At the same time, the Google Play Store has experienced a catastrophic loss in available apps. Since the start of 2022, the number of apps has dropped off by an incredible 47%. As of the beginning of 2024, the app store ecosystem had roughly 3.4 million apps. Today, it offers well over 1.8 million choices for Android users across the globe. This very welcome decrease marks the culmination of years of work on app quality as well as recent major pushes to enforce new regulatory requirements.
There are many reasons why fewer apps are available today. The primary culprit seems to be Google’s decision to significantly increase its quality bar for apps. Yet, in July 2024, officials entered a new initiative to stimulate demand. They intended to address the wave of inferior apps that had flooded the marketplace as a result of previous lax review standards. The change is intended to improve mobility and safety for all those who use the platform.
External Regulations Impact App Availability
In addition to internal changes, external regulations have played a role in shaping the landscape of the Google Play Store. In February, the European Union unveiled a new requirement for traders. Developers would be required under this rule to post their name and physical address in app listings. This requirement likely resulted in the lack of apps. A significant number of developers probably made the judgment that it was better to just pull their applications than pursue them under the tightened regulations.
The short answer is appfigures, the leading company in app intelligence, relative to the changing long term trends on the Google Play Store. Their analysis found a drop in app counts well before Google started its official, purgatory-like app removal process last summer. They announced there are 10,400 more app releases this year. That is a substantial 7.1% jump from a year ago through April. New app releases are still pouring in, however the quality control standards are getting a bit more rigorous. In response, the environment for app store availability is getting much more stringent.
Prior to her appointment, Sarah was a Senior Reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. While there, she focused on the intersection of technology and race, culture, health and other issues. She came to TechCrunch after more than three years as a founding editor and writer at ReadWriteWeb. With her current role in I.T., her experience spans banking, retail and software industries. Her experience with the depths of technology’s complexities offers great perspective about the news you keep hearing about shifts happening on platforms such as Google Play.
Focus on Quality Control and Regulatory Pressures
Google has highlighted its commitment to improving user experience by focusing on investments in artificial intelligence for threat detection, stronger privacy policies, and enhanced developer tools throughout 2024. These programs are all aimed at increasing the quality of submissions. Such platforms strive to cultivate a sense of user confidence in apps downloaded from their ecosystem.
On one side, internal quality control hawks are meeting external regulatory pressures. This is the beginning of a transformative time for the Google Play Store. For developers, this means they’re under greater expectations—and more public scrutiny—than ever before for the applications they submit. This evolution continues today, and its impacts are still playing out. We will see how these changes affect the experience for developers and end-users alike in the long run.
What The Author Thinks
The decline in app availability in the Google Play Store reflects both a positive shift in terms of quality control and a challenging reality for developers. While stricter regulations and heightened scrutiny can ultimately lead to better user experiences, these measures may also stifle innovation and drive away smaller developers unable to meet the new standards. It’s a fine balance that will continue to evolve and affect both developers and consumers in unpredictable ways.
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