[Critical] Offloaded app cannot be re-installed if OS is incompatible

Originator:bruno.virlet
Number:rdar://FB9047967 Date Originated:March 19, 2021
Status:Open Resolved:
Product:App Store Product Version:
Classification: Reproducible:
 
Scenario :
- You are on iOS 12
- Have an old version of an app installed on your phone, the app only supports iOS 13+ but it used to support iOS 12.
- App is offloaded by iOS
- When you attempt to un-offload the app, the app fails to install

Looking at the associated sysdiagnose, you can see the following error: "The system version is lower than the minimum OS version specified for bundle at …/Genius Scan Enterprise.app. Have 12.5.1; need 13.0":

Wed Mar 3 20:52:29 2021 [292] <notice> (0x16f3cb000) -[MIClientConnection updatePlaceholderMetadataForApp:installType:failureReason:underlyingError:failureSource:completion:]: Update placeholder metadata requested by client installcoordinationd (pid 175) for app com.thegrizzlylabs.GeniusScanPro installType = 8 failureReason = 1 underlyingError = Error Domain=MIInstallerErrorDomain Code=9 "The system version is lower than the minimum OS version specified for bundle at /private/var/installd/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.e0oYJC/extracted/Payload/Genius Scan Enterprise.app. Have 12.5.1; need 13.0" UserInfo={LegacyErrorString=DeviceOSVersionTooLow, FunctionName=-[MIBundle isApplicableToOSVersion:error:], SourceFileLine=963, NSLocalizedDescription=The system version is lower than the minimum OS version specified for bundle at /private/var/installd/Library/Caches/com.apple.mobile.installd.staging/temp.e0oYJC/extracted/Payload/Genius Scan Enterprise.app. Have 12.5.1; need 13.0} failureSource = 17 

Why this is critical?
- This can result in document loss for the user who is unable to reinstall the app, as they won't be able to access their documents.
- As an app developer, we are unable to provide a workaround.

What should be the expected behavior:
- Either iOS shouldn't offload the app if the app doesn't support the user's iOS version anymore,
- Or better, when un-offloading, iOS should install the last compatible version.

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