Apps that offer “limited functionality” will soon be removed from the Google Play Store. This includes apps that offer very little content or engagement, such as text-only apps, single-wallpaper apps, and apps that are intentionally designed to “do nothing.”

Google regularly attempts to improve the app store by updating its policies and removing unwanted apps. Millions of old apps were delisted from the Play Store in 2022, and Google implemented stricter safety requirements for the Play Store in 2023.

On August 31st, Google will implement a revised Spam and Minimum Functionality policy in an effort to further improve the Play Store. The original Spam and Minimum Functionality Policy barred “apps that are designed to do nothing,” while the revised policy explicitly adds that apps without “app-specific functionality” or “an engaging user experience” also count as spam.

” We’re updating the
Spam and Minimum Functionality policy
to ensure apps meet uplifted standards for the Play catalog and engage users through quality functionality and content user experiences … Apps should provide a stable, responsive, and engaging user experience. Apps that crash, do not have the basic degree of adequate utility as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior that is not consistent with a functional and engaging user experience are not allowed on Google Play.”

Interestingly, Google did not revise the “Broken Functionality” section of its Spam and Minimum Functionality policy. This is despite the fact that some major apps, including the Sonos app, are regularly criticized for broken functionality.

The downside of today’s “app purge,” as with previous cleanup campaigns, is that Google will inevitably cull some apps that people care about. Users may also question why “do-nothing” or “static” apps are the focus of Google’s efforts—aren’t scam apps a more prescient concern?

To Google’s credit, the Play Store SDK Requirements and Malware policy have been revised for clarity. But these policies haven’t actually changed in any way, and Google says that its “enforcement standards and practices remain the same.”

You can read Google’s revised Spam and Minimum Functionality policy at the Play Console Help website. Please note that this policy will not be put into effect until August 31st. If an app is delisted from the Play Store before that date, it’s because the app violated a different policy (or was simply removed by the developer).

Source: Google via The Verge