If you’ve ever scrolled through an app store looking for something new, you know how vast the selection can feel. But for Android users, that selection on the Google Play Store has actually shrunk quite dramatically over the past year or so.
Since the beginning of 2024, the total number of available apps worldwide dropped from about 3.4 million to just around 1.8 million, according to research by Appfigures. That’s a massive 47% decrease, meaning almost half the apps that were there are now gone. Interestingly, this isn’t a universal trend; Apple’s iOS App Store actually saw a tiny increase in its app count during the same timeframe, staying steady at about 1.64 million apps.
Why the big change?
This significant drop wasn’t accidental. Google has been actively working to improve the quality of its marketplace and clear out low-quality or potentially harmful apps. Google confirmed to the source that several policy updates and stronger enforcement actions are the main drivers behind this huge reduction. Here’s a breakdown of what they’ve been doing:
Stricter quality standards removed low-value and non-functional apps, going beyond just fixing broken ones.
Tougher developer checks included expanded verification steps and mandatory testing for new accounts.
Enhanced human and AI reviews aggressively blocked millions of policy-violating apps (2.36M in 2024) and banned numerous developer accounts (over 158k).
Google Play app categories and how many have been removed. | Image credit — Appfigures
While Google points to its cleanup efforts, there might be other factors. An EU rule requiring developers to share their addresses kicked in earlier this year, which could have prompted some removals, though Apple enforced the same rule without a similar drop.
Appfigures also noted the decline started even before Google announced the big policy changes last summer, so the full picture is still emerging. On a positive note, the number of brand-new apps being released on Google Play was actually up by about 7% year-over-year as of April 2025, showing developers are still actively building for Android.For Android users who’ve sometimes struggled to find good apps amidst a sea of clutter and questionable software, this massive cleanup might actually be good news. A smaller, more curated Play Store could make it easier to discover quality apps and might give legitimate developers a better chance to stand out. It points towards a potentially safer and less frustrating experience when searching for your next download.
