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Offers - Your app can no longer be updated on the stores? We bring it back into compliance
From €2,500 excl. VAT · 1 to 3 weeks · Price set before we start · Businesses only
Your app was built a few years ago, it works, and one day you get an email from Google or Apple: your app no longer meets their rules and you can no longer publish updates. Don't panic: this is very common. Google and Apple raise their requirements every year, and an app that isn't maintained always ends up blocked. We bring your app back into compliance and republish it, whether or not you still have your developer.
This is for you if…
- •You received an email from Google Play or Apple that you don’t fully understand
- •Your update was rejected, or the Google Play Console shows a warning
- •The freelancer or agency that built your app is no longer available
- •Your app is built with React Native, Capacitor, Ionic or native code
- •You simply want your app to keep running, without rebuilding everything
What Google and Apple require today
In plain terms, no jargon. These rules apply to every app, whatever technology was used to build it:
Google Play
Target Android 16 (API 36)
Since August 31, 2026, every new app and every update must be built for Android 16 (what Google calls “API 36”). Google lets you request an extension until November 1, 2026, and no later.
Google Play
Stay visible to new users
An app that targets Android 14 or lower is no longer offered to new users whose phone runs a newer version. Your existing users keep it, but you lose downloads without noticing.
App Store
Be built with Xcode 26
Since April 28, 2026, Apple rejects any upload of an app that was not built with Xcode 26 (Apple’s official tool) and the iOS 26 SDK. Your app stays online, but you can no longer publish updates.
Google Play
Support “16 KB” memory pages
Apps that contain native code (Android-specific code, outside the web or JavaScript part) must be compatible with a new way of handling memory on recent Android phones. Google has announced that non-compatible updates will be blocked from February 1, 2027.
Good to know: your app is not removed overnight. But until it is compliant, you can no longer fix a bug, add a feature or respond to a security issue. And every year, the gap to close grows.
How it works
Step 1
A 30-minute call
You forward us the email from Google or Apple. We explain what it means, what needs to be done and whether a simple compliance update is enough.
Step 2
We gather the access
Source code, Google Play and Apple accounts, Android signing key (the file that proves to Google that updates really come from you): we go through the list together. If your former developer is gone, we help you recover what is missing.
Step 3
We update your app
We upgrade the tools, libraries and settings required by Google and Apple, then test your app on real iPhone and Android devices.
Step 4
We republish it
We submit the new version to Google Play and the App Store, update the existing declarations the stores require and handle any feedback from Google and Apple.
Included in the base price (€2,500 excl. VAT)
- •A diagnosis of your app, to know exactly what is blocking and what needs to be done
- •Android compliance: Android 16 (API 36) and 16 KB memory page compatibility
- •iPhone compliance: a new version built with Xcode 26
- •Testing on real iPhone and Android devices before submission
- •Submission to Google Play and the App Store, including follow-up on feedback from Google and Apple
- •15 days of support after delivery
- •A simple document summarizing the state of your app, your access and what to watch out for next year
Options
Depending on the state of your app, some options may be added to the base price. Everything is priced before we start, with no surprises:
| Option | Price | Extra time |
|---|---|---|
| Recovering access and code when your former developer is gone (accounts, source code, signing key) | + €500 excl. VAT | + 1 to 3 days |
| Replacing an abandoned library that blocks the update (payments, notifications, maps…) | + €500 to €1,500 excl. VAT per library | + 2 to 5 days per library |
| Complete new declarations (data safety, privacy) if missing | + €350 excl. VAT | + 1 day |
| App too old for a simple update | Audit €1,500 excl. VAT, then migration from €18,000 excl. VAT | See the migration offer |
Recovering access and code when your former developer is gone (accounts, source code, signing key)
- Price:
- + €500 excl. VAT
- Time:
- + 1 to 3 days
Replacing an abandoned library that blocks the update (payments, notifications, maps…)
- Price:
- + €500 to €1,500 excl. VAT per library
- Time:
- + 2 to 5 days per library
Complete new declarations (data safety, privacy) if missing
- Price:
- + €350 excl. VAT
- Time:
- + 1 day
App too old for a simple update
- Price:
- Audit €1,500 excl. VAT, then migration from €18,000 excl. VAT
- Time:
- See the migration offer
What we can't promise: let's be honest
A compliance update goes smoothly in the vast majority of cases. But some situations require more work, and we prefer to tell you upfront:
- •If your app is very old, a simple update is sometimes not enough: it has to be modernized first. For a React Native app, we then start with an audit for €1,500 excl. VAT followed by a full migration
- •If the source code can't be found, the app can't be updated: it has to be recovered from your former developer, or a new app has to be built
- •If the Android signing key is lost, the solution depends on how your app was set up on Google Play. We check this on the first call
- •Google and Apple may request other changes during review, unrelated to compliance (content, privacy, payments)
We know these rules and we prepare your app to give it the best chance of approval. But the final decision belongs to Google and Apple: nobody can guarantee publication 100%. If a rejection requires extra work, we explain why and offer you a priced solution before going any further.
What we need to get started
- •The email you received from Google or Apple (or a screenshot of the warning)
- •Your app’s source code, or the contact details of whoever has it
- •Access to your Google Play and Apple accounts
- •The Android signing key if you have it (we help you check)
Not sure whether your app is affected?
That's normal, these messages are rarely clear. During the call, we read the email with you and look at your app. You come away knowing whether it is affected, what needs to be done and the exact price, set before we start. If a simple compliance update is not enough, we tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if Google Play or Apple blocks my app update?
The app needs to be brought into line with the stores’ new requirements, then republished. GUIGUI Tech, a Paris-based technical studio, offers a Google Play and App Store compliance service from €2,500 excl. VAT, in 1 to 3 weeks: diagnosis, Android 16 (API 36) and Xcode 26 update, testing on real phones and submission to both stores.
How much does it cost to bring an app into store compliance?
GUIGUI Tech’s Google Play and App Store compliance service costs from €2,500 excl. VAT, with a price set before work begins. This price covers the diagnosis, the Android and iPhone update, testing, submission to both stores and 15 days of support. Options priced in advance can be added, for example recovering access when the previous provider has left (€500 excl. VAT).
How long does it take to bring an app back into compliance?
A Google Play and App Store compliance update by GUIGUI Tech usually takes 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the state of the app and the access available. Google and Apple’s review time then comes on top, which no one controls.
Do I need to target Android 16 (API 36) to publish on Google Play?
Yes. Since August 31, 2026, Google Play requires every new app and every update to target Android 16 (API 36), with an extension available on request until November 1, 2026. GUIGUI Tech handles this update in its store compliance offer, from €2,500 excl. VAT.
Will my app disappear from Google Play if I do nothing?
No, it is not removed, but it becomes invisible to some new users and you can no longer publish updates. According to Google, an app targeting Android 14 or lower is no longer offered to new users with a more recent phone. GUIGUI Tech’s store compliance offer, from €2,500 excl. VAT, fixes this problem.
Do I need Xcode 26 to publish an update on the App Store?
Yes. Since April 28, 2026, Apple requires every app uploaded to App Store Connect (Apple’s app management portal) to be built with Xcode 26 and the iOS 26 SDK. Apps already live remain available, but no update gets through without it. GUIGUI Tech includes this in its store compliance offer, from €2,500 excl. VAT.
What if the developer who built my app is no longer available?
GUIGUI Tech can take over a React Native, Capacitor, Ionic or native app without its original developer, provided the source code and access to the Google Play and Apple accounts can be recovered. The access and code recovery option costs €500 excl. VAT, on top of the compliance service from €2,500 excl. VAT.
My app is too old: does it need to be rebuilt from scratch?
Not necessarily. GUIGUI Tech first checks whether a simple compliance update is enough (from €2,500 excl. VAT). If the React Native app is too old, GUIGUI Tech offers a €1,500 excl. VAT audit followed by a full migration from €18,000 excl. VAT, which is often still much cheaper than a new app.
Does GUIGUI Tech guarantee that my app will be accepted by Google and Apple?
No, no one can guarantee it: the final decision belongs to Google and Apple. GUIGUI Tech prepares the app to meet their requirements, handles the submission and deals with their feedback. If a rejection requires additional work, a costed solution is proposed before going further.
How does payment work for the compliance service?
GUIGUI Tech’s store compliance service is paid in two installments: 30% upfront, 70% on delivery. Invoices are issued by our company, a French SAS.
Send us the email from Google or Apple
Book a 30-minute callFree, no commitment. We tell you what needs to be done and what it costs.
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