high-quality apps Archives

AppWizard

February 20, 2026

Google banned 80,000 developer accounts, blocked 27 million dangerous apps from outside Google Play and more: How Google kept Android users safe in 2025 – The Times of India

Google's annual review highlighted its security measures for Android and Google Play, reporting that in 2025, it prevented over 1.75 million policy-violating apps from being published and banned more than 80,000 developer accounts. Google Play conducted over 10,000 safety checks on every app, blocked 160 million spam ratings, and Google Play Protect scanned over 350 billion Android apps daily. New fraud protection features were introduced, blocking 266 million risky installations and protecting users from 872,000 high-risk applications. Developer tools were enhanced with Play Policy Insights and expanded pre-review checks, while the Play Integrity API conducted over 20 billion checks daily. Google plans to invest further in AI-driven defenses and implement developer verifications in 2026.

AppWizard

February 20, 2026

Google cleans house, bans 80,000 developer accounts from the Play Store

Google blocked the publication of over 1.75 million policy-violating applications on its Google Play platform in 2025 and took action against over 80,000 developer accounts attempting to introduce harmful apps. The company conducted more than 10,000 safety checks on every app and integrated generative AI models into its app review process, preventing over 255,000 apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data. Google blocked 160 million fake or manipulated ratings and reviews in the previous year and identified more than 27 million new malicious apps from outside Google Play, thwarting 266 million risky installation attempts in 2025. Google introduced in-call scam protection to prevent users from disabling Google Play Protect during phone calls. The Play Policy Insights tool provides developers with real-time feedback, and the Play Integrity API performs over 20 billion daily checks to prevent abuse. Google plans to extend developer verification to all developers and has implemented protections for sensitive data in Android 16.

AppWizard

February 19, 2026

Google blocked over 1.75 million Play Store app submissions in 2025

Google blocked over 255,000 Android apps from gaining excessive access to sensitive user data and rejected more than 1.75 million apps from publication on Google Play due to policy violations. The company banned over 80,000 "bad developer accounts" and detected more than 1.75 million policy-violating apps. Google blocked 160 million spam ratings to prevent an average 0.5-star drop in targeted apps. Play Protect scans over 350 billion apps daily, identifying over 27 million malicious apps sideloaded from outside Google Play, and successfully blocked 266 million installation attempts from 872,000 unique risky apps. The Play Integrity API processes over 20 billion checks daily, and new hardware-backed signals and in-app remediation prompts were introduced in 2025. Android 16 includes built-in protections against “tapjacking attacks.”

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

Which Home Security System Has the Best Android App?

Smartphones have become essential tools for home security, with Android users seeking high-quality apps that offer speed, intuitive interfaces, control, stability, and customizability. Key features of top home security apps include quick loading times, user-friendly designs, easy system control, and the ability to operate without crashes. SimpliSafe is highlighted as the best overall home security app for Android due to its speed, user-friendly layout, and compatibility with Google Assistant. ADT+ is noted as a solid runner-up with strong video capabilities but a steeper learning curve. Vivint offers a premium experience with a polished design but comes with high costs. Other notable apps include Abode, which is flexible and affordable, Wyze, known for its simplicity and affordability, and Ring, which integrates well with Android and Alexa but raises privacy concerns.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

Google Play Store just lost a ton of apps, but this is actually a good thing

The Google Play Store has seen a decline in available apps from 3.4 million to approximately 1.8 million since the beginning of 2024, representing a loss of nearly 47%. The "games" category lost 200,000 apps, the education sector lost around 160,700 apps, and the business category saw a reduction of 115,400 apps. This removal is part of Google's effort to combat ad fraud, particularly from "vapor apps" that misled users and generated recurring advertisements. Over 56 million downloads were affected across 180 apps. Google has implemented new policies for tracking and removing spammy applications, including expanded verification requirements, mandatory app testing, and enhanced human reviews.

AppWizard

February 25, 2025

What’s new in Android’s February 2025 Google System Updates [U: 2/24]

The monthly "Google System Release Notes" detail updates and features for various platforms, including Play services, Play Store, and Play system updates for Android devices, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto, and PC. Key applications in the "Google System" include Google Play Services, Google Play Store, Google Wallet, and Android System Intelligence. The appearance of a feature in the changelog does not guarantee immediate availability. Recent updates include: - School Time: A feature for parents to manage phone functionalities during school hours on supervised phones. - Google Play services v25.07: Notifications for available phone updates and alerts for digital ID card issuer availability. - Google Play Store v45.1: Updated deep link experience and user experience for purchase offers. - Android System Intelligence V.21: Resolved user interface issues in Live Captions. - Google Play services v25.06: New developer features for Utilities-related processes and enhancements for digital wallet processes. - Google Play Store v45.0: Sponsored suggestions now include descriptions and improved search for Play Collections. - Google Play services v25.05: New developer features for Device Connectivity and improvements to Quick Share. - Google Play Store v44.9: Availability of Collections on Android 10-12 devices and remote installation of watch faces. - Google Play services v25.04: Simplified family group management and support for Machine Learning & AI processes for developers. - Google Play Store v44.8: UI updates for Play Games profile creation and updates for evaluating app quality on tablets and ChromeOS devices.

AppWizard

February 4, 2025

Google Relies On AI-Assist Threat Detection to Keep Android Safe

Google blocked 2.36 million apps from being published in 2024 due to violations of Google Play policies and banned over 158,000 developer accounts for attempting to distribute harmful applications. The company prevented 1.3 million apps from gaining excessive access to users' sensitive data. Over 92% of human reviews for harmful apps were AI-assisted, allowing for quicker and more accurate actions. Google implemented new requirements for developers to enhance transparency regarding data handling and introduced a "Data deletion" option for apps. Over 91% of app installations on the Google Play Store utilized the latest protections from Android 13 or newer. Google Play Protect scanned more than 200 billion apps daily and identified over 13 million new malicious apps from outside Google Play in 2024.

AppWizard

November 25, 2024

Google Play Store may soon start warning about low quality apps

Google Play Store is set to introduce warnings for low-quality apps, identified through a teardown of version 43.7.19-31. The warnings will indicate if an app is frequently uninstalled compared to similar apps, has limited user data, or has few active users. These warnings will appear on the app's details page, not as pop-up alerts during download. The feature aims to assist users, particularly those less tech-savvy, in navigating the app selection process. The timeline for the rollout of this feature is currently uncertain.

BetaBeacon

November 12, 2024

Free Android and iOS apps for a Limited Time Only This Week

Android apps and games that are free for a limited time include ChirpOMatic Birdsong Europe, mySymptoms Food Diary, Timestamp Cam, Photo Filters Auto Enhance, and Resume Designer 3.

AppWizard

July 19, 2024

Google suddenly says it will purge the worst Android apps in the Play Store

Starting August 31, 2024, Google Play Store will implement stricter guidelines to ensure that only high-quality apps are available for Android users. Google will crack down on low-quality apps that crash frequently, lack basic utility, fail to deliver engaging content, lack app-specific functionalities, are static in nature, have minimal content, serve no purpose, fail to install properly, or do not load successfully. Google's efforts aim to enhance the overall user experience on Google Play.