Android apps in the Google Play Store that have not received updates for two years will be hidden in the application store. The new measure will come into effect on November 1, 2022.
Google expects app developers to update their apps at least every year to keep up with the new features that Android version updates provide. In this way, Google guarantees that apps that were developed at the time of an older Android version, also continue to work with the most recent version.
For example, the recent Android version has the option to assign the location, camera or microphone permission once to a to. For example, to scan a QR code to link the app to an account. Outdated apps, which do not include this Android feature, may not work properly because the app expects to always or never get camera access.
Policy change
In a blog post Google announced that older apps will be hidden in the Play Store. Not only can they no longer be found, they can also no longer be installed by users. With this, Google forces developers to maintain their apps, with an extra year of ‘leniency’.
From November 1, the new rules will be complied with by Google. When an app has not been updated for more than two years, developers can simply update the existing app. After all, it remains present in the Play Store, since the app is hidden from users.
This policy change is not expected to have a major impact on most well-known apps. These are actively maintained by the developers. However, it can happen that an app that you like to use suddenly becomes untraceable from November.
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