1. Review process delays and inconsistency
Developers frequently complain that Google Play reviews can take days or weeks, with unpredictable timing that hinders bug fixes and feature releases.
“AnkiDroid (~17 years old) submitted our latest alpha on Sept 03, 2026, 4:40 am. Still pending review.” – david_allison
2. Automation vs. human review (and the LLM bottleneck)
Many note that reviews are a mix of automated checks and human inspection, and that the surge of LLM‑generated apps is overwhelming human reviewers, causing delays and “dumb” rejections.
“The explosion in LLM app development has clearly created a bottleneck at the human review steps. Not only delays but much more ‘dumb’ rejections from likely over‑stressed humans.” – fhub
3. Gatekeeping, control, and calls for regulation or alternatives
Commenters argue that Apple and Google act as gatekeepers that restrict user choice and call for regulation (e.g., the EU’s DMA) or the growth of alternative stores like F‑Droid.
“MAYBE operating systems shouldn't have gatekeepers which can deny access to billions of customers for any and no reason at all. Apple and Google are WELL past due for regulation in this space.” – Gareth321
4. Security/safety trade‑offs of centralized review
While the review process aims to block malicious apps, some worry that excessive centralization creates single points of failure and that users should bear more responsibility for their own safety.
“And what should we do about apps' getting hacked, sending out malicious updates that get auto‑updated and thereby infecting tens of millions or billions of phones simultaneously?” – setgree