Skip to main content

Updated Google Play Store ranking algorithms factor in app crashes, performance issues

The Google Play Store is updating its ranking algorithms to take into account app quality and performance. For end users, search results will rank more stable apps higher up, while developers are encouraged to address issues to prevent penalization.

According to Google, half of all 1-star reviews in the Play Store cite app stability. This includes excessive battery usage, slow render times, crashes, and other issues that can frustrate users.

To improve the experience for consumers, Google has incorporated these app quality signals into the Play Store’s ranking algorithms for search results. Consequently, “higher quality apps are being surfaced in the Play Store.” Meanwhile, apps that exhibit more frequent crashes and other similar issues are being ranked lower.

Google is already seeing a positive impact on engagement as a result of this change, where “people installing higher quality apps go on to use the apps more and uninstall them less.”

The company is encouraging app developers to take advantage of its new Android Vitals tools to identify key performance issues. Google is also reminding developers that those “who focus on performance can see improvements in their rating, and ultimately their retention and monetization.”


Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com