Google has announced that it will crack down on poor quality apps by removing them next month.
The tech giant said that all apps that did not meet a certain standard of “minimum functionality” would be removed from the Google Play Store by the end of August.
“We’re updating the Spam and Minimum Features Policy to ensure apps meet the high standards of the Play catalog and engage users with quality features and content user experiences,” Google said online in an overview of the policy.
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According to Google, apps must be able to provide a “stable, responsive and engaging user experience,” and apps that don’t meet the new metric will be removed.
“Apps that crash, lack the basic degree of usefulness adequate as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or otherwise exhibit behavior that is inconsistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play,” it said.
Google said it would not allow apps with limited functionality and content, such as static apps without app-specific features such as text-only apps or PDF apps, apps with very little content and that don’t provide a compelling user experience, and apps that are designed to do nothing or have no function.
The tech giant also said it is cracking down on apps with “functional flaws,” meaning apps that have bugs, crash or don’t work properly.
“We do not allow apps that crash, force close, freeze or behave abnormally,” he said.
The changes will not impact apps already downloaded to users’ phones.
According to app data firm Business of Apps, there are currently 3.3 million apps available on the Google Play Store.
Google’s policy overview states that the app purge date is August 31, 2024.