A Dramatic Drop in App Numbers

In a stunning revelation, the Google Play Store has seen a staggering loss of 1.8 million apps since the start of last year! This jaw-dropping figure translates to a jaw-dropping 47% drop from the 3.4 million apps it boasted at the beginning of 2024, according to an analysis from Appfigures.

Google’s Tough Love: High Quality Over Quantity

According to Google spokesperson Dan Jackson, this drastic reduction is part of the company's committed mission to 'deliver high-quality apps' and prioritize 'continuous improvements for user safety.' Google is not playing around!

A Clean Sweep: Eradicating Spammy Apps

In recent years, Google has been on a crusade against spammy and low-quality apps that overcrowd the Play Store. Last year marked a turning point, as the tech giant implemented stricter app reviews and mandated that developers test their apps with at least 20 users over a two-week period. As a result, 2.36 million apps violating policies were blocked from even being published!

Game Over for Thousands of Titles

The purging hasn't been gentle—nearly 200,000 games, along with 160,700 education apps and 115,400 business apps, were sent packing! However, it's worth noting that, according to Appfigures, new app releases are actually up 7.1% globally compared to the previous year.

Investing in User Trust

Jackson elaborated to The Verge, saying, "Every year, we continue to invest in more ways to protect our community and fight bad actors, ensuring users can trust the apps they download from Google Play while helping developers thrive!"

Comparative Gains: Apple’s App Store Sees Growth

While the Google Play Store faces this unprecedented reduction, the Apple App Store has quietly increased its app count from 1.6 million to 1.64 million—a silver lining amidst the turbulence.