You probably don’t switch to many phones, or install and uninstall a large amount of apps on a regular basis, but Google Play is starting to remind you of apps you used to have – but don’t have any more.
Under the ‘My Apps and Games’ tab in Google Play you’ll see a new heading ‘Install apps you’ve used before’ with a selection of five apps showing there. You can also tap on the ‘+5’ icon to see your top 10 recommended apps in your Library tab that you’ve previously installed and used.
In the world of app development it’s all about user engagement, once you’ve got the user in the app or game you need to get them coming back to get those ‘Monthly Active User’ numbers we hear from the big companies during their financial results calls. Getting users back to using apps they’ve previously used is a pretty good idea.
If like me, you regularly try out apps you’ll likely see all these in there but it’s possibly going to save you one day when you see an app you want to install.
Really unhelpful. This new feature is like dealing with a stalker years after you think the police have dealt with it. Not sure why it’s helpful to describe the stalker behavior without telling us how to turn it off. Unlike all of the other sections, these apps are stuck forever in the “My Apps and Games” suggestions even if we once tried out an app and uninstalled it right away.
Really unhelpful. This new feature is like dealing with a stalker years after you think the police have dealt with it. Not sure why it’s helpful to describe the stalker behavior without telling us how to turn it off. Unlike all of the other sections, this is stuck forever in the “My Apps and Games” suggestions even if we once tried out the app and uninstalled it right away.
That’s been a long standing failing of the Play Store. There’s never been a way to remove completely depreciated games and apps from your library.
Some of the stuff in mine date back to Eclair and Froyo, and of course they refuse to work in Pie. I’d love to be able to remove them. And occasionally Google Play will recommend to try those old items out.