How can I remove my app temporarily from the Apple App Store?

Question

I want to remove app temporarily from Apple app store. In the App Store (formerly iTunes) Connect dashboard under pricing and availability there is an option "Remove from sale". Will this remove the app completely ?

I want just to unpublish it for couple of weeks then return it back. If it does so, when I return it back available for sale, will it go again under review ? (same version no new binary).

Billy

Answer 1

In the iTunes Connect's > Pricing and Availability section you can easily switch between

• Available in all territories or Availability regions (0 of 175 countries or regions)
• Remove from sale

After selecting the right one you can just hit the Save button. It will not be removed or added immediately, it takes some time to change state in the AppStore.

Kurtiskurtosis

And it's possible to make it available again later ? – Dagall

Just click on "Available in all territories" and hit Save again. – Spinthariscope

When you make it available again, will you still have the same ratings and reviews and all that? – Bubbly

Ratings and reviews seem to stay as is, and become visible publicly once the app is made available again (tested March 2019). – Hereafter

@Kurtiskurtosis if I select 'Remove from Sale', do I need to pass the manual review again from the apple ? – Dingess

no, you do not need to have that binary pass review again - think of it as a switch to make available or not through the app store - in the old days you needed click the checkbox of every territory! Things have gotten a little smoother... – Subalpine

Will user be able to update to the latest version of an app removed from sale? I issued a last version of my app, I want to remove it from sale, but want users be able to update to the latest of that app. – Thug

If I do remove from sale and needs to update new version, does it goes through app review process – Photogram

If you are all worried about removing it from sale (you never know if apple has changed how this works) then just set it to a single small foreign country instead and then switch back to all countries later. That's what I plan on doing. – Offset

Answer 2

You can remove the app from the store temporarily.

1. Open itunesconnect.apple.com
2. Select My Apps
3. Select the app you need to remove
4. Select Pricing and Availability > Availability
5. Remove from Sale > Save

This will remove the app temporarily from the store. It may take a bit of time to be not available on the App Store. You will have a red dot specifying the developer remove the app from the store.

How to restore to App Store

Repeat steps 1-4, select which countries you want to restore, then save.

Reviews and Ratings History

By doing the steps above, your reviews and ratings will be intact as long as you don't do anything else. I just restored an app today and everything was as I left it before.

App Review Afterwards

You do not need to go through app review again as long as you don't change the binary. It takes about 1 hour to get back on to the App Store if you're using a previously approved binary.

A new binary will trigger a new app review.

Midden

if I select 'Remove from Sale', do I need to pass the manual review again from the apple ? – Dingess

Nope. If you put it back in the market, it'll use the old binary though, so you can't change anything @Alexa289 – Midden

What will happen to the user who already installed the app? – Waki

hey, Thanks for detailed solution. i have followed steps 1-4 again to restore to App Store. how much time will it take to make an effect? as i am unable to find App on Appstore even after Saving settings of Availability there. – Coon

it takes approx. an hour to be back on Appstore. Thanks @Midden – Coon

@ShreeSoftech thanks for the follow-up. That timing is in line with my own experience with this as well. – Midden

What if you have an app that is iOS and also Mac Catalyst platform? If you remove, then re-add, can you choose to ONLY publish the iOS, or will it also automatically publish the macOS platform build as well? – Schleswigholstein

@Schleswigholstein - I can't say for sure. You might have more luck creating a new question for this scenario. – Midden

Answer 3

Refer to this answer

• Open itunesconnect.apple.com

• Go to Manage Your Applications and select the app.

• Click Rights and Pricing (blue button at the top right.

• Below the availability date and price tier section, you should see a grid of checkboxes for the various countries your app is available in. Click the blue Deselect All button.

• Click Save Changes at the bottom.

Your app's state will then be Developer Removed From Sale, and it will no longer be available on the App Store in any country.

Example

Boice

if I select 'Remove from Sale', do I need to pass the manual review again from the apple ? – Dingess

@Alexa289 - not necessary. just you hide your app from live, when you need you can again select your country and and press save button, it will become live. – Boice