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Manila Bulletin devider Technews devider Google cleans house, removes millions of apps from Play Store

Google cleans house, removes millions of apps from Play Store

Published Apr 30, 2025 03:15 am

Google has finally decided to pull up their pants and apply stricter policies in the Play Store.  

Since last year up to today, Google has cut down the number of apps published in the Play Store by 47%. From 3.4 million apps down to 1.8 million.  

Still a lot. But that’s 1.6 million apps removed from circulation or prevented from being downloadable. That’s 1.6 million less apps that with are full of spam, ad-ridden, and potentially malicious.  

For years, Google didn’t bother too much with this, relying on malware scans and automated reviews to check a few boxes to call an app legit and call it a day. Google added that they will also be removing apps with limited functionality, broken, wouldn’t run or install. In short, just some low-effort apps that were rushed through the door.  

Google said they have added verification requirements and made the Play’s app testing tools, and they themselves has enhanced their human reviews.  

1.8 million apps are still plenty and any one of them may have slipped through Google’s stricter policies, so it pays to double check apps before installing them. Hopefully this is cleanup will see to reduced clutter, even from once legitimate apps that are no longer supported, or urge current legitimate apps to polish any rough edges out there. 

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