Google Play Sees 47% Decline In Apps Since Start of Last Year

Google Play's app marketplace has seen a dramatic 47% drop in available apps -- from 3.4 million to 1.8 million -- since the start of 2024. An analysis by app intelligence provider Appfigures attributes the decline to stricter quality standards, expanded human reviews, and increased enforcement against low-quality and deceptive apps. TechCrunch reports: In July 2024, Google announced it would raise the minimum quality requirements for apps, which may have impacted the number of available Play Store app listings.

Instead of only banning broken apps that crashed, wouldn't install, or run properly, the company said it would begin banning apps that demonstrated "limited functionality and content." That included static apps without app-specific features, such as text-only apps or PDF file apps. It also included apps that provided little content, like those that only offered a single wallpaper. Additionally, Google banned apps that were designed to do nothing or have no function, which may have been tests or other abandoned developer efforts.

Reached for comment, Google confirmed that its new policies were factors here, which also included an expanded set of verification requirements, required app testing for new personal developer accounts, and expanded human reviews to check for apps that try to deceive or defraud users. In addition, the company pointed to other 2024 investments in AI for threat detection, stronger privacy policies, improved developer tools, and more. As a result, Google prevented 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published on its Play Store and banned more than 158,000 developer accounts that had attempted to publish harmful apps, it said. TechCrunch also notes that a new trader status rule, which went into effect in the EU this February, could be another contributing factor. It requires developers to display their names and addresses in their app listings, and failure to comply would see their apps removed from EU app stores.

Family Danger

[StormReaver]

I let my developer account get deleted rather than put my family at risk of doxxing, Swatting, and other threats from deranged people. My family is worth more than any amount of money I could possibly make from Google.

Google wanted to get rid of small developers, so mission accomplished.

I'm confused how is that Google's fault?

[rsilvergun]

I agree that people are absolute dicks to hobbyists. Rather famously there was a girl who wrote a pretty good Sega CD emulator way back in the day before there were legacy emulators commonly available and she disappeared from the net because as she was getting ready to release it, having used it as her College project, a shitload of people piled on with insults and threats.

Also if you know what bSNES is... The creator of it was trans and bullying push them to suicide.

So I understand that but is the complaint that Google isn't doing enough to protect creators? I don't recall them requiring you to put your personal name on an app but it's been a while since I wrote anything.

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[TheMiddleRoad]

Google wants real IDs for ads and such, and shares that info. Honestly, fucking horrible company.

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[swillden]

Google wants real IDs for ads and such, and shares that info.

Shares it with who? Not with advertisers. Google doesn't give any user data to advertisers. So who else might they share it with, and why?

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[Anonymous Coward]

Google wants real IDs for ads and such, and shares that info.

Shares it with who? Not with advertisers. Google doesn't give any user data to advertisers. So who else might they share it with, and why?

Google doxxes independent developers FULL legal name and STREET address where they (and perhaps their family) resides on Play Store app listings. This info is available for all and sundry to exploit and/or scrape for any purpose.

You cannot obfuscate or hide this info. You cannot provide a P.O. Box or Private Bag mail address.

If you want to change your name, you must provide government documents showing that you've legally changed your name. If you want to change address, you've got to provide Google w

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[Z00L00K]

Google wants more or less full access to your bank account. Even if you just make free apps that you don't make money from.

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[blue trane]

Remember how mean people here were to Richard M. Stallman?

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[ArmoredDragon]

When was this? Was it after the toejam feast?

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[StormReaver]

I don't recall them requiring you to put your personal name on an app...

Google wants your real address, which they put on your app's public page. It's incredibly dangerous and irresponsible.

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[ArmoredDragon]

AFAIK it's not a google rule, but an EU rule, that your address is made public. And even then, only if your app is published in the EU. So just don't publish it in the EU. The reason they want that is so that they know who you are if your app fails to censor the truth [translate.goog]. Sure, you might be in the US, which progressives like rsilvergun abhor because people can "hide" behind inalienable rights like those granted by the first amendment, but that fact won't prevent you from being disappeared one day [npr.org] without any w

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[Mr. Dollar Ton]

if your app fails to censor the truth [translate.goog].

What does this article have to do with the "EU"? It discusses the opinion of someone in Sweden about something or other.

One might just as well pick the opinion of some nutjob from a town hall meeting in South Dakota and pass it around as the law of the land in the country formerly known as "USA". Probably the quote will be much closer to the "official" line, too, now that the Trump States of Amurikah are mostly ruled by decrees.

because people can "hide" behind inalienable rights like those granted by the first amendment

The US, where the most basic inalienable right to life is a distant second to th

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[swillden]

I let my developer account get deleted rather than put my family at risk of doxxing, Swatting, and other threats from deranged people.

Are you saying Google publishes the addresses and phone numbers of developers? Where is this information found?

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[Z00L00K]

The contact information is claimed to be needed for app support purposes.

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[StormReaver]

Are you saying Google publishes the addresses and phone numbers of developers?

Yes, that is the new policy. And it is absolutely not worth it.

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[Anonymous Coward]

Yup. I delisted my apps when Google forced me to verify my full legal name and actual street address so they can display this info on my apps' listings publicly on the www. I waited until the last few days extended deadline, verified so that I have future options, but delisted my apps. Existing users of free and paid apps will still see this info though.

I already had previously opted out of selling to users in Japan, because that legally requires publicly listing a phone number. Yeah, no thanks.

Google

Re:Family Danger (doxxing)

[Tablizer]

It's indeed a stupid rule. I can agree that one should perhaps be required to register their home address etc. with the app store itself in case there are legal problems, however, that's very different than broadcasting it to the public.

Wrong Tool For The Job.

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[devslash0]

Let's be realistic. You should never, ever develop consumer software as an individual - it's just common sense. You should always start a seperate company, a separate legal entity for that. Name and address exposure aside, you get much more legal, financial and tax protection as a company and some of your suppliers/3rd parties may only want to offer you an account if you're a business.

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[StormReaver]

You should always start a seperate company, a separate legal entity for that.

Even if you have a separate legal entity (which I do), it's still irrelevant if said company is run out of your home. Since Google doesn't allow P.O. boxes, your home address will be your mailing address.

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[AmiMoJo]

F-Droid is the way to go. Open source apps, good developer policies. You can add links for people to donate.

Oh, look, what they should have always beed doing

[TheMiddleRoad]

Props for being slightly less horrible. Fuck you, Google.

That 30% commission

[Tony Isaac]

Wasn't it supposed to help Google ensure that users were protected from malware and bad apps?

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[devslash0]

I think you've hit the nail on the head. The drop is simply because the new requirements are weeding out pointless and fradulent apps. It's a change for the better.

Bitcoin miners

[Truth_Quark]

I've had a couple or few games that run really hot when doing apparently sweet ef-a.

I suspect that they're bitcoin mining, and a decent service for an app store would be to ban apps that do that.

So if any of you young kids wants to start an app store where devs have to submit their source code and you check it for bitcoin miners, let me know, and I'll join up.

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[dargaud]

Some apps on it are fantastic, but others are subpar. For instance, I couldn't find a *simple* Gallery app. You know, just to display and share the pictures you take. They are either horribly inefficient (several minutes to start up with a thousand pics only in the gallery) or bloated to all hell.

i dont use playstore much

[FudRucker]

bexause i reduse to use advertising sponcered applications, mycphone = my rules and NOBODY is going to turn my phone into a advertising billboard,

640,000 Apps should be enough for anyone

[olddoc]

1.8 million apps is a lot.