What should I do in the first two days?
Speed matters more than blame here. Work through this list in order.
- Check who owns the Apple and Google developer accounts, and change the account holder if it is not you.
- Check where payments land. If it is not your own payment account, move it today.
- Change the passwords on the domain, hosting, database and any admin logins, and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Ask for the source code in writing, with a date, and keep the message thread.
- Collect what exists: designs, the plan, the last invoice, any notes, and the app builds already on your phone.
- Get someone independent to read the code and tell you what condition it is in.
What do I actually own?
Paying an invoice does not automatically hand over everything. These are the separate things, and it is common to have some and not others.
| The thing | Why it matters | If you do not have it |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | Without it, nothing can be changed | Ask for it in writing; a rebuild may be quicker than a dispute |
| App store accounts | They control what ships and what users see | Start a recovery with Apple or Google, and expect it to take time |
| Domain and hosting | Your website and your email addresses | Recoverable through the registrar, if you paid for it |
| Database and backups | Your customer records | Ask for an export; if there is none, that tells you something |
| Payment account | Where the money goes | Open your own today and switch it over |
| Design files | Rebuilding looks the same only if you have them | Often replaceable, but it costs time |
Fix it, finish it or rebuild it
The right answer depends on the code, not on how much you have already spent. Money that is gone should not decide what happens next.
- Finish it: the code is sound, the work is mostly left, and someone can pick up where it stopped.
- Fix it: one part is broken and the rest behaves, and the cause can be found quickly.
- Rebuild it: every change is guesswork because there are no notes, or the design cannot hold the feature you need next.
- Walk away: the idea was the expensive part, and a smaller version of it is worth more than the app you were promised.
What a rebuild actually costs you
Less than people expect, when the alternative is months of archaeology. The fastest complete rebuild I can point to shipped to iOS and Android in 7 days, where the repair had been estimated at 100+ hours.
That is not a promise for every project. It is what happens when the design is clear, the data is small and someone has already worked out what the app is for.
How do I avoid this next time?
Most of it comes down to who holds the keys, and to seeing the work early.
- Every account is opened in your name from day one, including the developer accounts.
- The code lives in a repository you own, and you can see the commits.
- You see the thing working on your own phone every week or two, not only at the end.
- The plan is written down, so what counts as finished is not a matter of opinion.
- There is a named person who answers when something breaks after launch.
What to remember
- Accounts first, code second, blame last.
- Get a written verdict on the code before you choose a path.
- Do not let money already spent decide what to do next.
- Next time, own the accounts and see the build early.
Sources
Primary documentation, for anyone who wants to check the details.