Google is cleaning up the Play Store: changing the rules for publishing apps

Google has announced that it will do a little “cleaning” in the Google Play Store, especially for applications that have titles, icons or descriptions designed to mislead users. Thus, application developers will have to comply with a new set of rules when publishing applications in the Google Play Store, and those who already have applications listed will have to comply with the new regulation if they want to stay in the store’s offer.

Play Store apps will require relevant descriptions

The new rules are designed to provide clear, concise, and relevant descriptions for Google Play applications. Google is now banning the use of titles longer than 30 characters for applications. Many of the apps in the Play Store include all sorts of phrases or descriptions that are not related to the title of the app, or that are used as a kind of “advertisement”. With a character limit, this issue will be resolved.

Google then prohibits the use of Emoji icons in application titles. And these methods were used by some developers to get users’ attention faster in a search list, even if the icons were not part of the official name of the application. Other forbidden characters in titles are also excessively used punctuation marks, such as multiple exclamation marks at the end.

Characters such as performance indexes or promotional information are also prohibited. For example, you can’t say in the title of the application that it is the most popular in its category. Or call it “# 1 app”, “bet app”, etc. However, these rules are not limited to the title of the applications, but also to the names of the manufacturers.

Usually, the manufacturing company appears under the application. Its name must comply with these rules. For example, you cannot name “# 1 Developer” or similar variations.

Other new rules in the Google Play Store recommend that developers include images, screenshots, and video clips, as well as short descriptions, in application descriptions. These elements could ensure the promotion of applications on the first page, in the Apps and Games categories. Applications that do not have all of these items attached will not be able to appear there.

There is still no deadline for alignment with the new regulation, but most likely, Google will link its entry into force with the launch of Android 12 this fall.

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