The Google Play Store has an estimated 3.3 million apps available, but they most certainly are not all created equal. Some are no longer updated, some don’t work the way they’re meant to, and others are just plain terrible — but a new update to the Play Store could make finding the diamonds in the rough much easier.
This update is already live for some users, but it’s still rolling out to others. When browsing the Play Store, warnings will appear just below the app information and provide a high-level overview of its performance. For example, it might warn that an app is frequently uninstalled, or the app might not get as much engagement compared to others, according to Android Authority.
App quality warnings first appeared in version 44.7.24 of the Google Play Store. If you don’t see the notifications yet, make sure everything is up to date. If everything is fully updated, the feature might not have hit your device yet. Just give it some time.
While these alerts can help you avoid duds, they don’t necessarily mean an app is a problem or faulty. For example, a seasonal app might receive little to no interaction except at certain times of year. Even though it works as intended, you might see a warning that it gets little engagement.
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These warnings will help users determine more information about an app with just a glance, but they aren’t shortcuts. Take the time to evaluate any app you download by looking at total user reviews, download counts, and more, especially if that app will have access to critical or sensitive information.