In the first half of 2022, Google removed more than 1.1 million apps from the Play Store, including 1.3 million apps in the first quarter of the year alone. This massive removal was part of Google’s ongoing efforts to enforce stricter app quality and policy compliance guidelines.
In 2023, approximately 2.28 million apps were removed due to policy violations and security concerns.
These removals highlight the growing challenge of ensuring app security with thousands of new apps coming to the market every day, many of which pose potential risks to user privacy, device performance and security.
Risks posed by suspicious apps
Quora user Vikas sawant warned Android users to be vigilant about potentially harmful apps on Google Play.
Some apps sell themselves as tools to improve performance or extend battery life, or as their own utilities such as lie detection or defragmentation, sawant explained. But “all they do is serve ads,” he said.
“They frequently access data and drain the battery.” Given the huge number of new apps released every day, Sawant warns that user caution is essential, as “even Google can’t keep up with all the new programs.”
Adding to this advice, Android user Shashi Singh encourages users to avoid unnecessary apps.
“Don’t install apps that you don’t need for your daily activities. Just because others have it doesn’t mean you should have it,” Singh writes.
He stressed the importance of only downloading apps from the Google Play Store to minimize security risks.
“If you download apps from outside the App Store, make sure they are from a safe and trusted source,” Singh added, advising users to be wary of apps of unknown origin.
Specific apps to avoid
Another Android user, Arun Jose, pointed out the risks associated with popular apps like UC Browser.
“UC Browser is very suspicious and bombards users with ads on a daily basis,” he explained in his review, recommending the pre-installed Chrome browser as a safer alternative.
Jose also warned about Vidmate, a YouTube downloader known for posing privacy risks. As a safer option, he recommends YMusic, which lets you download media without intrusive ads. CamScanner, a widely used document scanning app, is also a concern, according to an Android developer.
“Despite being very popular, it has exhibited suspicious behavior in the past,” he explained. Cases like this highlight the need to closely monitor app permissions.
Android users are also warned against downloading apps from unknown websites. “If you are installing apps from unknown websites, always make sure you have an antivirus such as CM Security on your device,” he advises.
“Apps from untrusted sources may contain viruses or malware that can corrupt your files or steal your personal information.”
The user also suggested uninstalling infrequently used or battery-draining apps such as Facebook and Twitter, pointing out that they access social media via a browser. This will help save battery life. He recommends considering battery savers and knowledge-oriented apps as more productive ways to use storage.
Recently Removed Apps
Even well-known apps can pose risks, and there have been a number of apps that were recently removed from Google Play for suspicious activity.
These include four VPNs (HotSpotVPN, Free VPN Master, Secure VPN, CM Security Applock AntiVirus) and two camera apps (Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera).
This is a reminder that while Google regularly removes apps for security reasons, users need to stay informed about which apps are safe. While Google sometimes removes malware from its Play Store, even popular apps that aren’t technically malware can have significant privacy implications.
