Get a stuck or inherited iOS app back under control.
If the original developer has gone, the build is broken, or every release feels dangerous, I can establish what still works, restore a reliable path to delivery, and give you a practical recovery plan.
This is for you if…
- The project does not compile on a current Xcode version.
- Certificates, signing, dependencies or App Store access are unclear.
- The app crashes, or important features have stopped working.
- No one internally understands the codebase well enough to change it safely.
- A previous supplier disappeared, or handed over incomplete documentation.
- An urgent release is blocked and the team needs senior iOS triage.
What I will do
- Secure the minimum access required. Repository, build instructions, relevant accounts and the symptoms you have observed. Nothing more than the work needs.
- Reproduce the failure in a controlled environment. A clean checkout on a documented toolchain, so the first real blocker is visible rather than inferred.
- Separate immediate blockers from structural problems. What is stopping you shipping this week is rarely the same as what will slow you down for the next year.
- Restore a reproducible build and delivery path. Where that is feasible on the evidence, and with the steps written down so the next person can repeat them.
- Fix the highest-priority issue, or scope the remediation. Depending on what triage finds and what you want to do next.
- Document access, decisions and next actions. For whoever owns the app next, whether that is an internal engineer, a new supplier or me.
What you receive
Deliverables depend on scope and on what the app turns out to need. A rescue engagement may include:
- A working local build and documented setup steps.
- Dependency, signing and CI repairs.
- A risk-ranked rescue report.
- Critical crash or release-blocker fixes.
- A 30/60/90-day stabilisation roadmap.
- A handover call and written technical notes.
How the engagement is shaped
Begin with a one-to-three-day triage. At the end of that stage, you should know whether the immediate problem is fixed, what remains, and whether a short stabilisation engagement is justified.
I will not promise recovery before I have seen the code. Any commitment about what can be fixed, and how long it will take, comes after repository access and a first reproduction, not before.
Relevant experience
Why this work suits me
At Waracle I led engineering across several extensive client codebases, often concurrently, which meant becoming productive quickly in large, mature, unfamiliar code. That is the core skill a rescue needs.
At Westpac I have worked incrementally through legacy UIKit and Objective-C surfaces in a long-lived banking codebase without stopping delivery. Across GlowUp, Motorway and Unblu I have owned production release pipelines end to end, including signing, CI, TestFlight, App Store submission and phased rollouts, which is usually where a stalled app is actually stuck.
Common questions
Can you help if we do not own or have the source code?
I can help you establish what access actually exists, who holds it, and what can be recovered through your Apple Developer account and any suppliers involved. Meaningful code rescue normally requires lawful access to the repository and the Apple accounts, so establishing that is usually the first piece of work.
Will you rewrite the app?
Not by default. The first goal is to restore control and understand the risk you are carrying. A rewrite is only considered if the evidence supports it, and it would be a separate, explicitly scoped decision rather than something that happens by drift.
Can you guarantee an App Store release date?
No. I can identify the blockers and build the safest practical route to a release, but App Review timing and unknown conditions in an unfamiliar codebase make a date impossible to promise before investigation. I would rather be accurate than optimistic.
Can you take over ongoing maintenance?
Potentially, after triage, if the scope and my availability fit. Some clients want the app stabilised and handed back to an internal team; others want someone to stay through the next few releases. Both are reasonable.
How quickly can you start?
It depends on current commitments. Tell me what is blocked and by when, and I will be straight with you about whether I can help in that window or whether you need someone else.
Related reading
Tell me what the app is doing
A few sentences about the app, the failure and the access you have is enough to start. I will reply by email and tell you whether a short triage is worth doing.