{"id":38525,"date":"2025-07-04T16:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T16:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/38525\/"},"modified":"2025-07-04T16:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T16:45:14","slug":"hey-google-where-are-the-apps-i-paid-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/38525\/","title":{"rendered":"Hey Google, where are the apps I paid for?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I still remember the first Android game I bought. It was the award-winning indie puzzle 10000000, which I got in 2013. The game is as fun 12 years later, and so is its sequel, You Must Build a Boat. I still fire them up from time to time.<\/p>\n

I can’t do the same with every app and game I purchased over the years. Some are missing from the Play Store, and I can’t download them. Others are too old to be compatible with the latest Android phones<\/a>. Many games have APK backups of launch with popups warning of compatibility issues, or fail to install.<\/p>\n

What makes things frustrating is that I can’t use the software I paid for, even if I have the hardware it could run on. Unless their devs keep them updated, apps disappear from the Play Store without a warning or the option for a backup. Why does it have to be like that?<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t10 apps and services I’m absolutely happy to pay for
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

You get what you pay for<\/p>\n

Buying apps doesn’t work the way you may think<\/p>\n

You don’t fully own your Play Store purchases<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Do you read the terms and conditions for the apps you install? I don’t either. However, the Google Play Terms of Service<\/a> state that Google may “cease providing you with access to certain Content that you have purchased” if said content is discontinued or deemed unsafe.<\/p>\n

Additionally, when you read the fine print for any app you install, you’ll find a clause reserving the developer’s right to stop offering their services and support. This may happen at any time without notice.<\/p>\n

That’s unfortunate but understandable. When you download or buy an app, you receive a license to a copy of the software, while the developer or publisher retains full ownership.<\/p>\n

Maintaining an app so that it runs on every new Android version takes time and resources, which a small developer may not have. It’s even trickier to keep a server up and running to allow online multiplayer gaming or maintain in-app downloads.<\/p>\n

Long story short, support can’t go on forever, especially if the app does not generate revenue.<\/p>\n

In some instances, an app can be removed from the Play Store for security reasons. In 2022, Google announced stricter requirements for apps<\/a> published on its platform to protect users from malicious apps.<\/p>\n

This purged the Play Store from abandoned apps that didn’t comply with the latest Android security features. It may also be the reason why the obscure but charming games from the Gurk and Random Heroes trilogies disappeared. I purchased all of them.<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tIf Amazon can’t make a third-party Android app store work, no one can
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s closing in August<\/p>\n

The problem with app stores<\/p>\n

What we gave up for convenience<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

I grew up in a time when games came on cartridges and CDs. The internet was slow, and app stores were still in the distant future, so the best way to distribute software was on physical media.<\/p>\n

Without a doubt, the modern digital distribution platforms are a superior solution, but their downsides are now becoming apparent.<\/p>\n

Physical media ensured that you had a copy of your content, and it could last for decades. However, app stores can remove apps without warning, even if you paid for them. The Google Play Store does not provide an official way to back up apps, and it’s unlikely it ever will.<\/p>\n

I’m not saying app stores are a bad solution, but I’m annoyed by how buying an app or game gives you limited ownership and control over your content. While it’s unreasonable to expect the latest Android release to support 10-year-old software, losing access to that software is frustrating.<\/p>\n

I understand why people were upset to learn that a Steam game library can’t be passed down<\/a> if its owner passes away. Ownership is also among the reasons why vinyl records are making a comeback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\tThe problem with Android app subscriptions: Why is everything a paid service now?
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

More apps are moving to a subscription model<\/p>\n

I want my apps back<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

I’m missing around $30 worth of apps. Most are games and in-app purchases that I can no longer enjoy. However, this isn’t about the money, and I hope I don’t sound like I’m yelling at a cloud.<\/p>\n

I wish there were a way to get my apps back. I want to play the games I bought, free of scammy ads<\/a>, loot crates, and microtransactions. It seems like there’s little I can do about it beyond supporting the developers who have not jumped on the monthly subscription bandwagon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’m not pointing the finger at Google, even though I wish I could make backup copies of my Play Store purchases. I can’t blame developers either for dropping support for a product that no longer makes money.<\/p>\n

Still, there has to be a better way to ensure long-term app support, especially with seven-year software support becoming normal on flagship phones. I hope it doesn’t involve turning everything into a subscription.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I still remember the first Android game I bought. It was the award-winning indie puzzle 10000000, which I…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":38526,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[611,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-38525","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114795978694550568","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}