Google's Play Store is experiencing a significant decrease in available apps, reaching its lowest point in years, due to the company's tighter regulation policies. A recent report revealed that the total number of Google Play apps has declined by 360,000 over the past three years, resulting in 2.59 million apps available in June, according to data from CasinosEnLigne.com.
While the reduction in low-quality apps is evident, they still hold a 37% share on the Play Store. Three years ago, Android users had a selection of 2.95 million apps to choose from, but this number has gradually dwindled. By the end of 2021, it dropped to 2.7 million, and in January 2022, it stood at 2.64 million, showcasing a massive 260,000 drop in two years.
ALSO READ: First-edition 2007 Apple iPhone sets auction record, fetching Rs 1.5 crore
Although there was a slight increase to 2.65 million available apps by mid-2022, the number dropped again by 60,000 over the following year. As of June, Android users had access to 2.59 million apps, marking a 12% decline compared to three years ago.
Reportedly, despite the decrease, regular apps still constitute 63% of the total number, while low-quality apps occupy the remaining 37%, even though their numbers have decreased in the past year.
ALSO READ: Google's 'Connected Flight' mode feature: Know how it works
The tech giant has been proactive in safeguarding Android users from low-quality apps while facilitating their discovery of high-quality ones. Their efforts led to a decline in the number of low-quality apps listed on the Play Store, dropping from around 983,000 in June of the previous year to approximately 947,000 after eight months of launching the new monitoring system.
In addition to the app decline, the report highlighted a dip in Google's Android market share to its lowest point in seven years. Meanwhile, Apple's iOS, a close rival to Android, witnessed a 1% increase in market share over the last three years, reaching 28.44% in Q2 of 2023.
Inputs from IANS
