11 Rare Apps That Were Yanked from Apple’s App Store
Just because an app is available in the App Store doesn’t mean it will stick around.
Apple maintains a tight ship and has strict policies on what apps are allowed to do, but sometimes a few slip through the cracks.
From apps that can play old Nintendo games to the notorious Flappy Bird, we’ve collected the most interesting apps that are no longer available — unless you were one of the lucky few who downloaded them before they got yanked.
1. In the final 24 hours Flappy Bird was available, more than 10 million people downloaded the addictive game.
Creator Dong Nguyen was bothered by the onslaught of media attention and messages from those addicted to Flappy Bird. Nguyen later told Rolling Stone he pulled the game because “I’m master of my own fate.”
2. Nescaline was a Nintendo emulator that lasted only a couple of hours.
Nescaline allowed its users to play full Nintendo games on their iPhones, and even had multitouch support — a novelty for emulators at the time.
3. Weed Firm reached the No. 1 overall spot in the App Store’s free section before Apple pulled it.
The game’s description asked you to “Follow the story of an expelled botany sophomore Ted Growing as he inherits a growing operation and expands it.”
4. Before Apple made the feature official, Camera+ let you take photos using the iPhone’s volume buttons.
After Apple rejected a Camera+ update that included the feature, the app’s developers revealed that typing “camplus://enablevolumesnap”into Safari also enabled the feature. When Apple found out, Camera+ was pulled.
5. HiddenApps allowed users to disable iAds and hide default apps.
Ever want to delete Newsstand, Stocks, or the Weather app from your iPhone? “HiddenApps” gave users the ability to do this — and even to disable Apple’s iAds — all without jailbreaking your device.
6. People installed Windows 3.0 and Warcraft 2 on their iPad using iDOS.
iDOS enabled the classic DOS operating system to be installed on an iPad.
While Apple removed the original iDOS from the App Store due to the fact that people could drag and drop code via iTunes, a new version returned that included a few games for free (and there’s still a workaround for adding your own code, too).
7. iTether was the top-grossing app in Apple’s App Store before it got the hook.
Both iTether and the similarly pulled Netshare allowed you to share your iPhone’s Internet connection with your computer over USB, thus avoiding the $20/month tethering option through wireless carriers.
8. This Super Nintendo emulator masqueraded in the App Store as Remote File Manager before getting noticed.
While Remote File Manager allowed you to view your Dropbox files, it also featured hidden support for SNES emulator games, allowing users who uploaded SNES ROMs to play them from within the app.
9. Blockchain was a popular bitcoin wallet app with more than 1 million users.
Apple pulled Blockchain from the App Store due to “an unresolved issue,” according to Wired. Since then, Apple has changed its App Store policy in regards to bitcoin apps, allowing for Blockchain’s return.
10. VLC Media Player used to allow you to drag, drop, and play any media file on your iPhone and iPad.
For those looking to watch their own media on their Apple devices, VLC Media Player was a godsend. Unfortunately, it was pulled soon after its release, though it continued to work for those who nabbed it in time.
11. You could stream live TV using the iPhone’s 3G network with EyeTV.
EyeTV originally only allowed TV recordings to be played on iPhones, but the next version enabled users to stream live TV. Apple removed the app, citing that Apple’s agreement with AT&T prohibited redirecting TV signals over its cellular network.
Interested in some fresh new apps that won’t disappear?
Click here for 11 hot new apps you may have missed recently.
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