They used to have a nice obvious detail page for every app, now I get some small entry, a bunch of other apps that I might also want to install (spoiler, I don't), and it's harder to see useful information.

Do they really think I've gone to the Play Store to install my bank's app, but I might also want to install a different bank's app?

Yeah man, you can search for the exact name of the app you're looking for, and it will appear 4th or 5th on the list. Fuck Google.

The playstore is just flooded with garbage apps.

Once my apps are installed, the play store is only there for updates. Searching for new apps on the store is just rubbish.

Aurora Store: "Allow me to introduce myself"

Not only the Playstore, same is true for the iOS Appstore as well. You only get served subscription begging crap there.

You are not even allowed to call a shitty app a shitty app.

Yeah, at some point, I was experimenting with basically firewall apps to prevent tracking and realized that around 99% of apps on the Play Store have tracking built-in. As I later learned, that's because Google heavily encourages it in their app development tooling. Either way, F-Droid it is for me.

Fdroid is my favorite. But yeah the app store is having some issues.

Don't think many people are aware of the app called App Finder. It's really great for finding new apps, has way better search filters and doesn't require Google account whatsoever. Exists in Playstore and as an APK from their own website.

https://skyica.com/appfinder/

Not only it's a nightmare but also invasive. I don't want Google Play scanning my apps constantly. Play protect has proven time and time again to not be very effective at stopping malicious apps. Turn that shit off.

Call me a control freak but what I usually do is update my apps, turn off internet access to the Google play store and only grant internet access back to it when I decide I want to update my apps.

Ads being flooded was expected to happen. It was only a matter of when they were going to start bloating the play store.

Remember, companies don't care about YOU. They are only there to make profit.

Ah, the "play store". Happy playground of spending! Starting off on the wrong foot with just the name. Of course its a trashed up ad spew bucket and dark pattern shitehole.

I use Aurora store if I absolutely need an application from the Google Garden. But otherwise, yes, I agree. I use almost exclusively fdroid.

I solely live out on fdroid and do not have play store and let me tell you it is really really better.

I'm afraid I will get malware, just stepping in to the play store. Yep.

Just install the bare minimum and get out asap.

I thought I was the only one.

As you said, F-Droid is the way to go. But if you want to browse the Play store without ads, use Aurora. It's an open-source client for Google play that doesn't show ads and doesn't even require you to log in with Google.