Keeping up with the latest iOS or Android version

Getting Started Newbie Questions
#1

Hi

My app has been on the app store and the play store for a few months. It’s a finished work and I doubt I’ll be working on it again any time soon. 

My question is, do I have to rebuild and resubmit it every so often to keep up with the latest iOS? Presumably if I don’t, at some point in the future it won’t run on the latest machines anymore. 

If so, how do I know when to do that? Should I do it again for example after each new major Corona release? After each new iOS/Android release?

thanks,

David

#2

No you don’t have to keep updating it, however after a couple of years Apple will stop support for older versions of iOS.  For instance, iOS 5 is about to go away with the release of iOS 8.  Your older app may use features in the older version that don’t work well in the new version.  Most apps don’t have the shelf life to survive that long.

Depending on how successful your app is a periodic refresh will keep your app current.

Rob

#3

ok thanks.

#4

As a rule of thumb I try to update my apps twice a year to keep up with bug-fixes/improvements in Corona SDK and its plugins.

Normally it’s not much work. Typically it would only require you to re-compile and re-submit to the app stores. 

Sometimes breaking changes are made. In those cases you’ll have to determine if the work required to update is worth the effort.

#5

If no changes have been made to the app’s functionality, what do you put in “What’s new in this version?” 

#6

You can write whatever you deem appropriate, like “Performance enhancements”, “Bug fixes” etc.

#7

I like to use “maintenance”

Sometimes I see a long version history showing “bug fixes” over and over and I think “good that the bugs are being fixed” but “bad that the app is constantly being shipped with bugs”. I like to go with “maintenance” or “maintenance & improvements”. Different strokes for different folks of course.

#8

No you don’t have to keep updating it, however after a couple of years Apple will stop support for older versions of iOS.  For instance, iOS 5 is about to go away with the release of iOS 8.  Your older app may use features in the older version that don’t work well in the new version.  Most apps don’t have the shelf life to survive that long.

Depending on how successful your app is a periodic refresh will keep your app current.

Rob

#9

ok thanks.

#10

As a rule of thumb I try to update my apps twice a year to keep up with bug-fixes/improvements in Corona SDK and its plugins.

Normally it’s not much work. Typically it would only require you to re-compile and re-submit to the app stores. 

Sometimes breaking changes are made. In those cases you’ll have to determine if the work required to update is worth the effort.

#11

If no changes have been made to the app’s functionality, what do you put in “What’s new in this version?” 

#12

You can write whatever you deem appropriate, like “Performance enhancements”, “Bug fixes” etc.

#13

I like to use “maintenance”

Sometimes I see a long version history showing “bug fixes” over and over and I think “good that the bugs are being fixed” but “bad that the app is constantly being shipped with bugs”. I like to go with “maintenance” or “maintenance & improvements”. Different strokes for different folks of course.