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The state of Playstore
(lemmy.dbzer0.com)
Ads upon ads upon ads
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this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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It looks bad, but try replicating it.
When I search two dots, I find exactly the matching app, with screenshot previews and details about it. I get only 1/4 of the screen as ad suggestions. The rest of the screen is related suggestions (non-ad suggestions). So about 3/4 is non-ads for me vs. 1/8th from the OP screenshot.
If I search something more generic like "card battle games", I get a listing of about 7 games, with tags, and zero ads.
I think what's shown in the OP is what remains after the user has already read the details and approved installing the app. Considering that this is the end of the user story, what else should be on that page?
Or maybe he's got a different version of play store than me from A/B testing? Anyway, try it out yourself. I don't have a problem with too many ads on playstore, my main issue is more that the good apps go to apple store first and only sometimes port to android because apple users are more lucrative.
This is Google we're talking about. If their algorithm identifies you as a high value user in a high value location, they'll absolutely shove you more ads than usual. This is why ads companies love tracking people to identify such users.
I, too was not able to reproduce the same result again.
When I tried to do the same search again, I had one column more dedicated to non ad space, namely, showing the description of the game. Dont know how I got that particular spread of ads galore at that particular moment.
Screenshot taken later with the same query:
https://postimg.cc/JtjHLG9Z
My version of android is, indeed, an older one, and my region is India, I suppose all these factor into what I see when I search for stuff.
Hmm, may also possible that vendor/carrier versions of the app carry more ads. This would nevertheless still be an android problem because I don't think Apple allows other companies to do that with their apps.
The good apps go to IzzyOnDroid first, then to F-Droid once builds can be verified, and then possibly to the Play Store for the masses.