Reading a listing for what is missing
A listing shows a rating that reflects prompted reviews, a download count that includes people who left, a privacy label written by the developer, and screenshots that may predate the current version. None of the 4 is a lie and none is the thing you wanted to know.
Choosing by the listing is choosing by marketing material with a rating attached. Knowing what each element actually measures makes the page more useful, not less.
The rating measures who was asked
Apps prompt for ratings at moments chosen to catch satisfied users. That is legal, universal and it means a high rating measures prompt placement as much as quality. Reading the recent 2-star reviews is more informative than the average.
Downloads count arrivals, not stays
A large number tells you the marketing worked. It says nothing about how many people still use it, and retention is the number that would actually help. This is the metric most often quoted and least often relevant.
The privacy label is self-declared
Developers fill it in themselves, and stores verify it only sometimes. It is a statement of intent that carries consequences if false, which makes it better than nothing and weaker than a policy you can read.
Screenshots age
There is no requirement to update them with the app. An interface in the listing may be 2 versions old, which matters most for exactly the products that change fastest.
Questions about the app
What is worth reading then?
The recent negative reviews and the update history. Both are dated, both are hard to stage, and together they take 2 minutes.
Is a small download count a bad sign?
It is a sign of less scrutiny rather than less quality. Small apps are both the better products and the abandoned products.
Does a web page do better?
It has no listing at all, so nothing is standardised. The trade is that you read the actual product instead of a summary of it.
Skip the listing and try the thing itself.
Open the chat first