My App Disappeared from Google Play Search — Why?
I launched my app, Bloomeo — Save & Retire Early, on January 29th, after working on it for several months. Bloomeo is designed to help users take control of their finances, budget effectively, and plan for financial independence. The app provides insights into savings, spending, and long-term financial growth, allowing users to track their net worth over time. Since its launch, Bloomeo has steadily grown, attracting users who are serious about improving their financial future.
For weeks, my app, Bloomeo — Save & Retire Early, was easy to find on Google Play. Users could search for “Bloomeo”, and there it was — simple, as it should be.
Then, out of nowhere, my app completely disappeared from search results for its own name.
This isn’t just an inconvenience. It directly impacts my app’s downloads, ratings, and revenue. If people can’t find my app when searching for its name, they won’t download it. And fewer downloads mean fewer reviews, making it even harder to gain visibility.
The Problem
I reached out to Google Play Developer Support. Their first response?
“Search rankings change over time as new apps are added.”
But there were no new apps with the name “Bloomeo.” I wasn’t competing against hundreds of similar apps. My app should have remained the first or second result for an exact match.
And then things got even weirder.
If you search “Bloomeo Bloomeo”, my app appears. If you search “Bloomeo”, it doesn’t. 🤨 If you search ““Bloomeo”” (with quotes), it does appear.
So, my app is in the search index, but Google’s algorithm refuses to show it for the most common way users search for an app: by its exact name.
Google’s Explanation (or Lack of One)
After pressing them for a real answer, I got this:
“We cannot guarantee that every app will display in search results for its name.”
Wait — what?!
If an exact name match isn’t enough to show an app in search results, how are users supposed to discover new apps? This isn’t a minor ranking change — this is an app being completely wiped from visibility.
Google’s suggestion?
- “Share a direct link.”. Great, but new users won’t randomly stumble upon my app this way.
- “Run a paid Google Ads campaign.”. So now I have to pay Google just to show up for my own app name?
The Real Impact on My App
This isn’t just frustrating — it’s severely impacting my app’s growth.
- Downloads have dropped since users can’t find the app organically.
- Fewer downloads mean fewer reviews, which hurts my app’s credibility.
- Revenue is impacted because organic discovery is a key driver of growth.
Google Play’s search algorithm is supposed to help users find relevant apps, yet here it is actively hiding mine.
How This Hurts Indie Developers
- Big apps already dominate search rankings.
- Now, even an exact name match won’t guarantee your app appears.
- Google’s “solution” is pay-to-play, forcing small devs to spend on ads just to regain visibility.
I followed every ASO best practice, and my app is fully compliant with Google Play policies. But if Google’s algorithm randomly decides to hide your app, there’s nothing you can do.
Indie Devs Deserve Better
This is a broken system. Google Play should not force small devs into paid ads just to be found by their own app name.
If this happened to my app, it can happen to any indie app.
I built Bloomeo to help people take control of their finances, but how can I help users if they can’t even find my app?
🔗 You can still find Bloomeo at bloomeo.app
We need transparency. We need fairness. We need answers.
If you’re an indie dev experiencing the same issue, let’s talk! Let’s make some noise. Share this article.
