Google will take action to clean up long-un-updated apps from Play Store
According to an official announcement released by Google, Google will take steps to clean up long-un-updated apps in the Play Store, which will be automatically hidden. At present, there are a large number of apps in various app stores. Most of these apps have been abandoned and the developers have stopped updating them. But Apple doesn’t appear to be taking steps to clean up long-un-updated apps, and Google has given developers more than a year to update these long-un-updated apps.
According to Google’s new policy, if apps are not updated within the time limit, they will be hidden, and users cannot directly search for these apps from Play Store and download and install them. But users who have already purchased and downloaded before can continue to download and install, Google’s purpose is only to ensure that new users do not download these apps.
Google believes that if it is not updated for a long time, it may not be able to adapt to the new Android version, and the long-term non-update also means that there may be flaws that have not been fixed.
Here are Google’s specific rules:
- Effective May 11, 2022:
- We’re updating our Families policy to explain that if an app contains content that is not globally appropriate, we may make the app available only to users in regions where content within that app is deemed appropriate.
- Effective July 11, 2022:
- We’re introducing the Request Install Package policy to explain which permitted functionalities and actions are allowed for the permission.
- We’re introducing a limited-time pilot for Online Crane Games to be distributed on the Google Play store to users in Japan only. Learn more.
- Effective November 1, 2022:
- To provide users with a safe and secure experience, we are expanding on Google Play’s target API level requirements to include existing apps that aren’t updated. Apps that don’t target an API level within two years of the latest major Android version release will not be available on Google Play to new users whose devices run the latest versions of Android. Developers can request a six-month extension if more time for migration is needed. Learn more.
