The app industry displayed an astonishing growth in 2020, and the YoY growth continues to rise relentlessly in 2021. The estimates say that by the end of 2021, there will be more than 7 Billion mobile users.
The app industry market size is estimated to grow by USD 653.91 Billion between 2021 and 2025.
What’s more astonishing is that in 2020 the app industry reported having exceeded 218 billion app downloads. Moreover, app entrepreneurs and businesses would be delighted to hear that the average daily time spent on mobile saw a 20% YoY growth. An average mobile user today spends over 4hours and 10minutes each day on his mobile device.
Having said that, you would know how every new update in the app industry poses the potential of transforming your business strategies. And so, here is the latest news directly from the Google headquarters – Google Play Updates Several Policies.
Update 1: Google Play is Banning the ‘Sugar Daddy’ Apps
So, as Google Play revises its policies, it slashes the illegal ‘sugar daddy’ dating apps that co-exist with legal dating apps. These apps that serve as a platform to offer sex services in exchange for money will be completely banned from Play Store. And these kinds of ‘sugar dating’ apps will cease to exist (at least on Play Store) after 1st September 2021.
Update 2: Google Launches a ‘Data Privacy & Security Section’ for Apps on Play Store
Analogous to Apple’s consumer privacy policies and advances like App Tracking Transparency and App Store Privacy Labels, Google has unveiled its dedicated ‘safety section’ for apps on Google Play.
This update pertains to all the apps on Google Play, and the new ‘Data Privacy & Security Section’ will reveal an app’s compliance with the privacy & security standards. And it will list information like: the data an app collects & shares, the privacy it follows, data encryption, etc.
This information or the ‘safety section’ will help app users understand how a particular app will use their data and the security standards that it follows. Thus, the users are well informed before they install or use an app.
So, now the Android app developers will need to disclose information like:
- Whether their app meets the data encryption standards;
- Whether their app abides by the Google Play’s Families policy for the apps built for kids;
- Whether a user can manage the type of data he shared with their app;
- Whether the app offers the users an option to delete their data when uninstalling it;
- Whether the information in the app’s ‘safety section’ is verified by a third party.
Google has unveiled the new ‘Data privacy & security’ section UI (concept) on 28th July:
Credits: Google
This safety section reveals all the data that an app collects from the users and other security information.
Users can go through the list of icons listed and tap them to unveil the details.
The image represents that this safety section will also allow users to draw information on:
- How the app will use their data for personalization and app’s functionality;
- Whether they can control or manage their data privacy on the app;
- What type of data the app will collect;
Here is the 2nd concept image showing how the details will look:
Credits: Google
When can Android App Developers start submitting data for the ‘safety section’?
Google will unveil more information on the safety policy this month (July 2021), and the Android app developers will have enough time to submit the privacy policy by April 2022.
Previously, only the apps that collected sensitive user data listed this data privacy & security information. However, now all the apps on Google Play are required to abide by this updated privacy policy.
The developers can start submitting the safety information of their apps to the Google Play Console for reviewal from October 2021.
Here is the ‘Safety Section’ calendar launched by Google:
Credits: Google
Google will review and approve the information submitted by Android app developers by April 2022. And it will make the ‘safety section’ live on the Play Store.
Moreover, the apps that lack this information will display a “No information available” notice in the ‘safety section’.
It will also help Google analyze how many developers are active on Google Play. It will also help Google promote those apps that comply with the new privacy policy to users.
Stay tuned until Google reveals more information on how it will verify the safety information submitted by Android app developers.
Update 3: Google Play will Respect Users’ Opt-out Preferences
Google is set to roll a change in the working procedure of Advertising IDs. Now, when a user chooses to opt-out of ads personalization, his Advertising ID is omitted. And the apps can read a string of zeros in the place of these removed IDs.
However, this Google Play update will be released in certain phases and will start from the apps running on Android 12 devices by the end of 2021. The update will then expand to all the devices that support Google Play in 2022.
Google also revealed that it is conducting tests on a new feature that will inform the developers and ad providers about the users’ opt-out preferences.
Update 4: Google will Delete the Dormant Accounts
As per this update, Google unveiled its plans to delete all the inactive accounts abandoned for more than a year. When a developer hasn’t uploaded any app from an account or hasn’t used the Google Play Console in a year from this account, it becomes dormant.
Above were some of the most recent Google Play updates that every Android app developer and business must know.
Further, if you wish to look for an app development company to help you develop apps that comply with the latest Google Play updates, connect with us, today!
Stay tuned for more app industry news and updates.
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