Google Play Store

Application security

Main article: App security in the Google Play Store

2024: Blocking Russian developers

In December 2024, Google announced the complete blocking of all paid transactions for Russian developers in the Google Play store from December 26, 2024. The last remittances will be made on January 15, 2025, after which all financial transactions will be discontinued.

According to CNews, the restrictions will affect all paid operations, including microtransactions in games and renewal of subscriptions. The block will affect all developers of Android applications with bank accounts in Russian banks, including creators of video games, navigators and highly specialized paid applications.

Google Play blocked Russian developers

The Google Play shop numbering more than 1.6 million applications according to Statista.com for June, 2024 is the largest platform for distribution of the software on the Android platform and is preset on devices of most of producers. This gives developers the opportunity to promote their applications in the global market.

The ban will also affect users who cannot make purchases in applications of Russian developers or subscribe to them. Since May 2022, Google Play has already had a restriction on downloading and updating paid applications from Russia.

In March 2022, the company turned off monetization for Russian authors on YouTube, and in the summer of 2024 closed their access to the AdSense advertising network. Bloggers have the opportunity to earn money only through direct integration of advertising into content.

Alternative sites for Russian developers remain application stores of large manufacturers smartphones - AppGallery от Huawei and, GetApps от Xiaomi allowing to promote applications around the world, as well as a domestic catalog, RuStore launched in May 2022.

Since the summer of 2023, RuStore has a monetization program for both individuals and legal entities. Developers can make money on built-in purchases, subscriptions and paid applications, receiving income in Russia without restrictions from foreign platforms.^[1]

2023:102 million Americans will receive $700 million from Google for illegal fees when downloading applications

On December 18, 2023, it became known that Google was fined $700 million in antitrust proceedings with 50 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virginia Islands. The corporation was accused of illegal restrictions on the installation of Android applications and of charging unreasonable fees for transactions within mobile applications.

Under the terms of the agreement concluded with the authorities, Google will send approximately $629 million to a settlement fund for consumers. This money will go to pay compensation to about 102 million Americans who overpaid when buying applications and conducting transactions on the Google Play platform. Each consumer will receive at least $2 plus additional payments depending on their expenses on Google Play from August 16, 2016 to September 30, 2023.

Another $70 million Google will transfer to the fund, which will be used by the American states. An additional $1 million is allocated for the management of transactions related to settlements. Thus, the total amount is $700 million.

As part of the agreement, Google will make it easier for users to download applications directly from developers. In particular, for seven years, the company "will continue to provide Android with the technical ability to install third-party applications using tools other than Google Play." At the same time, for five years, Google will provide product developers with an alternative system for paying for purchases in applications along with Google Play. In addition, for five years, Google will not force manufacturers to exclusively install Google Play on mobile devices or display the service icon on the home screen. All these measures are designed to improve the competitive environment in the market.^[2]

2022

Permission for Russians to use third-party payment methods

On August 31, 2022, it became known that mobile applications Google the Play store had changed the payment rules for users from. Russia Now program developers are allowed to use third-party ones, payment systems which has become an alternative to an internal service that does not work to the country in due to. sanctions

{{quote "Starting from August 2, 2022, the provisions of the Google Play rules for payments requiring the use of the Google Play payment system do not apply to developers distributing applications through Google Play, requiring or accepting payments from users in Russia during this period of time, Google said. }}

In March, Google technical support said that users from Russia will no longer be able to buy applications, pay for subscriptions or make any purchases of digital goods in applications on Google Play due to "disruption of payment systems." The store ceased to support domestic maps Visa and, and MаsterCard later, cards. "World

In May, an official mobile application store was launched in Russia, RuStore developed VK jointly with a number of large the Russian IT companies with support. At the Ministry of Digital Development end of August, RuStore became able to make purchases inside the programs themselves. To do this, you should link a bank card in the store's personal account^[3]

Removal of the social network application of ex-US President Donald Trump

In August 2022, Google removed Donald Trump's Truth Social app from the Play Store, citing 'insufficient moderation'. 'On August 19, we notified Truth Social of several violations of the standard policy [...] and confirmed that effective user content moderation systems are a condition for providing our services, "the company said.

FAS Russia demanded that Google lift the ban on the use of third-party payment systems on Google Play

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) issued a warning to the American corporation Google about the inadmissibility of violating antimonopoly laws and abuse of its dominant position, expressed in imposing unfavorable conditions on its counterparties. This became known on July 5, 2022.

We are talking mobile applications about the Google Play store, created by Google Corporation for its development. operating system Android The FAS found that Google obliged developers of paid applications distributing their products through this site to use exclusively. Google Payment System

The ban on the use of third-party payment systems is enshrined in the Google Play Developer Program Rules. If they are violated, the application can be removed from the site or the ability to update it is blocked.

In case of failure to comply with the issued order, the FAS has the right to initiate a case of violation of antimonopoly legislation. The press service of the Russian representative office of Google told CNews that they had not yet received a warning^[4] the FAS^[5] of ^[6].

Google will pay $90 million to Android app developers for imposing its product

At the end of June 2022 Google , she announced her readiness to pay $90 million for a peaceful settlement of a legal dispute, which resulted in a lawsuit by developers Androidapplications accusing the company of numerous abuses of its dominant position in the mobile market. software

Earlier, developers accused Google of using agreements with smartphone manufacturers and technical barriers to make most payments through its Google Play payment system, for the use of which you have to pay a commission of 30%.

As part of the proposed settlement, Google announced in its blog that it will send $90 million to a fund to support Android application developers, whose annual revenue was $2 million or less between 2016 and 2021. According to Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, which represented the interests of the plaintiffs, 48 thousand Android application developers could apply for $90 million, and the minimum payment amount is $250.

In early July 2022, the US Congress is considering a bill that would oblige companies such as Google and Apple to allow lateral downloads or app download practices without using their own stores. Google claims to already allow lateral downloads, but the new bill would also ban companies from requiring app developers to use Google and Apple's payment systems.

According to The Wall Street Journal, by mid-2022, large technology companies have been criticized since 2019 for numerous abuses of their dominant market position in the issue of wages and increased interest rates. At the same time, the tech giants themselves claim to be working to improve diversity and inclusion policies.^[7]

Ban on the release of paid applications for developers from Russia

In May 2022, Google banned developers in Russia from downloading and updating paid applications on Google Play.

Subscriptions that have already been paid will be valid until the end of the period specified in the application, then they will be canceled.

The decision was made against the background of the conflict in Ukraine.

Google will pay a fine of €2 million in France for infringing on application developers

On March 28, 2022, a court in France fined Google €2 million for unfair practices against application developers. The court ordered the company to change seven provisions of contracts with developers, including a provision charging them 30% of the commission on sales through the Google Play Store.

Earlier, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire appealed to the court with a demand to Google and Apple to stop abusing commercial practice and sentence them to a fine of €2 million. After four years of proceedings and numerous delays to the decision, the Commercial Court of Paris in 2022 sided with the French executive.

The government accused Google of imposing a price range on developers, including a 30% commission applied to every sale made on the Google Play Store, or their ability to unilaterally modify, as well as suspend a contract signed with them. This provision imposed Google without effective negotiations and reflects the subordination or attempt to subordinate application developers to obligations that create a significant imbalance, as stated in the documents of the French court ruling.

{{quote 'Android and Google Play give developers more choice than any other platform and the ability to reach an ever-growing audience. We always strive to provide great support to developers and help them build a sustainable business, "said Google spokesman Michael Aciman. }} Most of the controversial points in this case no longer apply in contracts with developers, and the lawsuit filed by the French government was based on an investigation by the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Anti-Fraud (DGCCRF) conducted in 2015 and 2016. Google is under pressure from regulators in many countries, the company has already agreed to relax its provisions in relation to developers.

The company in June 2021 announced that it would reduce by up to 15% the levy on sales made through apps in its store. For March 2022, this decision is being studied by Google's legal department, which does not close the door for a possible appeal. The court gave Google until early July 2022 to change the controversial points identified.^[8]

Temporary ban on the installation of paid applications in Russia

On March 9, 2022, amid Russia's special operation in Ukraine, Google announced that it was temporarily restricting the operation of the Google Play app store in Russia. Only free applications will remain available for download.

2021: Reduced fees for app developers with subscriptions from 30% to 15%

October 21, 2021 Google announced the halving of the commission for developers of applications hosted in the Google Play catalog. The innovation concerns programs and games offered to users by subscription.

Initially, Google took 30% of the revenue from the sales of subscriptions to Google Play from developers, but from the beginning of 2022 the commission will be 15%. For members of the Play Media Experience program (streaming music services and electronic libraries. Most of their sales are paid content) the amount of the fee will be even less - 10%. 

Digital service subscriptions have become one of the fastest growing models for developers, but we know that such a business faces certain difficulties in attracting and retaining customers. To help them, from January 1, 2022, we will reduce the commission on all subscriptions in the Google Play store from 30% to 15% from the first day of use... We worked with our partners in dating, fitness, education and other sectors to understand the nuances of their business, "said Samir Samat, vice president of Google.

Initially, the fee collected for subscribing to an app from Google Play was reduced to 15% after 12 months of regular subscription. Thus, the fee for the first year of subscription was halved. It is noted that under the previous system, developers faced difficulties in profiting from subscriptions.

From July 1, 2021, Google reduced from 30% to 15% the commission for application developers whose annual revenue does not exceed $1 million. The innovation affected 99% of software creators.

According to experts, reducing the commission will not affect the cost of subscribing to services in any way. Developers will earn more money and receive an additional budget to advertise their proposals.^[9]

2020

The ability to pay for purchases using the "Qiwi Wallet"

Google On Play, you can now pay for purchases using Qiwi Purse"." Users who use smartphone or on, tablet from Android November 18, 2020, can buy, applications books, games and music through. payment service Previously, only payment with a bank account or card PayPal mobile account was available on Google Play. More. here

The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation asked not to demand a reduction in the commission for software developers for Android and iOS

In early November 2020, it became known that, and Association of Computer and Information Technology Enterprises Association of Developers "Domestic Software" "" and Russoft the Association of Trading Companies and Producers of Household and Computer Equipment (; RATEK unites manufacturers and, including) retailerselectronic engineers Apple asked Ministry of Digital Development not to support a bill obliging Apple to allow Google the commission for developers to be reduced from 30% to 20%. More. here

Epic Games sues Apple, Google for removing Fortnite from app stores

On August 14, 2020, it became known that the developer of computer games Epic Games filed lawsuits against Apple Inc. and Google (part of Alphabet Inc.), accusing the company of violating antitrust laws.

The company filed lawsuits after Apple and Google removed Fortnite, a game developed by Epic, from their app stores. This is due to the fact that the company invited users to make purchases inside the game directly in order to reduce their cost. Read more here.

Telegram Vice President Perekopsky Ilya compared Apple and Google to the Golden Horde

"Such is the analogy: it turns out that there used to be a bet of the Golden Horde and everyone brought tribute to Tatarstan. And now there is such a bet somewhere in San Francisco near the Golden Bridge (Golden Gate Bridge), and everyone brings tribute there. And it seems to us that this is such a fundamental thing that greatly restrains the development of the IT industry as a whole in the world, and especially in our country, because this entire army of talented youth is concentrated somewhere in this region, "he said in July 2020 at a meeting of Mikhail Mishustin with representatives of the IT industry in Kazan.

Blocking the installation of non-Google Play apps on Android devices

On March 19, 2020, it became known that Google began blocking the installation of applications on mobile Android devices if they were not downloaded from the Google Play store. This means that users will no longer be able to download an APK file with a distribution kit of a particular utility from third-party resources and install it themselves, bypassing Google services. Read more here.

2019

Developers in the App Store earn 64% more than on Google Play

In mid-June 2019, Sensor Tower, which offers a platform for analyzing the effectiveness of mobile app sales, presented expense statistics in the Apple App Store and Google Play catalogs. Read more here.

Google blocks marijuana-selling apps

On May 29, 2019, Google blocked apps in the Google Play catalog that sell or somehow contribute to the implementation of marijuana or related products. The ban was introduced as part of large-scale changes in the policy of publishing content in the store.

The new rules are similar to banning the sale of tobacco products on Google Play. The updated corporation policy will hit such mobile versions of delivery services as Weedmaps and Eaze hard. The Weedmaps application was downloaded more than 1 million times, and Eaze - about 50 thousand.

According to a representative of Eaze, the ban introduced by Google only contributes to the development of the shadow drug market.

As Google told Reuters, developers of applications that help buy marijuana do not have to turn off services - they just need to take the function of adding products to the basket outside the application itself. For example, in the program itself, you can specify only the link by which the purchase of cannabis is available, but direct ordering and payment can be transferred to the web version launched in the browser.

In addition to restrictions on the sale of marijuana in apps, Google has begun requiring developers to target audiences for their apps, and programs targeting children (both exclusively children and with adults) must follow the company's family policies. This includes limiting the types of ads that can appear in apps, adding safety alerts for augmented reality, and disclosing what information developers collect about children.

Developers of already working applications were given 30 days to bring their products in accordance with the new Google Play rules.^[10]

The appearance of cashback for purchases inside applications

On April 23, 2019, at the Google Play store in South Korea, users got the opportunity to receive rewards for purchases inside Android apps.

As part of the loyalty program, users will be able to get points - the so-called Google Play Points, which can then be spent on purchases inside programs and games, as well as on replenishing their Google Play account.

The cashback service includes five levels: bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond. The lowest among them - bronze - assumes that users can receive one Google Play Points score for every 1000 won (about 56 rubles at the exchange rate as of April 23, 2019), spent on purchasing subscriptions and various virtual items in applications from the Google Play catalog.

Those who are at the silver level are given 1.1 points for purchases of 1000 won and 6 points for spending of 5000 won. Users who have switched to gold, platinum and diamond levels can count on a bonus of up to 2 points for every 1000 won spent. As the loyalty program increases, owners of smartphones, tablets and other devices receive more rewards and privileges.

As the publication writes ZDNet with reference to the message, Google if the user spent 100 Google Play Points on the purchase of virtual items, then the developer of this application receives 70% of the revenue.

To participate in the loyalty program, in applications you need to click the My Play Point button. Google is going to hold promotions every week so that users can get more points in certain applications.

By April 23, 2019, the Google Play Points program is available only to residents of Japan and South Korea - countries in which purchases inside mobile applications and a pay-to-play model are very popular, in which you need to purchase a monthly subscription to access the game. In the future, Google Play Points will be launched in other markets.^[11]

2018: Google to refund mother whose baby let $1,600 off mobile games

At the end of September 2018, the District Court of Suwon (South Korea) issued a verdict on the lawsuit, the initiator of which requested compensation for debiting money from her credit card in mobile games without her consent.

The plaintiff's 10-year-old son spent a total of 1.81 million won (about $1,627) in smartphone games using his mother's credit card. The card remained tied on the mobile app after the woman made several purchases in a game for her child in 2015.

After some time, her son was able to pay for the purchase of gaming items using the same bank card, and no additional confirmation was required from the owner. Then the mother sued Google, demanding compensation for the losses in full.

On September 28, 2018, the Suvon District Court found both the plaintiff and the defendant guilty of the incident, which means that Google will have to pay half of the amount debited from the card without the user's knowledge, that is, 909 thousand won. The other half of the responsibility was assigned to the prosecution.

Taking into account the fact that the defendant did not reconcile the name of the cardholder with the person who made the transaction under another name, which is a violation of his obligations to take precautions, the defendant must be responsible for partial compensation of losses, the court verdict says.[12]

As reported in the support section of the Google website, usually the company "does not return funds to users for purchases on Google Play. However , in some cases this is possible. "

{{Quote 'If you made a purchase but it doesn't meet your expectations, is unnecessary, or something doesn't work properly, do one of the following:

1. Contact the app developer.
2. Request a refund from Google Play .}}

2017

Compare with App Store for app downloads and user spend

According to App Annie, the App Store loses to Google Play in app downloads (30% versus 70% in 2017), but is noticeably ahead in the amount of money that gadget owners spend downloading and using such programs. In 2017, 66% of all user spending on the mobile application was on the iOS platform. In 2012, this share was measured at 86%.

Business Software Access Simplified

On January 17, 2017, the company Google announced a change in distribution policy software in the Google Play store, which will make it easier for enterprises to deploy their own and specialized applications among staff.

The company proposes to use a private channel (Private Channel) that will allow G Suite administrators (formerly Google Apps for Work) to place and distribute Android applications only to users or selected groups of users within their G Suite domain. Users who gain access to a private channel can download applications from there via Google Play on a mobile device. Organizations that connect a private channel to Google Play receive additional benefits in the form of authentication of individual groups of users, as well as antiviral protection against Google malware^[13]

This update will be available in the app store from January 31, 2017. It is supposed to make it easier to find enterprise applications distributed through Google Play. For greater clarity, they will be located in the "Work Applications" section. The same section will store other applications - public and private, which the enterprise can manage using EMM (Enterprise Mobility Management) tools.

The private channel will provide a simplified tool for consolidated application pool management, allowing, for example, to update software on a predetermined schedule. Software grouping will make it easier for administrators to create "whitelists" of mobile applications that are approved for use in the enterprise.

Organizations that have not previously used a private channel need to pre-register using their own EMM and configure Google's mobile management technology. As of January 17, 2017, Private Channel can be used to install enterprise applications only on Android mobile devices, using its own applications on other platforms is unacceptable, Google said.

There is also a scheme for replacing published applications in the private channel, which is valid for commercial applications on Google Play. The ability to routinely configure enterprise application updates has become another among the innovations in Google's EMM products and services for business that have appeared over the past year and a half. For example, in October last year, Google introduced a new feature for the mass deployment of Android mobile devices with all the necessary security settings for working in remote offices. In the same month, Google updated the administrator console - it received improved mechanisms for filtering content, blocking the device and destroying data.

2016: " Family" access to Google store

On July 28, 2016, Google announced the organization of a Family Library interaction mode in the structure of the online app store and Google Play media content - to exchange data between family members.

Family Library allows you to purchase a paid application once and subsequently transfer it to the mobile devices of your spouse, children, other relatives, without paying it again^[14].

Google Play Family Library - shared paid content. A kind of response Google to similar functionality Internet is a store App Store from the company. Apple The service was launched in May 2016, but access to it was limited to some countries for a limited number of testers.

As of July 2016, beta testing is completed - users Google can access the project from the territory, USA most countries,,, Europe Japan Brazil Canada and Australia, Mexico, New Zealand. The company announced the inclusion of Google Play Family Library in the rest of the world in a few days.

Google Play Family Library has restrictions on the "family": no more than six. These may not be relatives - groups can be created with friends or work colleagues. It is not necessary to connect to the Google Play Family Library from Android devices - applications will be available only for this platform, and photos, videos and other media content will open on a desktop PC or gadget under control. Apple iOS

In the Google Play Family Library, you can exchange almost everything, excluding music - it will not work due to copyright.

2014: Number of apps reaches 1.43 million

According to appFigures, the number of applications Google Play in 2014 reached 1.43 million, while in the App Store - 1.21 million App Store is an analogue of Google Play. It contains applications for Apple iPhone and iPads, that is, mobile devices running on a competing platform. iOS

The third place was taken by the Appstore catalog of Amazon (293 thousand applications). Amazon devices are mostly popular in the US.

In addition, analysts noted that in 2014 Google Play showed a higher rate of influx of new developers for the third year in a row. Moreover, every year the gap increased.

Now about 388 thousand developers are engaged in the release of applications for Android posted on Google Play - against 282 thousand from Apple.

In 2014, the number of apps on Google Play doubled. The highest growth rate was shown by the Games category, in second place - Photography, in third - Music, in fourth - Business, in fifth - Entertainment.

In turn, in the App Store, the highest growth rate in the number of new applications in 2014 was demonstrated by the Business category. In second place is Food & Drink. Analysts were surprised that Food & Drink was in second place. They recalled that we are talking about the growth rate, and not the total number of programs. What is the reason for the popularity of this category is not explained.

2013

51% of the world's mobile app downloads happen with Google Play

Research company Canalys has calculated the number of mobile applications downloaded by users of smartphones and tablets in Q1 2013 years. Reportedly, during this period, 13.4 billion downloads were made from online directories of mobile software, which is 11% more than in the entire 2012.

The largest growth in sales and the number of downloads of mobile software is observed in developing regions - Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa. This is due to the growing popularity of mobile gadgets, which are willingly sold out by local residents. As for the profitability of the markets from the point of view of software developers, according to this criterion, the markets of developed countries occupy the dominant positions. At the end of the quarter in North America, developer revenues from mobile software increased by 8%, and the number of downloaded programs and games rose by 6%, while in Europe these indicators increased by 8 and 10%, respectively.

As of April 2013, the most popular online app catalogs are Apple AppStore, Google Play, Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry World. In total, these four most popular stores provided revenues of $2.2 billion. The most profitable app store remains the AppStore, which accounts for about 74% of global revenue. Although Google is inferior to Apple in terms of profitability, its Google Play has become the leader in the number of downloads - 51% of all downloads are made from it, where users prefer free and conditionally free programs. Apple is in second place in terms of downloads.

Google Play bypasses AppStore in the number of downloaded applications

For the first time, the Google Play app store bypassed Apple's AppStore in terms of downloads. According to research conducted by App Annie Index, according to the results of the second quarter of 2013. users downloaded 10% more Android apps than iOS apps. The company associates this fact with an increase in user activity in the emerging markets of Russia, India and Brazil. Considering users of both app stores, residents of the United States, South Korea, India, China and Japan download programs the most. Experts point to the rapid growth of the Android smartphone market and, accordingly, applications for them in developing countries.^[15]

However, despite this, the App Store still generates much more revenue than Google Play, and this confirms that Apple technology users are more disposed to pay for content. The App Store surpassed Google Play in revenue by 2.3 times. The most popular category of programs in the App Store and Google Play remains games. In the first, they account for 40% of downloads, and they generate about 75% of income. Another 15% mainly come from music and social applications. Users from the United States and Japan spend the most on programs, which generate about half of the App Store's total profits.

On Google Play, games also rank first in revenue - they bring in 80% of all receipts from downloaded applications. In second place on Google Play are applications for communication, and in third place are various tools.

Revenue data includes paid downloads, as well as purchases built into applications. This information does not take into account the revenue that comes from mobile advertising built into applications.

Recently, the Android platform bypassed iOS in terms of the number of tablets sold in the II sq. tablets. During this period, 34 million tablet computers were launched on the global market, which is 43% more than a year earlier. 53% of the supplied devices were based on the Android platform, iOS accounted for 42.7%. For comparison, in Q2 2012, Apple controlled 71.2% of tablet sales.

Google tightens requirements for Android apps

Google has made significant changes to the rules for publishing Android applications in the official Google Play catalog. They relate to the description of applications, advertising, in-app purchases, ratings and other aspects.

According to the changed rules, "applications cannot contain a fake or incomprehensible description in any column, including the name, shortcut, description and screenshots."

Developers are prohibited from posting any shortcuts to third-party sites and services for advertising purposes on the home screen, in the application section and in browser bookmarks. Ads are not allowed in the system notification area.

It is forbidden to publish applications parodying other applications externally and functionally.

Applications should not change system settings without prior notice and consent from the user. This also applies to the operating system interface. The user should be able to easily undo changes, including by deleting the application that made them.

Applications should not force users to delete other applications only if the application is not an antivirus or other security solution.

The phrase "Developers should not attempt to change the position of any product in the store by multiple ratings and forcing users to give higher or lower ratings" has been replaced by "Developers should not attempt to change the position of any product in the store, manipulate ratings or reviews of any products by unauthorized methods, including fictitious installations, paid or fictitious reviews and ratings and compulsion to rate the product. "

One of the most significant changes in the rules concerns the order of payments built into applications. From now on, purchases within applications must be made exclusively through the Google Play payment system, except when the user purchases real goods.

According to observers, the new rules will help clean up Google Play and bring store quality closer to the Apple App Store, which is the benchmark.

2012

Google launched in March 2012 a competitor to iTunes, the Google Play service, which brought together stores of applications, music, books, a video service, a cloud storage and data synchronization service.

Google introduced a new service called Google Play, which combined Android the Market app catalog, Google Music store, Google eBookstore e-book store and video distribution service through. Internet As indicated in the official blog of the company, more than 450 thousand applications, millions of music tracks and books and thousands of films are available in it. Conceptually, Google Play is close to iTunes, a well-known service Apple that combines a music, video and app store for Apple computers, phones and tablets.

The Google Play service was fully operational at first only in the United States. In Canada and the UK, Google Play combined films, books and applications, in Australia - books and applications, in Japan - films and applications. In other countries, including Russia, Google Play first offered only applications. When trying to enter the Android Market, the old address was redirected to a new domain, the user saw the new logo.

Corresponding changes over the coming days were also made to the Android Market mobile application (on devices with Android 2.2 and higher), and applications for accessing films, books and music were also updated, which were renamed Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music.

In addition, Google Play offered the function of downloading up to 20 thousand music tracks from its own library to the server. This service is free. In addition, users can sync files and purchases between a smartphone, tablet and personal computer.

Google explained that Google Play is an evolution of the Android Market store, opened in October 2008.

As noted by the Associated Press, Google Music, launched 4 months ago, sells tracks from only three major recording studios: Universal Music, EMI Group and Sony Music Entertainment. At the same time, an agreement has not yet been concluded with Warner Music Group. The number of books included in Google Play exceeds 4 million, and tracks and films - 13 million, the agency adds.

Google Play is a direct competitor to iTunes. Launched in 2003, this Apple store is the largest electronic music store.

Over 4.5 billion applications have been downloaded and installed on Android phones and tablets. Canalys conducted a market study of mobile electronics programs in early 2012, which showed that applications from the Android Market cost more than twice as much as their counterparts from the App Store. Analysts took as a basis the 100 most popular and downloaded applications in the Android Market and the same number of their analogues from the Apple App Store. Having calculated the total cost of programs, it turned out that applications from Google cost about 2.5 times more expensive than in the App Store.

For the 100 most popular applications in the Android Market, you need to pay about $375, an average of $3.75 per application. In the Apple App Store, one app costs $1.47. Canalys analysts believe that it is the difference in the price of content that is the main deterrent to the popularity of the Android Market, which is in second place after the App Store in terms of catalog size, despite the fact that Android devices in the world sell more than devices on the iOS platform.

In March 2012, Google introduced a new service called Google Play, which combined the Android Market app catalog, Google Music store, Google eBookstore e-book store and online video distribution service. As indicated in the official blog of the company, more than 450 thousand applications, millions of music tracks and books and thousands of films are available in it. Conceptually, Google Play is close to iTunes, a well-known Apple service that combines a music, video and app store for Apple computers, phones and tablets.

The official catalog of applications for Android devices - Google Play - crossed the 15 billion download mark in April 2012.

For comparison, Apple's App Store reached 15 billion downloads in July 2011. The last time Apple announced it would reach 25 billion downloads was in March 2012.

The assortment of the official catalog of Android applications Google Play reached 700 thousand positions in October 2012. Thus, the number of Android apps reached the number of iOS apps distributed through a similar Apple App Store catalog for the first time. As PocketNow notes, despite this, the number of Android applications designed specifically for tablets is small. Apple has 275 thousand such applications.

2011: 200K Applications

In May 2011, at a Google developer conference, the company released interesting statistics about the Android system. Google representatives said that 400,000 Android devices are connected in the world per day. Thus, the total number of Android devices to date has approached 100 million units. In total, about 310 different devices are available in 112 countries from 36 manufacturers and 215 operators, Google said.

Over 200 thousand free and paid applications are available on the Android Market, the online application market. While Google is still behind Apple in the number of applications in the online store, however, the pace of development allows us to hope that Android will soon catch up with the market leader. A new service - video rental - may make Android Market more popular. Users will be able to rent movies for $1.99.

2010: 100K apps in Android Market

Android The Market store range reached 100,000 applications in October 2010. This was reported in, on the Twitter official account of the Android developer community. The mark of 100 thousand applications was reached six months after reaching the mark of 50 thousand and 2 years after the opening of the store - in October 2008, the Android Market contained several dozen programs and all of them were free (there was no possibility of buying applications at that time).

Android Market remains the second largest app store after the Apple App Store, the range of which in August 2010 overcame the bar of 250 thousand positions. However, its growth rate is higher than that of the App Store. The number of new Android programs is increasing every month. Over time, users of smartphones based on this platform are expected to have the largest selection of programs available for download, among other mobile platforms.

In July, it was reported that users of smartphones with the Android operating system completed more than 1 billion downloads of applications stored in the Android Market. For comparison, users, iPhone iPod touch iPad and performed more than 5 billion downloads of applications stored in. App Store

See also

• Mobile apps
• Mobile Applications (Russian Market)
• Mobile Applications (Global Market)
• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store Google Play Music Google Chrome Web Store
• Windows Store Microsoft Store Windows Azure Store Microsoft Office Store
• Huawei AppGallery
• Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA)
• Yandex.Store
• Opera Mobile Store
• Android app stores
• SAP Mobile Applications
• Real estate mobile apps
• Mobile applications for personal finance accounting
• Mobile alcohol selection apps

Notes