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4mo ago

Google Play Store Shrinks by 47% Following Quality Overhaul

The app marketplace now hosts 1.8 million apps, down from 3.4 million in 2024, as Google enforces stricter quality, security, and transparency policies.

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While the total number of apps has dropped, new app releases are actually up 7% this year.
Google says good riddance to bad apps.

Overview

  • Google introduced stricter app quality standards in July 2024, targeting low-functionality apps and those with limited content.
  • The Play Store blocked 2.36 million policy-violating apps and banned over 158,000 developer accounts in 2024 to enhance user safety.
  • The Play Integrity API now enforces stronger security measures, but impacts devices running Android 12 or older, which account for half of all Android users.
  • Despite the app reduction, new app releases on Google Play increased by 7.1% year-over-year as of April 2025, signaling continued developer activity.
  • Apple's App Store saw modest growth during the same period, suggesting that Google's policy changes, not global trends, drove the decline in Play Store apps.