The Google Play app marketplace has seen a substantial decrease in the number of apps, with figures dropping from around 3.4 million at the beginning of 2024 to just 1.8 million now. This represents a striking 47% reduction in apps available to Android users globally, according to a recent analysis by Appfigures.
Interestingly, this isn’t reflective of a broader trend across app marketplaces. During the same period, Apple’s iOS App Store experienced a modest growth, increasing from 1.6 million to approximately 1.64 million apps.
For Android users, this decline might be seen as a positive change, as it potentially reduces the clutter of low-quality apps, making it easier to find valuable ones. Developers also stand to benefit, facing less competition for visibility among high-quality offerings.
Historically, Google’s lighter approach to app reviews—favoring automated checks and malware scans over Apple’s more rigorous human reviews—led to a marketplace flooded with subpar apps. However, in July 2024, Google introduced stricter quality requirements which likely impacted the app numbers. Beyond just removing broken apps, Google began targeting apps with “limited functionality and content,” such as static apps or those offering minimal content like a single wallpaper.
Google confirmed the role of its updated policies, which now include more thorough verification, mandatory testing for new personal developer accounts, and expanded human reviews to identify deceitful or fraudulent apps. Moreover, the company has invested in AI enhancements for threat detection, strengthened privacy policies, and improved developer tools. These efforts led to the prevention of 2.36 million policy-violating apps and the banning of over 158,000 developers attempting to publish harmful apps.
One area not officially cited, yet noteworthy, is the EU’s trader status rule from February, mandating developers to display their names and addresses. Non-compliance led to app removals in the EU; however, Apple implemented a similar requirement without experiencing a decline.
Appfigures observed a downward trend in Google Play apps even prior to the official purge, though the cause remains unclear. Interestingly, there has been a 7.1% increase in app releases this year, with 10,400 new apps hitting Google Play as of April, indicating continued growth in quality offerings.
