What happens when you don’t maintain your app

It’s easy to think of an app like a finished product - something you complete, release, and move on from. But digital products don’t work like that. Software is dynamic. Platforms change, user expectations evolve, and the tech landscape never stays still.

Here’s the reality: An app without ongoing updates becomes outdated, insecure, and unusable faster than you think.

According to Statista, over 100,000 new apps are released to the App Store and Google Play every month. That means your competition is constantly innovating. If you're not improving your app, you’re falling behind.

If you’re not actively updating or maintaining your app, here’s what you’re likely to face:

Neglected apps are prime targets for cyberattacks. Mobile malware is on the rise - Kaspersky detected over 33 million attacks on mobile devices in 2023 alone. And with operating systems releasing frequent security patches, any app that doesn’t keep up quickly becomes a liability.

Even worse, a single security flaw can damage your brand’s reputation and erode user trust. No one wants to be the headline that reads: “Company X app leaks thousands of customer records.”

Apps don’t operate in a vacuum. When Apple or Google releases a new OS version (which they do every year), your app might suddenly start misbehaving or stop working altogether. Crashes, laggy interfaces, or broken integrations can creep in fast.

If you don’t have someone regularly testing and tweaking your app against OS and device updates, you won’t even know what’s broken until users start deleting.

Both the App Store and Google Play have strict policies and regularly remove apps that are outdated or non-compliant. In fact, Google purged nearly 1.5 million apps in 2023 for policy violations or inactivity.

Without a maintenance plan, your app risks getting booted, meaning all that investment could disappear from your users’ devices in an instant.

Users expect apps to evolve. New features. Smoother interfaces. Bug fixes. If they don’t see progress, they assume the app is abandoned - or worse, they look for a better one.

Loyalty drops fast. According to AppsFlyer, over 50% of users uninstall an app within 30 days of download. But if you’re constantly improving your experience, you give them a reason to stay.

Image source.

Not every business has - or wants - a full-time, in-house app development team. It’s a big investment. Salaries, training, recruitment, tooling, testing environments…it adds up fast.

Instead, many businesses launch with a development partner and then either:

• Hand off the finished app to internal IT teams (who might not have mobile-specific expertise), or
• Cross their fingers and hope nothing goes wrong for a while

But here’s the thing: digital products aren’t just IT projects - they’re living, breathing parts of your customer experience. And without mobile-focused specialists keeping things updated, it’s easy for issues to snowball.

At The Distance, we don’t just build apps. We help them thrive, long after launch.

Here’s what working with an ongoing development partner like us looks like:

We keep track of platform changes (like the latest iOS or Android release) and prepare your app in advance, so there are no surprises when updates roll out.

Our team stays on top of known vulnerabilities and patches them before they become a threat. We also advise on best practices for data handling, encryption, and compliance.

User feedback? New business goals? Changes in your market? We can work with you to refine and expand your app’s functionality over time, without starting from scratch.

We track how your app performs in the real world, from loading times to crash rates, and make improvements that keep your experience smooth, fast, and responsive.

We offer ongoing audits to make sure your app meets evolving app store guidelines, accessibility standards, and performance benchmarks. No more guesswork.

Think of it this way: not having a maintenance plan is like buying a car and never getting it serviced. Sure, it might run for a while. But eventually, it breaks down… and the repair bill is much higher than if you'd just kept it in good condition.

The same goes for apps. Small, regular updates prevent massive rebuilds. Security patches prevent PR disasters. Listening to users prevents churn.

And when you have an expert partner by your side, you can focus on your business while we take care of your tech.

If you’re unsure whether you need a plan, start here:

• When was the last time your app was updated?
• Do you have someone tracking platform and security changes?
• Are you acting on user feedback or bug reports?
• Are you confident your app meets current store policies?

If any of those made you pause, it’s time to rethink your approach.

At The Distance, we believe every app should be an experience, not a ticking time bomb waiting for the next crash or update to derail it.

That’s why we work with our partners long-term, helping you stay ahead instead of scrambling to catch up. From updates and security patches to brand-new features, we’ve got your back - so your app keeps delivering value, day after day.

Here’s a checklist of what your plan should include:

✅ OS update readiness (iOS, Android)

✅ Device compatibility testing

✅ Security patching and monitoring

✅ Crash/error logging and fixes

✅ Performance improvements

✅ Feature backlog management

✅ App Store compliance checks

✅ Regular usage analytics reviews

✅ API and third-party dependency updates

If you’re missing any of the above, let’s chat.

An app without ongoing updates is like a garden without a gardener - it doesn’t just stay still, it starts to wither.

Whether you’re planning your first launch or managing a legacy product, ongoing app maintenance isn’t optional. It’s how you protect your users, stay ahead of your competitors, and turn your app into something truly exceptional.

We’re here to help you do just that.

Ready to future-proof your app and keep your users coming back?