From 13.5M installs to 499 active devices
A software developer reflects on the decline of app discoverability and success on the Google Play Store over the last twelve years. Despite easier development tools, the author notes that administrative hurdles and market saturation have made it nearly impossible for independent developers to gain traction.
Why it matters
It highlights the shifting landscape of the app economy, where platform gatekeeping and market saturation have marginalized independent creators compared to the early mobile era.
Same developer, same store, twelve years apart. A million installs in 27 days in 2014, 493 views and no installs in 2026. Thirteen years of Play Console exports are at the bottom of this page.
BLu, Lukic Engineering Belgrade 10 August 2026
On 21 September 2014 a game I made alone crossed a million installs. That was day 27 after release. The same day it was installed 173,975 times, which is still the biggest day anything of mine has ever had. I had no budget, no publisher and no press contacts. I was outside the industry and did not know the ecosystem at all. I worked it out with common sense, one piece at a time.
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