Google is rolling out a series of upgrades to its Play Store to help Android app developers better market their software and services to consumers. Among the highlights are new tools for managing subscription apps, topic pages that let users explore a specific subject on the Play Store, a new feature that allows people to…
Category: Google Play
Android, Apps, Global Security News, Google Play
Google Play sees 47% decline in apps since start of last year
Google Play’s app marketplace is losing apps. From the start of 2024 to present, the Android app marketplace went from hosting about 3.4 million apps worldwide to just around 1.8 million, according to a new analysis by app intelligence provider Appfigures. That’s a decline of about 47%, representing a significant purge of the apps that…
Apps, developers, Global Security News, Google, Google Play, user choice billing
Google rolls out user choice billing on Google Play in the UK
Google said today that it will start offering user choice billing in the U.K., giving Google Play developers the ability to use other billing options instead of Google’s own system. The change kicks in on March 29, initially only to non-game developers. If developers opt for it, they cannot replace Google Play billing altogether. Instead,…
Apps, Gaming, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Google Play, Google Play Games
Google introduces new developer tools and titles for games on mobile and PC
Google announced new features around PC and mobile gaming today ahead of the Game Developers Conference (GDC), including new titles, control customization, and developer tools for making mobile games available on PC. The company first introduced Play Games for PC in 2022 in the beta phase. Over time, it has introduced the program to various…
Android, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Google Play, Lookout, malware, Security, Spyware, TC
North Korean government hackers snuck spyware on Android app store
Cybersecurity firm Lookout found several samples of a North Korean spyware it calls KoSpy. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Android, Cybercrime, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google Play, Media & Entertainment, privacy, Security, Spyware, stalkerware, vietnam
Your Android phone could have stalkerware. Here’s how to remove it
This simple guide helps you identify and remove common consumer-grade spyware apps from your Android phone. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
app store, Apple, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google Play, Google Play Books, Media & Entertainment
Google Play Books purchases on iOS now skirt the App Store’s commission
Google has gained permission to sell its e-books and audiobooks directly to customers through its iOS app, Google Play Books. While iOS apps today can offer access to content previously purchased elsewhere, like e-books bought via a website, developers have to request a specific exception to link their iOS app’s users to the company’s own…
Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Google Play, vpn apps
Google Play adds a ‘Verified’ badge for trusted VPN apps
Google Play is rolling out “Verified” badges for select VPN apps to make it easier for users to find trust services. Apps with the badge prioritize user privacy and safety, Google said in a blog post on Tuesday. The badge indicates that the developers of an app have adhered to the Play safety and security…
android apps, app ecosystem, app store, appfigures, Apple, Apps, Global Security News, Google Play, iOS apps, TC
App downloads decline 2.3% in 2024, but consumer spending grows to $127B
The global app economy continued to recover in 2024, after an earlier slowdown in 2022 — at least in terms of consumer spending. In 2024, global consumer spending in mobile apps and games reached $127 billion across the App Store and Google Play, up 15.7% from the prior year. However, those increases were driven by…