Products · Product
Google Play Store
Raised as a usability problem by 303 people on Hacker News over 18 years (2009–2026), in 270 threads.
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Search results filled with competitor ads, hard to tell from real resultsUnreviewed
20092026- Ads are mixed into results, so users avoid browsing and only open it for known searches2026-01-20
- Search results full of misleading ads that users mistake for the app they want2025-12-19
- Ads are designed to trick users into installing a similar app they didn't want2025-10-28
Good apps outside top rankings are hard to find among junkUnreviewed
20092026- App suggestions are ad-driven junk, making it hard to find good new apps2025-09-25
- Visual clutter and ads make the store feel overwhelming and hard to browse2025-09-09
- Good apps are buried so people can't find them2023-07-07
Keeps showing notification prompt and user can't find how to turn it offUnreviewed
20092026- Keeps showing a notification-enabling prompt and user can't find how to turn it off2026-09-22
- Keeps asking to enable notifications and will not stop2025-04-24
- Can't find how to opt out of advertising notifications2025-03-16
Games show ads after every screen and unpredictable full-screen adsUnreviewed
20092026- Forced account creation and full-screen video ads make apps hard to use2026-09-01
- Constant ads and buy-in prompts interrupt short bits of gameplay2022-03-02
- Games show ads after every screen, and full-screen ads appear unpredictably after installing several2020-05-18
Apps littered with dark patterns pushing users into unwanted actionsUnreviewed
20092026- Forces users to endure app dark patterns and user-hostile behavior that can't be avoided2024-07-31
- Play Store uses dark patterns to push users into signing in2021-06-28
- Growing list of dark patterns pushing users into unwanted choices2020-10-25
Not obvious that tapping search tab again focuses search fieldUnreviewed
20092026- Search moved off the top bar so users must navigate extra steps to find it2026-10-07
- Not obvious that tapping the search tab again focuses the search field2025-09-15
- Search moved to bottom, so users' muscle memory taps the empty top bar2024-12-22
App reviews require signing up for Google+Unreviewed
20092026- Users are constantly prompted to review apps and must join Google+ to do so2015-07-27
- Cannot rate apps because Google account is not enough, requires linked social account2015-06-05
- Rating an app forces users to create a Google+ profile they don't want2013-11-12
ID verification repeatedly rejected and stuck, needing support ticketUnreviewed
20092026- ID verification repeatedly rejected and stuck, needing support ticket to proceed2026-09-01
- Verification requires hoops, unclear document requirements, and support that cannot handle the process2025-04-30
- Verification link stops working after a few attempts, leaving the account locked with no fix from support2023-12-08
Apps take forever to start installing, and downloads fail when several runUnreviewed
20092026- Device grinds to a halt and takes seconds to respond while background installs run2021-05-17
- All downloads pause while an app installs, which is maddening2017-09-01
- Apps take forever to start installing, and downloads often fail when several run at once2011-07-05
Apps fail to display or update, and web listings differ from phone appUnreviewed
20092026- Apps fail to display or update correctly, and website listings differ from the phone app2026-09-01
- Apps installed in the US can't be updated when travelling abroad; the app appears not to exist2012-08-27
- Apps bought on one device often don't appear on the other, and updates fail silently2011-07-05
Cannot see what permissions an app requests before installingUnreviewed
20092026- Can't see what permissions an app requests before installing it2022-06-10
- Extra steps needed to find out what permissions apps request2021-07-14
- Users had to accept all app permissions upfront before installing, with no runtime choice2017-04-04
Cannot cancel a device order yourself, must phone supportUnreviewed
20092026- Cancel attempt fails with error and no clear way to reach support2013-10-31
- Support gives only automated replies and cancellation is unclear after ordering2012-10-23
- Can't cancel a device order yourself, must phone support; no reason given for card decline2012-07-12
Searching for Google Now returns no resultsUnreviewed
20092026- Searching the store makes it impossible to find Google Keep2013-03-20
- Play Store search gives poor results, hard to find what you want2012-12-13
- Searching for Google Now in the Play Store returns no results2012-06-28
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- Search moved off the top bar so users must navigate extra steps to find it2026-10-07
- Must recruit 12 testers for 14 days before publishing, with confusing compliance wizards2026-10-01
- Support bot loops, repeating the same answer and forcing users to resubmit messages2026-10-01
- Payment setup errors were obscure and undocumented, and support never resolved them2026-09-26
- Unrelated apps ranked above the wanted app, risking accidental installs2026-09-25
- Keeps showing a notification-enabling prompt and user can't find how to turn it off2026-09-22
- Search results mix fake knock-off books indistinguishable from the real ones2026-09-13
- Help system redirects to a closed-account page, so suspended developers cannot appeal2026-09-09
- Apps fail to display or update correctly, and website listings differ from the phone app2026-09-01
- Forced account creation and full-screen video ads make apps hard to use2026-09-01
- Couldn't make an app update despite seeing a new version available, with no clear reason2026-09-01
- ID verification repeatedly rejected and stuck, needing support ticket to proceed2026-09-01
- Searching by exact app name often shows scam, copycat or adware apps as top results2026-08-06
- Automatic updates silently stop, and manually updating all apps is buried in a menu2026-04-21
- Appeal of wrongly flagged app gets useless support; had to change a word to pass2026-03-31
- Developers must navigate extra registration and signing steps before distributing Android apps, adding friction2026-02-24
- Couldn't find wanted apps; downloads turned out to be scams and malware2026-01-20
- Ads are mixed into results, so users avoid browsing and only open it for known searches2026-01-20
- Search results full of misleading ads that users mistake for the app they want2025-12-19
- Couldn't find the app by searching its name or developer2025-12-14
- Hard to transfer apps between accounts; required obscure payment ID and many support emails2025-11-19
- Ads are designed to trick users into installing a similar app they didn't want2025-10-28
- Buttons keep moving due to constant A/B tests, so users doubt where things are2025-10-25
- Free trial defaults into a $5/month subscription, pushing users into recurring charges2025-09-29
- Search results show fake look-alike Play Store pages that are hard to tell apart from the real one2025-09-29
- App suggestions are ad-driven junk, making it hard to find good new apps2025-09-25
- Interface for managing installed apps is tucked away in an obscure corner2025-09-25
- Interface for managing installed apps is hidden in an obscure corner2025-09-25
- Not obvious that tapping the search tab again focuses the search field2025-09-15
- Sponsored app's install button appears first, so users can install the wrong app2025-09-14
- Install button at top installs a different advertised app; the correct button is hidden below2025-09-09
- Visual clutter and ads make the store feel overwhelming and hard to browse2025-09-09
- Apps ask whether you like them and only send YES answers to the store to rate2025-09-05
- Searching for an app shows a sponsored result for a different app first2025-08-26
- Updating build libraries to meet target SDK caused compile errors and broken layout2025-08-01
- Couldn't find how to add a bank account for the refund2025-06-29
- Can't search or filter apps by ads, in-app purchases, or size2025-06-08
- Degoogled Android phones are mostly useless because apps depend on Play Services2025-05-10
- Free and premium versions split into separate listings, making purchases and reinstalls confusing2025-05-06
- Self-hosted apps can't get published in the Play Store, a barrier for most people2025-05-03
- Search shows only some matching apps, so many apps get no visibility2025-05-02
- Can't find good apps or filter by ads, purchases, or size2025-05-01
- Verification requires hoops, unclear document requirements, and support that cannot handle the process2025-04-30
- Publishing apps requires many hoops and identity verification, with no way to reach a competent human2025-04-30
- Keeps asking to enable notifications and will not stop2025-04-24
- Pricing for removing ads or unlocking features is buried in multi-tap menus with unhelpful text2025-04-05
- Can't find how to opt out of advertising notifications2025-03-16
- Users can't find or understand the option to use a hardware key for passkeys2024-12-30
- Search moved to bottom, so users' muscle memory taps the empty top bar2024-12-22
- Search button opens a new page, forcing an extra tap before typing2024-12-22