Yes, as long as you have the source code and access to the store accounts. Then we need nothing from the previous team — we rebuild the rest ourselves. Their cooperation speeds the takeover up, but it is not a requirement.
App takeover
Switching software houses? We take over your app
We take over mobile apps from other vendors — the code, the access, the Google Play and App Store accounts. First we check what you are actually getting, then we stabilize the project and keep developing it for as many hours as you decide.
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When you need a mobile app takeover
App owners usually come to us in one of these situations. Each one can be solved — the sooner you secure access, the cheaper it is.
- Your software house is ending the contract or raising rates
- The vendor stopped responding and the app has bugs to fix
- You have no access to the source code or repository
- The Google Play or Apple Developer account is registered to the vendor
- The freelancer who built the app cannot be reached
- Nobody outside the previous team knows the project
- You do not know what state the code you paid for is in
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What a project takeover covers
A takeover is more than cloning a repository. Before we change a line of code, we make sure the app really belongs to you and that the next version can ship.
> Access and ownership
- Moving the code repository to your company account
- Transferring the app to your Google Play Console account
- Transferring the app to your Apple Developer account
- Securing signing keys and certificates
- Access to Firebase, the backend and third-party services
> Project health check
- Whether the project builds with current tooling
- Library and SDK versions against store requirements
- Code quality and the most pressing technical debt
- Secrets and keys committed to the repository
- Gaps in documentation and release configuration
> Stabilization
- Fixing the build and cleaning up configuration
- Setting up CI/CD if the project has none
- Crash and production error monitoring
- The first release under our care
> Ongoing development
- Maintenance for an agreed number of hours
- New features following your roadmap
- Documentation that stays with you
- Code review and support for your team
How we take over an app
Four steps that leave you in full control of the app, with a team that knows its code.
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Free analysis
We review the repository, accounts and configuration. You get the findings in writing: what is fine, what is missing and how much work stands between the app and its next release.
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Access handover
You get a list of what to request from the previous vendor. We help run the account transfers and check that the handed-over materials are complete.
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Project stabilization
We bring the project to a state where it builds, passes store review and has a working release process. We finish with a release.
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Maintenance and growth
From there we work by the hour: updates, fixes and new features. You change the size of the engagement whenever your needs change.
What to collect from the previous vendor
Missing any of these can block a release for weeks. Go through the list before you end the contract.
- Source code with full history (git repository)
- The Android signing keystore with passwords, or confirmation the app uses Play App Signing
- Admin access to Google Play Console and App Store Connect
- iOS certificates and provisioning profiles
- Firebase configuration and google-services.json / GoogleService-Info.plist
- Access to the backend, servers, domains and databases
- Third-party API keys: payments, maps, push notifications
- Documentation, design files and a list of known bugs
The full project handover checklist is on our blog. Taking over a project from another software house — checklist →
How we bill a takeover
The pre-takeover analysis is free and comes with no commitment. Afterwards you know what state the app is in and how much work stabilizing it takes.
We price the takeover and stabilization based on the analysis. Ongoing maintenance is billed by the hour in half-hour increments — from 200 PLN/h for a one-off task to 160 PLN/h on a monthly package. You get a time report at the end of each month.
Which apps we take over
Native and cross-platform apps — whether a software house, a freelancer or an in-house team wrote them.
Android native
KotlinJetpack ComposeCoroutines/FlowHilt/KoinRoomRetrofit/KtorNavigationMVVM/Clean ArchitectureWorkManagerDataStoreGradle (KTS)JUnit/MockK/Turbine
iOS native
SwiftSwiftUIUIKitasync/await + CombineSwiftData/Core DataURLSession/AlamofireMVVM/TCASPMXCTest/Swift Testing
Flutter
DartFlutterRiverpod/BLoCgo_routerdio + retrofitfreezed/json_serializableget_it + injectabledrift/isarFirebaseflutter_test/mocktail
Related services
Mobile app maintenance
After the takeover we keep developing the app for as many hours as you decide — with no developer on your payroll.
→App reactivation
Taking over a project that has not built in years or dropped out of the store? We start with a one-off reactivation.
→Code audits and consulting
Want an independent code review before switching vendors? An audit with a written report and priority list.
→Questions about app takeovers
Can you take over the app without the previous vendor’s help?
What if I do not have the source code?
Check your contract first: it usually states who owns the rights to the code and how it must be handed over. If the code cannot be recovered, we assess what can be rebuilt and tell you plainly when writing the app from scratch would be cheaper.
Will the app disappear from the store during the takeover?
No. Transferring an app between Google Play or App Store accounts keeps the store listing, users and ratings. The app stays available the whole time, and the next version ships from your account.
What if the Android signing key is lost?
If the app uses Play App Signing, Google holds the app signing key and a lost upload key can be reset in Play Console. Without Play App Signing it is harder — which is why we check this at the very start of the analysis.
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Got an idea?
Quote, consultation or audit — pick the path that fits. We'll take it from there.
→ 01
Free app analysis
We review the project and tell you plainly what needs work and what maintenance really costs. Findings in writing.
Request an analysis→ 02Technical consultation
30-minute call with our tech lead about stack, architecture and risks.
Book a call→ 03Product audit
We review code, architecture and performance. Report with a clear roadmap.
Start an audit- Response within 24h
- NDA on the first call
- First call with no strings attached