According to a new study, there are now more outdated apps than current ones in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. In its report, analytics firm Pixalate identified apps that have not received updates for two years or more, which it considers abandoned, in both the App Store and Play Store.
Among the more than five million apps it reviewed, the analytics firm revealed that more than 1.5 million no longer receive any updates. Emphasizing that both application stores are full of abandoned applications, Pixalate states that there are only 1.3 million applications that have received updates in the last six months.
Outdated apps are a big risk for users!
Research by Pixalate reveals that many users may be at risk from abandoned apps. Although outdated applications pose a significant security risk for users, both Apple and Google have taken various measures in this regard. Both companies remove applications that do not receive updates from their stores under certain conditions.
Updating the App Store policy, Apple will classify apps that haven’t been updated for three years as abandoned and remove them from its store. The iPhone manufacturer will also not include applications that cannot reach a certain number of downloads in its store.
When Apple marks an app as “obsolete”, developers will have 90 days to make changes before that app is removed from the App Store. However, even if the apps are deleted from the store, they will continue to be on users’ devices. Such legacy applications will always continue to pose a risk to the user.
Following a similar policy, Google announced in April that it will begin removing old Android apps by the end of this year. The company, which will hide the application pages, will also prevent the installation of applications that have not received updates recently.
Although companies are taking various precautions in this way for old applications, applications on your phone that are no longer updated can pose security risks for you and your phone. It will be the most effective method not to host these applications on your devices.
So what do you think about apps on iOS and Android devices that haven’t received updates? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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