Pixalate, the global leader in ad fraud protection and compliance analytics, published its April 2025 Delisted Mobile Apps Reports focusing on apps removed from the U.S. Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The report covers apps delisted in April, highlighting those enabled for programmatic advertising (identified by the presence of an app-ads.txt file).

Understanding Delisted Apps

• Delisted apps are no longer available for download on app stores but the report does not specify who initiated the removal (Apple, Google, or developers).

• Apps may be removed for benign reasons or due to issues like ad fraud, privacy non-compliance, or policy violations, posing financial and legal risks to advertisers.

• Pixalate focuses on app profile data and programmatic ad presence but does not assign delisting causes.

Findings: Google Play Store Delistings (April 2025)

• Total delisted apps: 62,000 — a 28% increase compared to March 2025.

• Apps enabled for programmatic ads: 17,600 had app-ads.txt files.

• Top countries by app origin:

  • United States led with 1,978 delistings.

  • India followed with 1,613 delistings.

• Regional breakdown (for apps declaring registration):

  • Asia-Pacific (APAC): 5,616 apps — highest globally.

  • EMEA: 3,602 apps.

  • North America: 2,137 apps.

  • LATAM: 788 apps.

Pixalate’s report offers critical visibility into the mobile app ecosystem, alerting advertisers and marketers to the scale of app delistings and associated risks in the programmatic advertising landscape.