Over the past year, Google has been cracking down on apps in its Android app store, resulting in the removal of about half of the total apps available.
According to a recent report from JS, based on data from Appfigures, the Google Play Store has seen a significant decrease in the number of apps, dropping from 3.4 million to approximately 1.8 million apps worldwide from the beginning of 2024 to the present. This represents a 47% reduction in the apps accessible to Android users.
In contrast, Apple’s iOS App Store experienced a slight increase during the same period, growing from 1.6 million to 1.64 million apps.
Reasons Behind the Disappearance of Android Apps
The decline in Android apps can be attributed to Google’s lenient app review process, which has allowed for the proliferation of low-quality and potentially fraudulent apps on the Google Play Store.
The vast number of apps available has made it challenging for legitimate apps from dedicated developers to stand out among the crowd.
In response to these issues, Google raised its minimum requirements for app quality in July 2024, announcing that it would remove apps with “limited functionality and content,” rather than solely focusing on broken apps.
Google’s Response to the Decline in Apps
In light of these developments, Google has implemented AI-driven threat detection to combat malicious apps on the Play Store and has also enforced stricter privacy regulations.
As a result of these initiatives, Google has rejected a significant number of apps, totaling 2.36 million, and has banned over 158,000 developer accounts, preventing potentially harmful or policy-violating apps from reaching Android users.
It is important to note that app releases have increased by 7.1% year over year as of April, signaling a potential resurgence of high-quality apps and games, rather than a return to the chaotic environment of the past on the Google Play Store.