Google set to purge the Play Store of low-quality apps
androidauthority.com
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17702667
Google is putting the clamp on low-effort apps in the Play Store. Apps that don't offer basic functionality or quality may be removed.
Wouldn't that leave like 3 apps on the srore
Sick burn. It's just garbage on there except for the big players.
Thing is, there actually are some good basic apps out there. Things like pomodoro timers with no ads or tracking. Super basic but useful, and hard yobfind because they get buried below other 'slick' versions stuffed with ads and trackers.
Not only that, it's outright against the rules to "market" on the playstore as ad-free
That's why it's better to download as many apps as possible from F-Droid. All apps are Free Open Source and checked for anti-features (like ads, tracking, etc.). Lots of basic (and not so basic) apps which are ad free, tracker-free and free to advertise that way.
Really? I shouldn't be surprised but that's depressing. I'm happy to pay for good apps mind
Maybe Google could institute a better search function, like by Price/Free, Date, Category, etc. They are a Search Engine, maybe activate that on your scammy Play Store.
Best we can do is more scammy suggestions(Ads) when you use the search bar in play store. - Google
That's good
no. we shouldnt let google decide what apps are good or bad. they should just not promote them.
Interesting point of view, I think that is hard to establish a limit about how bad should be an app for being removed. Maybe malware only or if the app don't do the intended function.
in my opinion, google should never remove an app that is just bad quality. Thats what the app's rating already exists for. if the app is promoted and if people will download it. Everything they do, makes it more difficult for independant devs, that cant follow Google's new policies which they come out with every two months.
Bot farms boosting the rating of shit apps.
The more I think about it, the more I believe that you are right. If an app is not malware, shouldn't be removed. Also this could be a way for censorship.
We've seen how Google's filters work. They'll take a ton legitimate apps out with no recourse for the devs and leave tons of "scammy" ones.
Epic Games Store and Fortnite is a low quality app in their opinion.
And maybe all Meta apps too
Nintendo could use to do the same.
Frequently unresponsive or very unstable apps shouldn't have been in the Play store in the 1st place.
Anyway, to the Play store's credit, I downloaded many bank apps and I never got a fake bank app.
So we will be having an annual purge from now on?