Google Play Store Clean-Up Sees Millions Of Apps Removed

The Google Play Store has seen a wide purge of potentially millions of apps over the past 12 months as part of a wider clean-up operation.

According to analysis from firm Appfigures and published by TechCrunch, it appears that the world’s biggest Android app marketplace has seen a significant decrease in available applications. The data suggests that the Google Play Store has dropped from offering approximately 3.4 million apps worldwide at the beginning of 2024 to around 1.8 million.

This constitutes a whopping 47% decrease on the platform. What’s interesting is that this isn’t the case for other app stores. In fact, during the same 12-month period, Apple’s iOS App Store saw a slight increase in its offerings, moving from 1.6 million apps to approximately 1.64 million.

A huge drop in apps on the Play Store would ordinarily raise alarm bells, but reducing app volume could benefit Android users worldwide. With a marginally smaller — but still extensive — library, you may find it easier to locate high-quality applications. Additionally, this change may benefit developers by increasing visibility for their applications, as there is less competition for user attention within the marketplace.

Last year, Google announced its intention to raise the minimum quality standards for apps, which likely influenced the decrease in available Play Store listings. The revised policy expanded beyond simply removing technically deficient apps (e.g., crashing or failing to install) to encompass apps exhibiting “limited functionality and content.”

We all know of apps that have been on the Play Store practically forever and never receive updates or changes. We’re not sure if this latest purge has scraped the storefront clean of many ancient offenders, but less crud is always a good thing – especially if apps follow shady practices or are just flat out bad. While it sounds bad initially, this could be good for all involved.