According to the recent teardown of the latest version of Google Play (43.7.19-31) APK by the overseas research institute Android Authority, Google is developing a new feature that can effectively help users avoid downloading "low-quality or junk apps".
In simple terms, Google has started "labeling" all apps in the store, notifying users through warning labels to avoid downloading junk apps. These warning labels will appear on the App store detail page, allowing users to see the current status of the app intuitively.
Google Play will start "labeling" low-quality Apps
If your App has abnormal data metrics compared to similar apps in Google Play, Google will label your App, for example:
. If your app has been frequently uninstalled by users recently, Google will attach a "frequently uninstalled" label.
. If your app has few active users recently, Google will attach an "inactive" label.
. If limited user behavior data is detected while users are using your app, Google will attach a "simple functionality" label.
Although these labels do not represent that your app is of poor quality, they can effectively guide users to make better choices. For example, an app with a "frequently uninstalled" label may indicate that it does not meet user expectations, while an "inactive" app may raise questions about its reliability or popularity.
However, one thing that can be confirmed is that these labels appear on the App store detail page, and Google will not prevent users from downloading, but merely provides more information to help users decide whether to download these labeled apps. It is not yet clear when Google will update this new feature, but it seems that the wait will not be too long.
These APP behaviors may be easily "labeled" by Google
Affiliate marketing junk content
Apps hide marketing links, mainly used to guide users to other apps or service web pages, such as some shopping apps or websites.
For the purpose of advertising
Apps frequently deploy ads, pushing interstitial ads when users perform actions, such as apps that deploy ads when transitioning to the next interface.
The most basic functions and functional abnormalities
Apps with few functions or functional abnormalities, such as crashing, forced closing, freezing, insufficient device compatibility, or other functional abnormalities.
Repetitive content
This is easy to understand—shell apps, apps that do not add any original content or bring any value, and apps that provide the same experience in terms of functions, content, and user experience.
WebView junk content
Apps link to other websites to increase the traffic of that website, thereby illegally obtaining corresponding profits.
Junk messages
Apps push messages non-compliantly, such as sending spam SMS, emails, or other messages without user knowledge or consent.
Google Play continuously tightens policies, forcing developers to focus on quality
In recent years, in order to provide a high-quality and safe user experience, Google Play has continuously tightened policies and increased audit and supervision efforts.
Starting August 31, 2024, Google will implement the "junk apps and minimum functionality" policy, clearly stating that low-quality apps will be removed from the store. At the same time, Google is also continuously upgrading the Google Play Protect feature to prevent users from being harmed by malware.
For the majority of developers (especially individual developers), this is undoubtedly a huge challenge, which is reflected not only in development costs but also in operational costs. Some group members joked: In the future, not only comments need to be optimized, but also labels. But no matter what, we need to embrace compliance, adhere to Google policies, and improve app quality, which is the right direction for going global.
Summary:
Overall, this series of operations and policies by Google indicate that the Google developer market is fully saturated, and it is necessary to improve app quality and enhance the ecosystem. They also hope that more high-quality developers will serve users, forcing developers to focus on quality. This is the only way to narrow the gap with Apple and compete with the Apple ecosystem.
