Particle.news

Download on the App Store

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.

Image
Image
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.