More opportunity time for app creators as the number of abandoned apps goes up by 6 percent

The U.S.-based analytical company Pixalate has recently released a report on abandoned mobile apps. It has been observed that introducing a new application is not so difficult, but keeping it moving is where the real challenge starts.

As per the report, during the third quarter of 2022, abandoned apps went from 1.76 million to 1.86 million, accounting for a six percent increase. Meanwhile, as of 2022, the number of apps that didn’t receive any updates from their developers in five years has reached three hundred and forty-eight thousand. Google’s Play Store hosts almost 1.3 million of these apps, while Apple’s App Store holds four hundred and ninety-six thousand. However, Play Store observed a nine percent increase in the figures while App Store experienced a two percent decline in the number.

Updating apps available in the stores is important not only for them to be able to perform their work but for the safety of their users. Apps that have been abandoned but can still be downloaded could be hosting malware or have been taken over by groups committing fraud.

In terms of percentage, Russia is leading the chart as the country with the most deserted applications. Almost 45 percent of the apps have been dumped by their developers. Russia is followed by China, with over forty percent of the apps left. While the U.S. has the idlest apps, in terms of percentage, it stands at the third spot.

According to the report, apps with more than one hundred million downloads have a higher chance of receiving timely updates as compared to those with fewer than ten thousand downloads. Two of the major reasons that lead to an app getting stranded include the app receiving updates but not being able to progress and the app having outdated privacy policies, which leads to its abandonment. However, not all apps that haven’t been updated by the developers can be considered deserted. The Huawei Mobile Service app, despite not receiving any updates for the last 2 years, holds over 500 million downloads under its name.

While it may be bad news for developers to leave their creations unattended, it can create a good opportunity for others to develop their apps. According to data, for the last two years, almost 34 percent of the total apps on both the Play Store and the App Store are no longer being taken care of by their creators.

While comparing the two stores, Google’s Play Store is way ahead in numbers. Almost 37 percent of mobile phone games and apps are stranded on the Play Store, whereas on the App Store, the figures are down at 30 percent.

Apps falling under the Educational category lead the table as the most dumped apps, followed by Business apps and Utilities. App developers may see it as an opportunity to bring in their version of a similar app with better features. All that needs to be done by the developers is to keep an eye out for abandoned apps and their activity on the store.

Creating an advanced version of the app by considering all the reviews it received from the users. They can simply filter out their search based on when the app was last updated. Arranging them based on their popularity and selecting the targeted app that will be replaced by a new one. The developer can then simply start working on the creation while ensuring that their version has solutions to all the issues raised for the targeted app.

While it can be expected that the number of stranded apps will keep going up in the future, developers keeping a close eye on the situation will see it as an opportunity to turn the tables for themselves.

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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World