Google Play Apps Decline 47% After Quality-Focused Purge
The number of apps available on the Google Play Store has significantly decreased since the beginning of 2024. An analysis by Appfigures reveals a 47% drop, from 3.4 million apps to around 1.8 million. This contrasts sharply with Apple's App Store, which experienced a slight increase in app numbers during the same period.
Google's New Policies Drive App Reduction
Google's stricter quality standards are a key factor in this decline. The company implemented new policies in July 2024, targeting low-quality and limited-functionality apps. These include static apps, apps with minimal content, and non-functional apps.
Google confirmed these policies, along with other initiatives, contributed to the app reduction. These initiatives include:
- Expanded verification requirements
- Mandatory app testing for new personal developer accounts
- Increased human reviews to combat fraudulent apps
Further investments in AI-driven threat detection, enhanced privacy policies, and improved developer tools also played a role. Google reported preventing 2.36 million policy-violating apps from being published and banning over 158,000 malicious developer accounts in 2024.
Impact on Developers and Users
This purge may benefit Android users by improving the discoverability of high-quality apps. It could also create a less competitive landscape for developers. While the EU's new trader status rule, requiring developers to disclose contact information, might seem like a contributing factor, Apple implemented a similar rule without experiencing an app decline.
Appfigures observed a decrease in Google Play Store apps even before the official policy changes last summer, a trend they are still investigating. However, new app releases on Google Play have increased 7.1% year-over-year as of April 2025.
Google's focus on quality and security signals a shift towards a more user-centric and trustworthy app ecosystem.
