App Rescue and Takeover: We Fix Apps Other Teams Built
Your app exists. Users are in it, money is in it, and the team that built it is either gone, stuck, or shipping changes that break other things. We take over apps like yours, work out honestly what can be saved, and fix or rebuild it with you seeing the verdict before any big money moves.
The first step is a free app check. You get a written verdict on your existing app before you commit to anything.
Signs your app needs rescuing
Founders usually call us when two or three of these are true at once.
- Every change breaks something else. The codebase is fragile, there are no proper tests, and small fixes turn into week long problems.
- Your developer has disappeared or gone quiet. Replies take weeks, releases stopped, and you are not sure who holds the accounts or the code.
- The app was built fast and it shows. Crashes, slow screens, security shortcuts, and features that work in a demo but fail with real users.
- It was built by an AI tool. Tools like Lovable, Bolt and v0 are fine for a prototype. In production we keep finding the same problems, exposed keys, broken login, payments that do not reconcile, and data anyone can read. The fix is a proper engineering pass, not a rewrite of everything by default.
- The stores are a problem. Rejections you cannot decode, outdated SDKs, and updates that have not shipped in months.
Step one: secure what is yours
Before any code is touched, we help you lock down ownership. This is the checklist we run on every takeover, and it is yours to keep either way.
- Code repository. Full access to the source code and its history, in an account you own.
- Store accounts. Apple Developer and Google Play accounts in your name, with admin access for you.
- Backend and data. Servers, database, backups and the credentials that run them.
- Keys and third party accounts. API keys, payment accounts, analytics, push notifications and domains.
- Designs and documents. Design files, credentials list and anything the old team documented.
Step two: a verdict you can act on
We check the product and the engineering, the same 10 areas as our production readiness work, and give you one of three answers in writing.
- Fix it. The foundations are sound and the problems are surface level. We list the fixes in priority order with costs.
- Fix and harden. The app can stay, but security, data or scaling foundations need real work first.
- Rebuild it, side by side. When architecture or security foundations are wrong, a clean rebuild next to the live app is cheaper than years of patches. Your users stay on the old app until the new one is ready, then we move them over.
What an app rescue costs
Rescue pricing depends on the verdict, which is why the check comes first and costs you nothing. These are the shapes we see most often, using the same cost ranges we publish in our guides.
| Situation | Typical cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Check and written verdict | Free | Product and engineering check, findings in writing |
| Fix list on a sound app | Quoted per fix list | Prioritised fixes, priced before work starts |
| Full rebuild, production grade | $60,000 to $120,000+ | Same range as a new production build, scoped to your app |
| Ongoing care after rescue | 15 to 20% of build cost per year | Maintenance plan so the app does not slide back |
If your app is not worth saving, we will tell you that too, in the same written verdict.
How a takeover works
- 01
Secure access
We run the ownership checklist with you and get read access to code, stores and backend.
- 02
Free app check
Two engineers assess the product flows and the codebase across 10 production readiness areas.
- 03
Written verdict
Fix, harden, or rebuild, with reasons, priority order and costs. You decide with the full picture.
- 04
Stabilise first
Crashes, security holes and store problems are handled before any new features.
- 05
Fix or rebuild
Work runs in two week sprints with a version on your phone each time, side by side with the live app if we rebuild.
- 06
Hand back control
Everything documented, in your accounts, with a maintenance plan so this does not happen twice.
Work we have shipped
Minno
Faith based streaming and family entertainment app, one of the long running products in our portfolio.
See the projectInsu Calc
AI health companion that estimates food calories from a single photo.
See the projectVeraos AI
AI search product that aggregates data from multiple sources into one tracking system.
See the projectFrequently asked questions
Can you take over an app built by another developer or agency?
Yes. Takeovers are a core part of our work. We start by securing your accounts and code, then run a free check and give you a written fix, harden or rebuild verdict before any paid work begins.
My developer disappeared. Where do we start?
With ownership. We work out what you actually control, code, store accounts, backend, keys and data, and recover what can be recovered. Then we assess what exists. Founders in this position are common, and it is usually recoverable.
Can you fix an app built with Lovable, Bolt or another AI tool?
Yes. AI built apps usually demo well and break in production in predictable places, login and security rules, exposed keys, payments, and data access. We harden what is there and rebuild only the parts that cannot be made safe.
Will my users lose their data in a takeover or rebuild?
Protecting user data is step one of the process. Where a rebuild is needed it runs side by side with your live app, and users are migrated once the new app is proven, not before.
How much does it cost to rescue an app?
The check and verdict are free. Fix work is priced as a written list before it starts. A full rebuild is scoped like a new production build, usually in the $60,000 to $120,000 or more range depending on the app. You see every number before you commit.
How long does a rescue take?
Stabilising a broken app often starts showing results in the first sprint. A full rebuild follows normal build timelines for an app of its size. The verdict includes a timeline as well as a cost.
Not sure where your app stands?
Start with a free app check. Two engineers look at your product and your code, and tell you honestly what is working, what is not, and what it would take to fix it. If the report is genuinely useful, all we ask for is a testimonial.