Google axes 60K rubbish apps in massive Google Play purge

Google Play
Google Play has a spam problem, but it could soon be revamped

Google hit a record high for removing rubbish apps from the Google Play store in February, deleting around 60,000 spam, low quality, or otherwise crap apps.

That marks the biggest purge Google's digital app store has ever seen, according to TechCrunch.

Compared to Apple's iOS app store, the Google Play marketplace has always been a bit of a wasteland, without the strict vetting system that Apple has in place.

The cream Android apps have always tended to rise to the top of Google Play, but there was always that seedy underbelly of sour milk.

Not anymore?

TechCrunch's report came yesterday by way of "a company in the mobile app industry which has insight into changes like this." TechCrunch told TechRadar that the company requested anonymity.

The site also reported that Google's automated algorithms to detect spam apps have been steadily improving.

The Google Play Android app store is great for developers who don't want to bother with Apple's strict guidelines and sometimes bothersome approval process, but that same system also opens the door for less reputable app makers to flood the space with rotten creations.

The recent purge of garbage Android apps could be simply due to Google getting better at detecting them, or it could be part of a concentrated effort on Google's part to spruce the place up.

In fact, the change in policy could have something to do with the Google Play 4.0 redesign that was previously rumored to be arriving alongside Android 5.0: Key Lime Pie.

Update: Key Lime Pie is expected to be unveiled at Google I/O in May, and it was thought the Google Play 4.0 update could be unveiled around the same time.

But the Google Play facelift actually began rolling out Tuesday. It's still not a huge leap to assume that Google is working hard to clean up the marketplace at the same time they improve the app itself.

Either way, it seems the Google Play marketplace is only getting better.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.