A developer going quiet is one of the most common ways a software project fails. Emails go unanswered, the Slack channel goes dead, the last invoice was paid three weeks ago and the app is sitting on a server you've never logged into. What you do in the next few days decides how much of it you keep.
What should you secure today?
Change the passwords on every account that's in your name: hosting, domain registrar, Apple and Google developer accounts, payment provider, transactional email, analytics. Export what you can, starting with the source code repository and the database. If the developer's the only admin on any of these, note it down, because those are the ones you'll be asking for in writing.
Do this before you send the email, not after. A developer who feels a dispute coming can lock you out in an afternoon, and recovering an account through a provider's support desk takes weeks.
What do you put in writing this week?
Send one clear message. State that the project is stalled, list exactly what you need handed over (repository with full history, credentials, database, documentation, app store access), and set a date. Quote the contract clause on ownership if there is one. Keep it factual and keep a copy.
If an invoice is outstanding, don't assume you have to pay it in full to get your code, and don't assume you can refuse it either. What the contract says decides that, so talk to a lawyer before you do either. In our experience an offer to settle a fair amount in exchange for a complete handover, in writing, resolves most of these faster than a fight.
How do you find out what you actually have?
Once you hold the code, have a senior engineer audit it before anyone estimates anything. A week or two is enough to learn how much was built, how much of it works, and whether the architecture can carry the product. The most common finding in abandoned projects isn't bad code but incomplete code: features reported as done that stop at the happy path, no tests, and settings that only work on the developer's own machine.
That audit ends with a written recommendation. Stabilise and finish, or rebuild whatever the audit shows is beyond repair. Across 20+ rescues since 2010 we haven't had one fail, and part of that is being honest at this step about which path you're on.
What if the code is gone?
Sometimes the repository was only ever on the developer's laptop. You still have options. The live app, if it's running, shows exactly how the product behaves and can be used as the specification for a rebuild. Your own documents, designs and emails fill in the rest. It's a slower start, but it's a known quantity, and you'll own everything this time.
Can a new team finish it without the original developer?
A new team is slower than the original developer in the first week and faster from the second. Reading an unfamiliar codebase is a skill senior engineers use constantly. What makes a takeover hard is missing access and missing decisions, not missing people, which is why the first two steps on this page matter more than choosing the new team.
When you do choose one, ask who exactly will do the work and whether you can talk to them directly. The project failed the first time partly because there was nobody accountable at the other end of the line. Putti runs rescues from Takapuna, Auckland with the same senior team that scopes them, and we stay on the project after launch.
If your developer has gone quiet, talk to us this week rather than next. You can also read how much a rescue costs compared with starting over.
Frequently asked questions
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My developer has stopped replying. How long should I wait before acting?
Don't wait. Send one written message today setting a date for a handover, and secure every account you can reach at the same time. A week of silence from a solo developer or small agency usually means the project has been deprioritised, and every week you wait is a week the code, hosting and accounts are outside your control.
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Can a new team finish an app without the original developer?
Yes, as long as the code exists somewhere you can reach. A senior engineer can read an unfamiliar codebase, work out what it does and what's missing, and carry on. The first week is slower while they learn it, and after that they usually move faster than the original developer did. Putti's 20+ rescues include projects whose developer had vanished.
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What if I never had access to the code or the hosting?
Start with what you do control: the domain registrar, any app store listing in your name, and payment or email services you signed up for. Then send the developer a written request citing the contract. If the code is genuinely unreachable, a rebuild from your own documentation and the live app is still possible, and the live app can be reverse-engineered for behaviour even when the source is gone.
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Do I have to pay the outstanding invoice to get my code?
That depends on your contract, and it's worth a short conversation with a lawyer before you pay or refuse. Often the quickest route is a written deal: a fair settlement in return for the full handover. Get the repository, accounts and database in your hands before the money moves.
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How much does it cost to take over an abandoned app project in NZ?
It starts with an audit, which is quick and priced up front, and the audit sets the rest of the budget. When the code is sound, finishing costs a fraction of a fresh build. When it isn't, you'll find out within two weeks rather than six months, which is an answer worth paying for.