app versions still in use so older installs keep working.
What working with us looks like
We build apps too
The team maintaining your app also builds Flutter, Android and iOS apps, so fixes are made properly, not patched around.
Calendar-driven compliance
We track store and OS deadlines ahead of time instead of reacting to warning emails.
Comfortable with inherited code
We start with an audit and fix the build process first, then work through the backlog.
Back end covered
When a crash is really a server problem, we can fix the API as well.
What it costs
Fixed fees with the scope written down, invoiced in advance, and any minimum term stated up front.
Related services, technologies and industries
Sources and further reading
Official documentation and guidance if you want to read more about this topic.
App Maintenance: questions we hear most
Why does a mobile app need maintenance if nothing is broken?
Because the platforms around it keep changing. Google Play and Apple raise their build requirements, new OS versions alter app behavior, and libraries stop being supported, so an untouched app eventually fails or can no longer be updated.
What is Google Play's target API level requirement?
Google Play requires new apps and updates to target a recent Android API level, and the required level rises roughly once a year. Apps that fall behind can be blocked from publishing updates and may become less visible to users on newer devices.
Can you maintain an app another company built?
Yes. We begin with an audit of the code, build setup and store accounts, confirm we can build and sign a release, and then take over maintenance.
What do you need from us to take over an app?
We need the source code repository, access to the Google Play Console and App Store Connect accounts, signing keys or certificates where they exist, and access to the back end and any third-party services the app uses.
How is maintenance billed?
Maintenance runs on a monthly care plan, billed in advance and sized to the app's complexity and how often it changes. We recommend a plan after the initial audit.
Does maintenance include making the app faster?
Maintenance fixes bugs and keeps the app compatible and compliant. Systematic work on startup time, smoothness, memory or battery use is covered by our app performance optimization service.
Next step
Get an audit of your live app
Share your app and store links. We'll check its build, dependencies and store compliance, and tell you what needs attention first.