Microsoft is removing apps from the Store without explanation

[Gerg1]

Hello,
last month Microsoft started removing apps from the Store without giving any explanation. One morning I logged in Dev Center and noticed that my account was deactivated. I thought that this is bug so I contacted Microsoft. They told me that my account is banned and to contact Windows Store team. I really cant remember violating any of the rules noted in ADA. So I contacted them and asked what wrong I did. In reply I got generic email, explaining that I broke the rules but I did not got any concrete explanation. Then I was very dissapointed and I felt hopeless, so I created thread in local Windows forum. There I was told by the users that this is not the only case. Other users shared a link, where a lot of developers are complaining about the exactly same problem, and they got the exactly same generic reply from Microsoft.

This is the link:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F...5a8eb9dc/account-deactivated?forum=wpregister

As a long term fan and partner of Microsoft I felt very, very bad. You just can not understand. I spent hundreds of hours creating my app, which was pretty well built in my opinion. I developed for this platform with love, passion and hope for better future of Windows. And all I got was this. I assume that the other devs are also very frustrated by the news.

I think that I chosed the wrong platform to develop for, and I feel hopeless about the situation.

Thank you for reading this, I just wanted to share my story with you guys.

 

[etphoto]

A lot of Windows RT, Band, Groove Music and now WP consumers feel the same way. We woke up one morning and noticed devices we liked and had been removed. MS sent out generic emails and messages explaining why.

 

[Chintan Gohel]

Hello,
last month Microsoft started removing apps from the Store without giving any explanation. One morning I logged in Dev Center and noticed that my account was deactivated. I thought that this is bug so I contacted Microsoft. They told me that my account is banned and to contact Windows Store team. I really cant remember violating any of the rules noted in ADA. So I contacted them and asked what wrong I did. In reply I got generic email, explaining that I broke the rules but I did not got any concrete explanation. Then I was very dissapointed and I felt hopeless, so I created thread in local Windows forum. There I was told by the users that this is not the only case. Other users shared a link, where a lot of developers are complaining about the exactly same problem, and they got the exactly same generic reply from Microsoft.

This is the link:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F...5a8eb9dc/account-deactivated?forum=wpregister

As a long term fan and partner of Microsoft I felt very, very bad. You just can not understand. I spent hundreds of hours creating my app, which was pretty well built in my opinion. I developed for this platform with love, passion and hope for better future of Windows. And all I got was this. I assume that the other devs are also very frustrated by the news.

I think that I chosed the wrong platform to develop for, and I feel hopeless about the situation.

Thank you for reading this, I just wanted to share my story with you guys.

Sorry about that - which were your apps by the way? Out of curiosity

 

[Old_Mil]

You know what the water in your toilet does when you pull the flush? That's Microsoft under Nadella. Like that water it swirls around a bit before actually going down the drain.

 

[TechFreak1]

Hello,
last month Microsoft started removing apps from the Store without giving any explanation. One morning I logged in Dev Center and noticed that my account was deactivated. I thought that this is bug so I contacted Microsoft. They told me that my account is banned and to contact Windows Store team. I really cant remember violating any of the rules noted in ADA. So I contacted them and asked what wrong I did. In reply I got generic email, explaining that I broke the rules but I did not got any concrete explanation. Then I was very dissapointed and I felt hopeless, so I created thread in local Windows forum. There I was told by the users that this is not the only case. Other users shared a link, where a lot of developers are complaining about the exactly same problem, and they got the exactly same generic reply from Microsoft.

This is the link:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F...5a8eb9dc/account-deactivated?forum=wpregister

As a long term fan and partner of Microsoft I felt very, very bad. You just can not understand. I spent hundreds of hours creating my app, which was pretty well built in my opinion. I developed for this platform with love, passion and hope for better future of Windows. And all I got was this. I assume that the other devs are also very frustrated by the news.

I think that I chosed the wrong platform to develop for, and I feel hopeless about the situation.

Thank you for reading this, I just wanted to share my story with you guys.

No Gerg1, you didn't chose the wrong platform to develop and spend time on.

Thank you for sharing your story.

I've heard and aware the woes many developers have put up to continue developing and creating a livelihood for themselves.

In short what it has stemmed down to is allocation of resources and removal of said resources for short term profit gain. As from one of the commentators this problem started in Mid 2017 and there was relatively massive layoff in Mid 2017 (relative small when compared to the 2014 layoffs)...

I cannot say what you should or should not do as that is what you can only decide for yourself, for now I would say give it a bit longer as sooner or or later it will surpass an inflection point where action from Microsoft will become necessary. What sort of action, I do not know.

In the interim period maybe contact the Microsoft big wigs such as Terry Myserson, Joe Belfiore and relevant department heads directly via twitter.

Maybe you will get a response that way?

Therefore leap frogging the automated process which has clearly has failed.

Keep us posted if you choose to go through the twitter route.

Lastly what are the apps you developed?

Want to check them out as well .

 

[Gerg1]

My app was called Math Hub. It was always up-to-date and got UI inspired by Microsoft Fluent Design System. It covered all the quality criteria of Microsoft Store, so I don't think it was removed due to poor quality.

You can learn more about it here: https://forums.windowscentral.com/w...-hub-universal-windows-platform-math-app.html

I tried to contact several Microsoft employees via Twitter but they don't want to respond me.

 

[TechFreak1]

My app was called Math Hub. It was always up-to-date and got UI inspired by Microsoft Fluent Design System. It covered all the quality criteria of Microsoft Store, so I don't think it was removed due to poor quality.

You can learn more about it here: https://forums.windowscentral.com/w...-hub-universal-windows-platform-math-app.html

I tried to contact several Microsoft employees via Twitter but they don't want to respond me.

That is odd, you will have to give them time as after all they probably get alot of messages.

Also do you have a link for the twitter thread?

 

[Gerg1]

That is odd, you will have to give them time as after all they probably get alot of messages.

Also do you have a link for the twitter thread?

Here is the tweet:
https://twitter.com/krumcvetkov/status/962301001830223872

 

[TechFreak1]

Here is the tweet:
https://twitter.com/krumcvetkov/status/962301001830223872

Thanks, it's been 8 working days so far.

Maybe send a polite notice asking them to look into it with the link in the first post?

 

[Gerg1]

Contacted Dona Sarkar month ago and still no progress.

 

[Imperial Dynamics]

when i first read that your app was removed i thought it was some kind of bikini babes app. Being a Maths apps makes it strange indeed.
Surely you have a clue of what was wrong. Perhaps you used Microsoft logos. Perhaps there was something wrong in the description of the app.
Surely you suspect something.