Hello,
We are currently evaluating ways to reduce the app size of the my App. The app contains approximately 200~250 MB of bundled static resources, and we are considering converting these resources into On-Demand Resources（ODR） in order to reduce the initial download and installation size of the app. However, we noticed that ODR is currently marked by Apple as a Legacy Technology. Since we would like these resources to continue being hosted and distributed through Apple CDN / App Store infrastructure, the first alternative we considered is Managed Background Assets, rather than regular Background Assets. We understand that regular Background Assets are available on iOS 16 and later, but they mainly address background download scheduling for apps. What we are specifically looking for is the resource hosting and distribution capability, similar to ODR, where assets can be hosted and delivered through Apple’s infrastructure. This is why we are considering Managed Background Assets. However, my App currently supports devices starting from iOS 14, while the key capabilities of Managed Background Assets require newer iOS versions. As a result, this solution cannot fully cover users who are still on older iOS versions, such as iOS 14 through iOS 18. Given this background, we would like to ask Apple the following questions:
- Does Apple have any plan to discontinue ODR-related services in the future, especially the App Store-hosted ODR asset download service?
- If the ODR service is changed or discontinued in the future, would it affect already released App Store apps that rely on ODR asset downloads on older iOS versions?
- For apps that still need to support iOS 14 and later, while also relying on Apple CDN / App Store infrastructure for resource hosting and distribution, does Apple still recommend using ODR?
- For apps that cannot immediately raise their minimum supported iOS version to the version required by Managed Background Assets, is there a recommended transition strategy?
- If ODR services are discontinued in the future, will Apple provide an alternative resource distribution solution that supports older iOS versions, or would developers need to build and maintain their own resource hosting and download system?
We would like to better understand the long-term availability and potential risks of using ODR on older iOS versions, so that we can make an appropriate decision for future app size reduction and asset delivery in the App.
Thank you.