## Google Play App Purge: 47% of Apps Vanish Since Last Year
Google Play, the app marketplace for Android devices, has undergone a significant slimming down. A recent analysis by Appfigures reveals a dramatic 47% decline in the number of available apps since the start of 2024. The marketplace shrunk from approximately 3.4 million apps worldwide to roughly 1.8 million, representing a substantial purge of applications accessible to Android users globally.
This contraction stands in stark contrast to the experience on Apple’s iOS App Store. During the same timeframe, the iOS App Store saw a slight increase, going from 1.6 million apps to approximately 1.64 million.
So, what’s behind this massive app exodus from Google Play?
For Android users, this reduction could be a welcome change. The Play Store has long been criticized for its proliferation of low-quality, scammy, and spammy apps. Sifting through this digital clutter to find genuinely useful and well-designed apps has often been a frustrating experience. The cull could also benefit legitimate developers who have struggled to gain visibility amidst the noise.
Historically, Google Play’s less stringent app review process has contributed to the abundance of lower-quality offerings. Unlike Apple, which maintains strict pre-publication review measures, Google has relied more heavily on automated checks and malware scans to expedite the review process. This lighter touch resulted in faster app approvals but also opened the door to subpar applications.
Google itself acknowledged the issue in July 2024, announcing that it would raise the minimum quality requirements for apps. This policy shift appears to be a significant driving force behind the decline.
The updated requirements moved beyond simply banning broken apps that crashed or failed to install. Google began targeting apps with “limited functionality and content,” including static apps lacking unique features, single-wallpaper apps, and applications with no discernible function – potentially abandoned developer projects or test apps.
In a statement, Google confirmed that these stricter policies, coupled with an expanded set of verification requirements, required app testing for new personal developer accounts, and increased human reviews to detect deceptive practices, were all contributing factors.
Google further emphasized its investment in AI for threat detection and stronger privacy policies in 2024. These efforts resulted in the prevention of 2.36 million policy-violating apps from reaching the Play Store and the banning of over 158,000 developer accounts attempting to publish harmful apps.
However, Google conspicuously omitted mention of the EU’s new “trader status” rule, which went into effect in February. This regulation requires developers to disclose their names and addresses in app listings, with non-compliant apps facing removal from EU app stores. Interestingly, Apple also implemented a similar “trader status” requirement but did not experience a corresponding decline in app availability.
Appfigures also noted a pre-purge decline in app numbers, predating the official policy changes last summer, but currently has no explanation for this earlier dip. On a positive note, the firm reports a 7.1% year-over-year increase in new releases on Google Play as of April, with 10.4K apps launched this year.
While a substantial number of apps have disappeared, the renewed focus on quality and security suggests a potentially brighter future for the Google Play Store – one where users can discover and enjoy a curated selection of high-quality applications.