Google cracking down on problem apps for android users amid standards review
Google has announced it will be cracking down on low quality apps by deleting them next month.
The tech giant said that any apps that did not meet a certain standard of “minimum functionality” would be purged from the Google Play Store by the end of August.
“We’re updating the spam and minimum functionality policy to ensure apps meet uplifted standards for the Play catalogue and engage users through quality functionality and content user experiences,” Google said online in a policy preview.
According to Google, apps should be able to provide a “stable, responsive, and engaging user experience”, and apps that do not meet the new metric will be deleted.
“Apps that crash, do not have the basic degree of adequate utility as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behaviour that is not consistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play,” it said.
Google said it would not allow apps with only limited functionality and content, for example, apps that are static without app-specific functionalities such as text only or PDF file apps, apps with very little content and that do not provide an engaging user experience and apps that are designed to do nothing or have no function.
The tech giant also said it was cracking down on apps with “broken functionality”, meaning apps that are buggy, crash or do not work properly.
“We don’t allow apps that crash, force close, freeze, or otherwise function abnormally,” it said.
The changes will not impact apps that are already downloaded on users phones.
There are currently 3.3 million apps available on the Google Play Store, according to app data company Business of Apps.
Googles policy preview lists the app purge date as August 31, 2024.
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