Google, Apple to remove more than 15 lakh abandoned apps for THIS reason

New Delhi: When a mobile application is abandoned or outdated, it poses a risk to safety and security. To guarantee that users have the most up-to-date privacy and security features, Google and Apple are taking extra steps to remove apps that threaten users' credentials. According to the newest research, more than 1.5 million mobile apps on Google and Apple look to have been abandoned by the end of the first quarter of 2022. These apps are likely to be removed from your Play Store or iOS soon.

According to Pixalate's research, nearly 1.5 million apps in the Google Play and Apple App stores appear to have been "abandoned," which means they haven't been updated in over two years.

Notably, 1.5 million apps make up 30% of the total 5 million apps accessible for download that appear to have been abandoned.

According to Pixalate, there are 314,000 "Super-Abandoned" apps on Google Play and Apple App Store. This means the apps haven't been updated in over 5 years. The Apple Store has 58 percent of all super abandoned apps (184,000), whereas the Google Play Store has 42 percent (130,000).

Education, Reference, and Games, which are frequently used by youngsters, are the application categories most likely to be abandoned.

As of the end of Q1 2022, 1.3 million mobile apps had been upgraded in the previous six months, accounting for 28 percent of all apps.

According to Pixalate's research, "more updates equals more downloads." It claims that 88 percent of apps with over 1 million downloads have been updated in the last six months.

Finance, Health, and Shopping, on the other hand, rank first in terms of being constantly updated and most likely to be creative.

"Abandoned" apps, according to Pixalate, may pose major safety and security risks. This issue is becoming progressively more critical as consumer privacy concerns become more widely known.

It goes on to say that the most inventive apps update new enhanced versions with bug fixes and security patches on a regular basis. Furthermore, Pixalate advised that before investing, advertising should consider how frequently apps are updated.

Both Apple and Google have revealed plans to delete out-of-date apps.

"To make it easier for users to find great apps that match their needs, we want to ensure that apps offered on the App Store are functional and up to date," Apple said of its App Store.

Apple has stated that the App Store will analyse apps across all categories to ensure that they work as expected, adhere to current review rules, and are current.

Furthermore, Apple states that developers of apps that haven't been updated in three years and don't meet a minimum download threshold — meaning the app hasn't been downloaded at all or only a few times in a rolling 12-month period — will receive an email notifying them that their app has been flagged for removal from the App Store.

"The App Store team will contact you and request that you make any adjustments necessary to keep your app on the App Store. Apps that crash on debut, on the other hand, will be withdrawn from the App Store right away, "according to Apple's developer website.

"As part of Google Play's newest policy adjustments, we are increasing our target level API requirements to safeguard consumers from installing apps that may not have the latest privacy and security features," Google announced last month.

Existing apps that don't target an API level within two years of the most recent major Android release version will no longer be available for discovery or installation for new users with devices running Android OS versions higher than the apps' target API level, according to Google. The required timeframe will adjust when new Android OS versions are released in the future.