Last year, Google and Apple removed nearly 2.2 million mobile applications from both stores, highlighting a low rejection rate: 9 out of 10 submissions to Google Play went through. Interestingly, Apple more than doubled its total App Store removals, surpassing 166,000, with fraud accounting for 54% of those removed (90,608). In contrast, Google saw a significant decline in total removals, from 3.9 million to 2 million, and its fraud-related deletions dropped to only 5% of its total removals.
“The presence of an app in an official store creates a false sense of security, making users believe that every download is safe. However, a low rejection rate creates a gap for malicious actors to slip in harmful applications that exploit personal data and device security without the owner’s knowledge,” explains Justas Pukys, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark.
Surfshark’s analysis shows that in 2025, Apple rejected 23% of submissions to the App Store, whereas Google Play’s rejection rate was nearly three times lower at 8%, meaning 9 out of 10 submissions went through. As a result, Google deleted over 2 million apps for violating its terms and conditions — nearly half the number deleted in 2024. Meanwhile, Apple’s App Store Transparency Report shows that app removals more than doubled, to nearly 167,000, compared with over 82,500 in 2024.
Fraud (54%) and the removal of obsolete software (43%) were the primary drivers behind App Store deletions. Fraud-related removals were primarily associated with developers from China (13%), Pakistan (11%), the United States (11%), Turkey (11%), and Vietnam (8%).
According to the Google Play Annual Transparency Report, the most frequent reason for removals on their platform was data protection and privacy violations (44%). Other significant factors for Google Play included the distribution of ineligible goods, services, or content (35%), infringements on consumer information (13%), and instances of fraud or scams (5%).
Pukys notes that even after removal from the official store, mobile applications typically remain functional on a user’s device.
“While these apps continue to operate, they stop receiving updates once removed from a store, which forces users to manage their own security. Because stores do not automatically alert individuals when an app they have installed is flagged or removed, these applications become vulnerable entry points. For this reason, users are responsible for practicing safe downloading habits. This includes checking app permissions, reading reviews, and sticking to well-known developers.”
