How Often Are Releases of Pocket Casts Discontinued or Declared Unsupported?

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  tommyrot9e0c9208ac · Member · December 22, 2024 at 8:48 am

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  (I haven’t been able to find this documented anywhere.)

  Device makers have been loath to be too upfront about this, but it’s generally understood that each, for example, iPhone can expect 7 iOS releases (including the one preinstalled). Security releases are only provided for the 3 latest major releases.

  It’s common practice for iOS app developers tend to retire their apps ad hoc i.e. when it suits them. This doesn’t confer much transparency to users.

  Some app developers (across the gamut of categories) have a policy of declaring their apps unsupported if the OS isn’t on the latest major version (or the previous two major versions). If your OS drops behind the last 3 major releases, for instance, the app is declared obsolete. Users can sometimes receive jarring notices upon opening their beloved app to find a screen disabling use with a simple message “Please update your app.” (The requirement may also mean the OS needs to be updated, too. And if they’re on an older device, replacing their device.)

  Even though the principal offering of a podcast app is the same today as it was in 2010, future innovations may mean that app developers decide to retire present versions for all sorts of reasons e.g. newer apps supporting newer higher-efficiency codecs perhaps; richer data collection of listening behaviour; peppering ads into the app to support new revenue models etc.

  I’d like to know what Pocket Casts’s approach / policy is to this, please.

  Thank you.

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  bjtitus · Staff · December 24, 2024 at 1:45 am

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  We do not have a hard policy on this but have historically dropped iOS versions once their usage drops below 2% in the past. As a small team, we are always balancing new feature development and testing complexity with long term user support. We’re always open to feedback on our approach!

  The Pocket Casts iOS source code is fully available under the Mozilla Public License, so you are free to provide input when we drop OS versions or fork the application for your own use.