Pixalate research finds 26k apps delisted from the Google Play Store and 4k apps delisted from the Apple App Store were enabled for programmatic advertising (e.g., an app-ads.txt file)
LONDON, March 17, 2024 -- Pixalate, a leading global platform for ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics, today released the February 2025 Delisted Mobile Apps Report for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, analyzing apps that were found to be delisted from these stores in February.
The report identifies applications that are no longer available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, according to Pixalate’s data. Delisted apps do not reflect the initiator of the delisting action, i.e., Apple or Google, or the app developer.
While some apps are delisted for benign reasons, others are removed as a result of more nefarious behaviors, including ad fraud, and non-compliance with privacy regulations or app store policies, which may cause advertisers to be exposed to potential financial or legal risk as well. Because apps can be delisted for a variety of reasons, Pixalate is neither asserting nor assigning a reason for any delisting action. Additionally, the initiator of the delisting is not generally publicly-available information, so it is often not possible to know whether the removal was triggered by the app store or the developer.
Pixalate’s research focuses on app profile information and provides various insights observed in the programmatic advertising bid stream, such as the developer’s country of registry, the level of app abandonment, and the number of delisted apps with advertising (an app-ads.txt file).
| Rank | App ID | App Title | Estimated Downloads | Developer Name |
| 1 | com.starmakerinteractive.starmaker | StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs | 500M | Skyline Interactive Inc |
| 2 | io.mrarm.mctoolbox | Toolbox for Minecraft: PE | 50M | Toolbox for Minecraft |
| 3 | com.web_view_mohammed.ad.webview_app | Appso: all social media apps | 10M | M Alaa Zaki AbuTayyem |
| 4 | com.newpower.apkmanager | ApkShare | 10M | NewPower Studios |
| 5 | com.mesibagames.SaveTheFish | Save The Fish! | 10M | MesibaGames |
| Rank | App ID | App Title | Estimated Downloads | Developer Name |
| 1 | 1664708246 | Joy Match 3D | 59.3K | Flipped Technology Limited |
| 2 | 6447419372 | AI Chat -Ask Chatbot Assistant | 56K | MAVERICKS LINK LIMITED |
| 3 | 390492092 | Citytv | 51.8K | Rogers Media |
| 4 | 6450303913 | 开个密室馆 - 模拟经营恐怖密室 | 50.5K | AkerSun Technology Co.,Ltd. |
| 5 | 1670556862 | Amanda Adventurer Evil Tapes | 48.2K | TASAWAR HUSSAIN |
To compile this research, Pixalate’s data science and analyst team analyzed more than 1.9 million apps delisted from the Apple App Store and 5.6 million apps delisted from the Google Play Store between January 2021 and February 2025.
Download and explore a complimentary copy of the February 2025 Delisted Mobile Apps Reports, which includes a list of the top 100 delisted apps by store with programmatic advertising (based on the presence of an app-ads.txt file).
About Pixalate
Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com
Disclaimer
The content of this press release, and the Delisted Mobile Apps Report (the Report), reflect Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. Any data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. Pixalate is sharing this data not to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to programmatic advertising activity across mobile apps in the time period studied.
