App maintenance services exist because a mobile app starts aging the day it launches. Apple and Google ship new OS versions every year, change store policies, raise minimum SDK requirements and retire old APIs. Libraries you depend on release breaking changes, certificates expire, and the backend your app talks to needs its own updates. An app nobody maintains does not stay the same. It slowly breaks, then gets removed from the stores or stops getting updates approved.
We provide app maintenance and support on monthly plans for iOS and Android apps built natively or with React Native and Flutter. Many clients pair it with website maintenance, so one team looks after both the website and app. This service sits within our mobile app development practice, and the same developers who build apps handle the maintenance.
What Are Mobile App Maintenance Services?
Mobile app maintenance services are the ongoing work of keeping a published app compatible, secure, stable and useful after launch. That covers updates for new iOS and Android versions, library and SDK upgrades, crash and bug fixes, store compliance, monitoring of the backend and APIs, and small improvements based on user feedback. It is different from building new major features, which usually runs as a separate project, although good mobile app maintenance and enhancement services leave room for both.
What Our App Maintenance and Support Plans Include
| Area | What we do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| OS compatibility | Test each new iOS and Android version during its beta period and ship fixes before public release. | Users who update their phones on day one do not find a broken app. |
| SDK and library upgrades | Update Xcode and iOS SDK builds, Android target API level, Firebase, payment, analytics and other SDKs. | Stores reject updates built on outdated SDKs, and old libraries carry security issues. |
| Crash and performance monitoring | Watch Firebase Crashlytics or Sentry, Android vitals and App Store Connect metrics, and fix the issues affecting most users first. | Crashes and slow starts drive bad reviews and uninstalls. |
| Store compliance | Keep privacy labels, the Data safety form, privacy manifests, account deletion and permission declarations current. | Policy gaps block updates or trigger removal notices. |
| Certificates and accounts | Track signing certificates, provisioning profiles, push notification keys and developer program renewals. | An expired certificate or lapsed membership can stop releases or push notifications. |
| Backend and API monitoring | Uptime checks, error rates, server updates and database backups for the API behind the app. | Many app outages are really server outages. |
| Fixes and small changes | Bug fixes, copy and design tweaks, and small features from the hours in your plan. | Improvements ship steadily instead of waiting for a big project. |
| Release management | Build, test and submit releases through TestFlight, Google Play testing tracks, phased release and staged rollout. | Problems reach a small share of users first and can be stopped. |
The Yearly App Maintenance Calendar
A lot of app maintenance is predictable. These are the events we plan around every year, so they never arrive as emergencies.
| When | Event | Our work |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Apple usually announces a new minimum Xcode and SDK version for App Store uploads | Upgrade the build toolchain and fix deprecations before the deadline. |
| June | Apple previews the next iOS at WWDC and releases developer betas | Install betas on test devices, review API changes and list what your app needs. |
| Through the year | Google releases the next Android version, with betas beforehand | Test on beta builds and Pixel devices, then on Samsung and other manufacturers as they update. |
| Late summer | Google Play's deadline for apps to target a recent Android API level, usually in August | Raise the target API level, handle new permission and background behavior, and ship the update in time. |
| September | The new iOS version is released to the public | Ship any compatibility fixes before or on release day. |
| Your renewal date | Apple Developer Program membership and distribution certificates | Renew in time, because a lapsed membership removes apps from sale. |
| Before your peak season | Sales events, enrollment periods or holiday traffic | Freeze risky changes, load test the backend and confirm monitoring alerts. |
Corrective, Adaptive, Perfective and Preventive App Maintenance
Maintenance work is often grouped into four types. A balanced plan covers all four, not only bug fixing.
- Corrective. Fixing bugs and crashes users report or monitoring reveals, such as a checkout screen that freezes on one Android model.
- Adaptive. Changing the app to fit a new environment: a new iOS version, a payment SDK upgrade, a new store policy or a backend API change.
- Perfective. Improving what already works, such as faster start times, a clearer onboarding flow or a feature users keep asking for.
- Preventive. Reducing future problems: upgrading libraries before they reach end of life, adding automated tests, cleaning up code that slows every change.
Most apps that come to us have only had corrective work for a year or more. The first months of a plan usually go into adaptive and preventive work to bring the app back to a safe baseline.
How Our App Maintenance Services Work
- App health audit (1 to 2 weeks). We confirm the app builds from source, review libraries and SDK versions, crash data, store compliance, backend setup and tests. You get a written report that ranks risks and recommends a plan.
- Access and ownership check. We make sure your company owns the Apple Developer and Google Play accounts, the source repository, signing keys, the backend hosting and analytics. Gaps here are fixed first, because they are the hardest to recover later.
- Monitoring and pipeline setup. We add or fix crash reporting, backend uptime checks and an automated build pipeline, so every release is repeatable.
- Stabilization (first 1 to 2 months). Critical updates, top crashes and policy gaps are fixed first, then outdated libraries are upgraded in planned steps.
- Monthly cycle. Requests go into a shared board, we agree priorities with you, and releases ship on a regular rhythm through testing tracks and phased rollout.
- Monthly report. What shipped, crash and performance trends, store review themes, hours used and what we recommend next.
Legacy App Maintenance: Taking Over an App Another Team Built
Most of the apps we maintain were built by someone else, sometimes by a team that is no longer reachable. Legacy app maintenance services start with recovering control: finding the latest source code, confirming it matches what is live in the stores, and rebuilding it on a current machine. Common problems we see include missing signing keys for older Android apps, React Native or Flutter versions several majors behind, abandoned libraries, hard-coded API keys and no documentation. We document everything we find, so the app is never dependent on one person again, including us.
Maintaining React Native, Flutter and Native Apps
- React Native and Expo. Upgrades between React Native versions and Expo SDK releases need planning, especially for apps moving to the New Architecture, which became the default in React Native 0.76. Native modules often need updates at the same time.
- Flutter. Flutter and Dart upgrades are usually smooth, but plugins for payments, maps or Bluetooth can lag behind and need replacements or patches.
- Native Swift and Kotlin. Each platform has its own toolchain, so updates are planned separately for iOS and Android, sharing one backend and one release plan. Our Android app development and iOS app development teams handle the deeper native work.
Backend Maintenance Behind Your App
When users say the app is broken, the cause is often the API, the database or a third-party service. Our plans include backend and API monitoring on the higher tiers: uptime checks, error rate and response time alerts, server and runtime updates, database backups that are tested by restoring them, and renewal of API keys and SSL certificates. For SaaS products, SaaS app support and maintenance services often cover the web app too, which our web application maintenance team handles under the same agreement.
App Maintenance Deliverables and Health Metrics
We do not promise ratings or download growth. We report the health measures that maintenance directly affects, so you can see whether the app is getting better.
- Crash-free users and crash-free sessions, by platform and app version.
- Android vitals for user-perceived crash and ANR rates, compared with Google Play's thresholds.
- App start time and key screen load times.
- Backend uptime, API error rate and response times.
- Store rating trend and the most common themes in recent reviews.
- Releases shipped, issues fixed and hours used against your plan.
App Maintenance Services Pricing
We run app maintenance on monthly plans with a set number of development hours and a three-month minimum term, billed in USD. What drives the cost: one platform or two, native or cross-platform, how far behind the app is today, the size of the backend, the number of third-party SDKs and how many improvements you want each month. The first month after a takeover is often busier, so we agree priorities in the audit.
App store fees, hosting and third-party API costs are paid by you directly.
App Care
$450 /month
Billed monthly, 1 platform
- Up to 6 hours of fixes and small changes
- Yearly iOS or Android version updates tested
- Crash and performance monitoring
- Library and SDK security updates
- Store listing kept compliant
- Response within 1 business day
- Minimum term
- 3 months, then month to month
- Setup
- $300 onboarding and code review, waived on a 6-month term
App Care Plus
$900 /month
Billed monthly, iOS and Android
- Up to 15 hours of development
- Everything in App Care for both platforms
- Backend and API monitoring
- One store release a month
- Response within 8 business hours
- Monthly report
- Minimum term
- 3 months, then month to month
- Setup
- $300, waived on a 6-month term
App Care Pro
$1,800 /month
Billed monthly, iOS and Android
- Up to 35 hours of development
- Everything in App Care Plus
- New features and UX improvements each month
- Release as often as needed
- Same-day response on business days
- Monthly roadmap call and shared Slack channel
- Minimum term
- 3 months, then month to month
- Add-on
- Extra hours: $50/hour. App store optimization pack: $350 one-time
All prices in USD. Need something different? Ask for a custom quote.
For larger apps or a combined website and app agreement, ask for a custom maintenance quote.
Signs Your App Needs App Maintenance and Support Now
- Your last store update was more than six months ago.
- You received an email from Apple or Google about a policy, SDK or target API deadline.
- Crash reports or one-star reviews are rising after a new OS release.
- Nobody on your team can build the app from source today.
- Push notifications stopped working, or a payment provider announced an SDK retirement.
- Your original developer or agency is no longer available.
Security Work in Mobile App Maintenance
Security in a mobile app rarely fails in one dramatic way. It erodes through outdated libraries, leaked keys and data stored where it should not be. Our app maintenance plans include a security routine alongside feature work.
- Dependency scanning. Automated alerts, such as GitHub Dependabot, flag libraries with known vulnerabilities, and we patch or replace them in the next release.
- Secrets out of the app. API keys for payment, email or admin services belong on the server, not in the app bundle, where they can be extracted. We move them and rotate any that were exposed.
- Safe storage. Tokens and sensitive data are stored in the iOS Keychain and Android Keystore rather than plain preferences or files.
- Session handling. Token expiry, refresh and logout are checked so a lost phone does not mean an open account.
- Reference standard. For apps handling payments or personal data, we review against the OWASP Mobile Application Security Verification Standard (MASVS) and fix the gaps that apply.
Ecommerce App Maintenance Services
Shopping apps have extra moving parts: product and inventory sync, payment SDKs, deep links from email and ads, push notification campaigns and promotions that must work during your biggest sales days. Ecommerce app maintenance services add checks on catalog sync, checkout and payment flows, deep links and campaign tracking before each sales event. If your app was built on the Shopify Storefront API or WooCommerce REST API, we also follow API version changes, since Shopify retires older Storefront API versions on a published schedule.
Why Choose 95 Solutions for App Maintenance Services
- We run software ourselves. Our team co-builds AM Jarvis, a SaaS suite, and runs production sites on a CMS we wrote, so updates, monitoring and incidents are part of our normal week.
- Senior oversight. Mustafa, who holds a BS in Computer Science, oversees priorities, so maintenance hours go to the issues that cost you users or revenue.
- Ownership by default. Developer accounts, keys, code and hosting stay in your name, and we document everything we touch.
- Hours that fit. Our working day overlaps the full US business day and UK business hours, which matters when a release needs attention.
Who Our App Maintenance Services Are For
A good fit
- Businesses with a live iOS or Android app and no in-house mobile developer.
- Startups whose original developer or agency has moved on.
- SaaS companies whose mobile app trails the web product.
- Ecommerce brands that rely on an app for repeat customers.
Probably not a fit
- Apps that need a full rebuild. Our audit will say so, and the rebuild runs as a project.
- Products that need a full-time dedicated team, which suits our dedicated developers model better.
- Apps with no users and no plans to grow, where retiring the app may be the cheaper decision.
Related services: interface improvements run through our mobile app design services, and store visibility through app store optimization.