Google takes another radical step to clean up the Play Store. Apps that have not been updated within two years of the release of an Android OS version will now be hidden in the app store, making it impossible for users to download them.
This seems to be the final step in Google’s effort to make the Play Store a safer store. Developers will have to update their apps to keep up with new security features and other innovations.
According to an official Google blog post, users who have previously downloaded legacy apps will still be able to install them. The new policy will be implemented in November. So it looks like app developers have plenty of time to update their apps.
To further protect users, Google had also recently removed apps that secretly collect user data from the Play Store. Various apps, including the QR code reader and highway speed trap detector, all contained malicious codes that stole user data from millions of users. These apps have been removed for violating Play Store rules.