Google Play’s New Feature: Warning Users About Low-Quality Apps Before Download

Google is currently developing a practical new feature for Google Play: a warning alert about the app or game being of low quality before users proceed with the download.

This update should not concern creators of standard-quality apps, as the determination of an app's quality will be based on update frequency, uninstall rate, and user engagement. Google collects this data to score apps.

For instance, a game that hasn't been updated for a long time without adapting to new Android versions, an app that causes high uninstall rates due to persistent bugs after updates, or apps that are seldom used post-installation will be flagged based on these data metrics.

Users will encounter warnings such as:

• This app is uninstalled at a higher rate compared to similar apps on Google Play.
• Google Play has restricted this app's access to user data.
• This app has fewer active users compared to other apps on Google Play.

Google's goal with this feature is to prevent users from downloading low-quality apps, thus saving time and reducing disappointment, by setting an expectation before the download even begins.

These warnings will not only appear at the time of download but also when users visit the app's page on Google Play, allowing them to make an informed decision about proceeding with the download.

Google also hopes that this initiative will encourage developers to regularly update their apps and fix bugs, providing a better experience for users. Otherwise, being tagged as a low-quality app could lead to a continuous decrease in downloads.

For users, this can be seen as a highly useful feature, considering the vast number of low-quality apps on Google Play. Through data and algorithms, Google can help users make wise decisions, avoiding the waste of time and data on downloading and exploring these low-quality apps.