Apps are constantly adding new features or fixing ongoing issues and bugs. All of this updated information is added to an app’s changelog in the Google Play Store to help users understand what’s going on with their favorite apps. However, these change logs are sometimes very generic and do not provide detailed information. It can be frustrating and off-putting, forcing them to be ignored altogether. So we conducted a survey asking our readers if they bother to read the “What’s New” section of an app. Here’s how they voted.

Do you read app changelogs on the Google Play Store?

Results

Our poll received over 1,500 votes and shows that most of our readers enjoy checking app changelogs on the Google Play Store. 54% of respondents voted that they check application change logs all the time.

Meanwhile, 34% of surveyed readers choose to read app changelogs only when they see an update notification for an app.

12% of voters said they never bother to read application change logs.

Your comments

Chris_Peter: I used to read them, but now most of the time the devs don’t even put what they changed. It’s often an empty box or meaningless bs like “we’re constantly improving our service for you something something something.” It annoys me.

Martin Pollard: Facebook and Google are probably among the worst offenders. After seeing the umpteenth “Google Pixel phones can now gazpacho something”, I just ignored all the BS Google has to say about their app updates (and Facebook’s various apps are always ” information not provided”, so pffft on that).

Paul: Yeah, I still read them but it’s boring.

DB: Why? So that I can read “bugs fixed and improvements” again and again and again and again and again?
I have better things to do. The only time I pay attention to changelogs is if I’m expecting a specific feature or fix.

roaduardo: I don’t automatically update apps for that reason. At least on Android. For key apps where I’m really locked into the stability and functionality of this release, I read the update first, then read the comments on this update to see if anyone noticed something important that the devs removed. This has happened several times in my experience. The developers will remove some key features that many users rely on. So I don’t update this app anymore. Not until subsequent updates fix what they broke. Nova Launcher is a great example. What are they doing now? No thanks. I will stick with an older version which is much better than what they have now.

duckofdeath: I read them if I’m actively waiting for a solution to a problem.

KRB: I will go through them. I won’t waste time digging into them, but I think it’s the least I can do as the developer worked hard and should be credited for it. Even shot a developer of a gallery app I use a positive note when he was crying about the work he’s doing and whether it’s worth doing an app change log as he was on the fence at that topic. I wasn’t the only one to rate it positively either… And sometimes they’re really informative. I would have never learned that my music player had acquired the ability to cast to my Chromecast (one of the first to acquire this ability I think). Now my 80s era stereo still ripping, it’s sitting in the corner gathering dust because I just cast to my Chromecast. TV displays artwork and rocks!