Shopify developers can now remove their own apps from the App Store

Shopify now lets app developers remove their own apps from the Shopify App Store without contacting Shopify Support. Developers can start the sunsetting process directly from the Partner Dashboard, according to the Shopify release notes.

To begin, a developer goes to Apps, selects the app, opens Distribution, and clicks Remove from App Store. The developer must choose a sunset date at least 30 days in the future. Shopify removes the app from the App Store right away, so merchants can no longer find or install it there. The removal can’t be undone. To list the app again, the developer must submit it for review as a new app.

Merchants who already have the app installed are not cut off immediately. They can keep using it until the scheduled sunset date, when the app is sunset and removed from their stores. Shopify does not email merchants, cancel their charges, or uninstall the app for the developer.

Why it matters

The change puts the full offboarding process in the developer’s hands and gives merchants a defined window to find a replacement. It also removes a support-ticket step that previously sat between a developer’s decision and the app’s removal from the store. Because the removal is permanent, developers who want to return later will have to go through review again.

What to do

Developers planning to retire an app should set a sunset date that leaves merchants enough time to switch, then notify them and send reminders before that date. Before the sunset date, they also need to cancel app subscriptions and uninstall the app from any remaining stores using the documented API mutations. Readers should confirm the exact steps and requirements on Shopify’s developer documentation, including its guide to sunsetting an app.