App Update Frequency Statistics 2024: Google Play Store ASO
Last update: 17 Mar 2024 CET

App Update Frequency Statistics 2024: Google Play Store ASO

The frequency with which mobile app developers update their apps on Google PlayGoogle Play is a unique lens through which to observe the Android app market.

App update frequency data offers broad visibility into the global app market. It provides insight into the vibrancy of app developers, categories, sub-categories, regions, countries, etc. On a more granular level, it enables companies operating in the market to better understand their customers, competitors, and target audiences.

Indeed, with insight into app update frequency, app developers can enhance app store optimization (ASO), ad networks can optimize lead generation by improving lead quality, and app market researches can better identify emergent app store trends.

Data Source: 42matters

At 42matters, we take a holistic approach to mobile and connected TV (CTV) app intelligence. We track app metadata, performance metrics, technical specifications, strategic insights, and more. If you would like to leverage our data for your own products, processes, or research, you can access it via our APIs, File Dumps, Explorer, SDK Explorer, and App Watchlist.

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How many apps are updated per week on Google Play?

29% Per Week
Updated per week:
29%
290 Apps
290 of the top 1,000 mobile apps based on ratings volume.

Every week, 290 of the top 1000 Google PlayGoogle Play apps are updated by their developers. This means that 29% of the top Android apps are updated a minimum of once per week.

How many apps are updated per month on Google Play?

66% Per Month
Updated per month:
66%
660 Apps
660 of the top 1,000 mobile apps based on ratings volume.

Every month, 660 of the top 1000 Google PlayGoogle Play apps are updated by their developers. This means that 66% of the top Android apps are updated a minimum of once per month.

Monthly App Update Frequency
Apps
vs
Games

How many apps are updated per year on Google Play?

95% Per Year
Updated per year:
95%
951 Apps
951 of the top 1,000 mobile apps based on ratings volume.

Every year, 951 of the top 1000 Google PlayGoogle Play apps are updated by their developers. This means that 95% of the top Android apps are updated a minimum of once per year.

Where to Get App Update Frequency Insights?

To help businesses harness the full potential of app update data for ASO, lead generation, and other initiatives, we at 42matters offer two useful products.

The first is the 42matters Explorer. The ultimate app market research tool, it facilitates access to Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the Roku Channel Store. This includes intelligence on apps, games, developers, and more.

The Explorer provides in-depth, near real-time insight into everything from integrated software development kits (SDKs) to app metadata. Moreover, the Explorer tracks developer updates and changelogs for every app, facilitating a comprehensive view of developer activity.

However, if you're not after all the bells and whistles of the Explorer, don't worry! The second product we offer is a suite of app data file dumps with raw app data that you can use however you want.

For more information about our data contact our team.

How Can App Developers Benefit From App Update Frequency Insights?

App update frequency data enables developers to know their competition. As the Chinese military philosopher Sun Tzu famously wrote in The Art of War: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

If you’ll forgive us this platitude, you’ll realize it’s no less applicable to the mobile app industry today as it was to warfare in the sixth century BC.

Consider the meteoric rise of the mobile app industry. App publishers are under immense pressure to release apps that not only capture enough interest to generate downloads but also high, sustainable daily active usage. This means they’re incessantly jockeying for a leg up on their direct and indirect market competitors, as well as on established global social media giants like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

In such a landscape, any advantage that a team of mobile app publishers can gain is a pretty big deal. So, developing an understanding of what their rivals are up to can be a game changer.

With app update frequency data, app creators can craft their update release schedules to be more competitive with their biggest rivals by being either more or less aggressive with the rollout of their own updates. Moreover, in doing so, they’ll be in a better position to allocate precious time and company resources, and reap the benefits of improved operational efficiency.

How Can App Developers Benefit From App Update Frequency Insights?

Simply put, app update data enables ad networks to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In September 2019, we wrote an article about the various ways ad networks can leverage our data to generate leads. In it, we noted that mobile advertising is one of the hottest markets in the ad industry and that total digital ad spend would soon reach well over $300 billion a year.

For mobile ad networks, this was old news. They know better than anyone just how competitive the mobile advertising market has become in recent years. And, with no obvious indication that competition is about to wane, they’re also aware that they’ll need to step up their lead generation processes to remain relevant.

To help ad networks improve and economize their lead qualification, app update frequency data facilitates thorough, accurate app publisher background checks. By reviewing app publisher update histories, they can determine the ideal apps on which to serve ads, and those they ought to blacklist.

Looking for Data on the Mobile Gaming Market?

42matters provides mobile and connected TV (CTV) app intelligence via a host of useful APIs, file dumps, and web-based research platforms like the 42matters Explorer, SDK Explorer, and App Watchlist.

Our products offer actionable insight into apps available Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent App Store, Huawei AppGallery, and CTV platforms like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV, Vizio, LG, and Samsung.

To learn how 42matters can help your business, book a demo!

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