Apple』s total number of apps in the App Store declined for the first time last year

The App Store』s total number of apps available decreased in 2017for the first time in the history of the marketplace, according toanalytics company Appfigures. iOS apps in the App Store shrank to2.1 million over the course of 2017, after beginning the year at2.2 million.

The decline can be attributed in part to Apple』s decision backin 2016 to remove old apps that were no longer compatible withnewer iPhones and apps that didn』t comply with recent reviewguidelines. Apps that were not built on 64-bit architecture wereremoved.

To add to the graveyard of dead mobile software, Apple alsoremoved virus-scanning apps, apps that were clones of other apps,and other low quality apps that were cluttering up the App Store.Simultaneously, developers also submitted less new iOS apps in 2017when compared to 2016, the data shows.

Google Play has, in contrast, outpaced Apple』s App Store since2012, but 2017 marked the biggest gap between the two platforms.Google Play broke 1.5 million in new app releases while Appleteetered at 755,000 apps released in 2017. Appfigures stated thatpart of that was because many developers released Android versionsof their iOS apps, but not vice versa as iOS still remains apreferred debut platform.