The Google Play Store is currently the world's biggest app distribution platform. However, it is also the place with the highest number of apps that offer very little functionality, don't work well, aren't designed well, put user's security at risk, or don't follow the platform's policies.
Lately, Google has been tightening its grip on such apps. In 2023, the company removed 2.28 million such apps from the Play Store and banned 333,000 Google Play accounts that repeatedly violated the platform's policies. Now, Google is taking another major step to ensure the Play Store offers only high-quality apps.
Google updates Play Store guidelines to prevent low-quality apps
Google has announced that it has updated the Play Store's Spam and Minimum Functionality policy “to ensure apps meet uplifted standards for the Play catalog and engage users through quality functionality and content user experiences.“
Google says, “Apps should provide a stable, responsive, and engaging user experience. Apps that crash, do not have the basic degree of adequate utility as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior that is not consistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play.“
According to new guidelines, Google will not allow apps on the Play Store that “only have limited functionality and content” and apps “that crash, force close, freeze, or otherwise function abnormally,” including the following:
- Apps that are static without app-specific functionalities, for example, text-only or PDF file apps.
- Apps with very little content that do not provide an engaging user experience, such as single wallpaper apps, are not recommended.
- Apps that are designed to do nothing or have no function.
- Apps that don't install.
- Apps that install but don't load.
- Apps that load but are not responsive.
With that, expect Google to remove many apps from the Play Store next month. This will not only improve the app distribution platform but also push developers to make higher-quality apps, which should benefit consumers.
