The Importance of Manual App Reviews for Alternative App Stores

The enormously well-liked scam software “EZ Plan” stated investors’ investments would yield profits of 5–10%. However, despite the promise, the consumers of these investments never saw any returns. Users who invested in the EZ Plan app most definitely lost all of their money. The Delhi Police became aware of the matter after receiving multiple fraud reports and found many of the scammers involved.

The response from Google to these forgeries was the part of the situation that shocked me the most.

Even after the police took severe action, Google did not remove the application, and it kept leaving a trail of fraud until much later. Only a few weeks after the arrests did Play Store remove EZ Plan from its collection of apps.

At that time people think for other android app stores which is more reliable and trustworthy.

So, is Google just sitting there?

The aforementioned incidents could lead you to conclude that Google is doing nothing to combat fraudulent apps on the Play Store, but that isn’t entirely accurate. The Play Store’s app library currently has more than 2.8 million apps, and it uses AI-based scanning to manage them.

The automated scanning evaluates both new and old apps for any potential security policy violations from Google. Google also provides Play Protect, which examines all new apps on your smartphone and blocks apps if you unintentionally install malware. Additionally, it continuously deletes any programmes that appear questionable and scans the app’s data for harmful code.

The security policy not only misses many fake apps, but it also frequently flags false positives. For instance, according to Google’s rules, a Developer Account will be terminated if any of the connected accounts with access to an app’s Play Console dashboard engage in questionable behaviour.

Consider this to get an idea of how serious this can be: small developers or business owners typically don’t have the funds to recruit full-time employees and may instead choose to hire freelancers to save money. However, hiring freelancers has drawbacks; unlike full-time workers who are subject to a written contract, developers have no way of controlling the behaviour of the freelancers other than their moral commitments.

Benefits of Manually Reviewing Apps

Consistent accuracy

The advantages of manual app reviews over their electronic counterparts are covered in the article above. Indus App Bazaar, a popular alternative app store that relies on human moderators to manually review apps and assess their merits, is also discussed in the article.

From Amazon to Indus App Bazaar: Top Alternative App Stores 

App stores are online platforms where mobile users can access the wares of modern technology. These include app distribution platforms such as Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, and other OEM stores, where apps and content are being delivered on Android devices. Indus App Bazaar is an alternative app store with innovative solutions. 

Due to the dominance of a few major players, the user experience has become homogeneous. But players like Indus App Bazaar have embraced their Indian heritage in order to craft a visually appealing experience for users. 

There are numerous app stores for Android users to explore, but here we have listed five alternative app stores that you may not be familiar with. 

Indus App Bazaar  

Designed as an app discovery platform, Indus App Bazaar has delivered 2.5 billion installs+ updates to over 200 million users. The platform assists users in discovering trending, new apps in their language of choice. The Indus App Bazaar has over 400,000 apps in English as well as 12 Indian languages. These include apps in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, and Bengali. 

The Indus App Bazaar, as a homegrown alternative app store, strongly supports the ‘Made in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives, and aims to address the needs of the next generation of smartphone users with a half a billion consumers using personalized app and content recommendations. 

Amazon App Store 

Operated by Amazon.com, the Amazon App Store for Android is an app store for the Android operating system. The Fire OS by Amazon, found on all Amazon Fire tablets and Fire HD, is also available on the Amazon App Store. 

The Amazon App Store delivers official software for Fire OS tablets, instead of the Google Play app store utilized on other Android devices. 

While all Amazon Fire Devices have the Amazon App Store as their native app discovery platform, it is not limited to only these devices. In their efforts to make the experience more appealing, Amazon updated the platform and added Amazon Coins, a virtual currency that can be used while shopping online. Using Amazon Coins allows consumers to purchase items at a discount or for free, setting the store apart from other competitors. 

Samsung Galaxy Store 

Previously known as Samsung Apps and Galaxy Apps, the Samsung Galaxy store is a Samsung Electronics app store that debuted in September 2009. Among the devices that come pre-loaded with the service (such as the Samsung REX and Duos) are Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Gear, and feature phones. With a basic layout made up of only two tabs on the home screen (games and apps), the Galaxy Store is available only to Samsung users. 

The store, which previously sold themes, wallpapers, games, etc. has been recently updated to focus more on localised app and content distribution. As a result, it now presents a curated list of apps, game recommendations, and app-only benefits.  

Offering apps for Android, Tizen, Windows Mobile, and Bada platforms, the store is available in 125 countries. Installed in over one billion smartphones, the Samsung Push Service is used to alert users to new updates from the app store. 

OPPO App Market 

Created for ColorOS smartphones, the OPPO App Market allows users free access and usage of various Android apps and games. This app discovery platform offers a diverse collection of apps ranging across social media, music, books, photography, health, and more. 

Chinese smartphone manufacturers Oppo and Vivo partnered to create this new app store that will allow developers to sell their products in international markets. 

Xiaomi Get Apps 

Xiaomi’s app discovery platform Get Apps, previously known as Xiaomi Market, comes pre-installed on all smartphones and tablets. After serving only Xiaomi smartphone customers, Xiaomi Get Apps has expanded its userbase to include devices from other manufacturers. 

This app store contains popular apps such as PUBG and VSCO, as well as a section called “Today,” which features a rotating selection of helpful and intriguing apps updated daily.