In 2024, Google eliminated 1.6 million apps from the Play Store, reducing the total from 3.4 million to 1.8 million.
Google has removed a staggering 1.6 million apps from the Play Store in 2024 alone. This sweeping clean-up is part of a broader push to make the Android app marketplace safer, more trustworthy, and easier to navigate for users. According to data from Appfigures, the number of apps on the Play Store has dropped sharply from 3.4 million at the start of the year to just 1.8 million now. That’s a 47 per cent cut, but it’s not a sign of trouble for Android. In fact, it shows that Google is taking stronger action against low-quality or potentially harmful apps.
The company has tightened its rules for developers, introducing more detailed app reviews and enhanced identity verification steps. It’s also using a mix of human reviewers and AI tools to screen apps more thoroughly. Thanks to these efforts, over 2.3 million apps were blocked from being published this year, and more than 1,58,000 developer accounts were banned for violating policies.
Some of the drop may also be tied to new regulations in Europe. Developers are now required to publicly share their physical addresses – a rule that has led some to pull their apps. Interestingly, Apple’s App Store faces the same regulation, but hasn’t seen the same kind of decline in app numbers.
What’s notable is that the drop in apps started even before these stricter rules were officially in place. This suggests Google had been planning a large-scale cleanup for quite some time.
Despite the purge, app development hasn’t slowed down. In fact, the number of newly added apps on the Play Store has grown by 7 per cent compared to last year. Developers are clearly still interested in the platform – only now, they’re working under tighter, more transparent guidelines.
