Google Play App Decline: 47% Drop Since Last Year

Significant Drop in Google Play App Availability

The number of applications available on Google Play is currently experiencing a substantial decrease. Analysis indicates a decline from approximately 3.4 million apps globally at the beginning of 2024 to around 1.8 million apps presently.

App Purge Details

This represents a considerable reduction of roughly 47% in the total number of apps accessible to Android users worldwide. The decrease signifies a significant streamlining of the app selection within the Google Play Store.

Comparison with Apple’s App Store

Notably, this trend differs from the performance of Apple’s iOS App Store. During the same timeframe, the iOS App Store saw a slight increase, moving from 1.6 million apps to approximately 1.64 million apps.

Potential Benefits for Users and Developers

This reduction in app numbers on Google Play may prove beneficial for Android device owners. It could simplify the process of finding high-quality applications, reducing exposure to scam, spam, and subpar offerings.

Furthermore, developers may experience improved visibility for their apps, as they face less competition within the marketplace.

Historical Context: App Review Processes

Historically, Google Play has maintained less restrictive app review requirements compared to Apple. This has resulted in a larger volume of lower-quality applications being present on the platform.

Apple consistently implements rigorous app review procedures prior to publication. Google, conversely, often utilizes automated checks alongside malware scans to expedite the review process, leading to shorter review times.

New Quality Standards Introduced by Google

In July 2024, Google announced an increase in the minimum quality standards for apps. This policy change likely contributed to the observed decline in the number of app listings on the Play Store.

Expanded Criteria for App Removal

The company expanded its criteria for app removal beyond simply banning apps that were broken or malfunctioning. Apps demonstrating “limited functionality and content” are now subject to removal.

This includes applications offering minimal content, such as single-wallpaper apps, or those lacking app-specific features like static text or PDF viewers. Apps designed with no discernible function have also been targeted.

Google’s Confirmation and Additional Measures

Google has confirmed that its new policies are a contributing factor to the app reduction. These policies include expanded verification requirements, mandatory app testing for new personal developer accounts, and increased human review to identify deceptive or fraudulent applications.

Investments in Security and Developer Tools

The company also highlighted its investments in artificial intelligence for threat detection, enhanced privacy policies, and improved developer tools throughout 2024. These efforts resulted in the prevention of 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published.

Moreover, Google banned over 158,000 developer accounts associated with attempts to publish harmful applications.

Impact of EU Trader Status Rule

The new trader status rule enforced by the European Union since February may also have played a role. This rule requires developers to publicly display their names and addresses within app listings.

Apps failing to comply with this requirement were removed from EU app stores. Apple, which also implemented this requirement, did not experience a similar decline in app availability.

Early Signs of Decline and Continued Releases

Appfigures observed a decrease in the number of apps on Google Play even before the official start of the purge last summer, though the cause remains unclear. Despite the overall decline, there have been 10,400 app releases on Google Play so far this year, representing a 7.1% year-over-year increase as of April.