These reports rank mobile apps by the number of ad impressions generated while unavailable for download on app stores.

LONDON, April 17, 2026 -- Pixalate, an ad fraud and privacy compliance platform, today released the Global Q1 2026 Delisted Mobile Apps Running Ads Reports. These reports rank mobile apps by the number of ad impressions generated while the app is unavailable for download on Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

For the purposes of this report, we define “top delisted apps running programmatic ads in Q1 2026” as mobile applications that generated ad impressions in Q1 2026, passed an App ID in the bid stream, and were not available for download in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store as of March 31, 2026. Rankings are based on the total volume of ad impressions generated while the apps were delisted during the stated measurement period.

While some apps are delisted for benign reasons, others are removed due to actions which might include ad fraud or non-compliance with privacy regulations or app store policies. These actions may expose advertisers to potential financial or legal risks. Because apps can be delisted for various reasons and the initiator of the delisting is often not publicly known, Pixalate neither asserts nor assigns a reason for any delisting occurrence. An app may be delisted at the behest of the developer, an app store, or another entity.

Google Play Store: Top 5 Delisted Apps Running Programmatic Ads in Q1 2026

Apple App Store: Top 5 Delisted Apps Running Programmatic Ads in Q1 2026

Methodology

To compile this research, Pixalate’s data science and analysis teams analyzed 56 billion impressions generated by 14 million apps while the apps unavailable for download on Apple App Store or Google Play Store in Q1 2026.

Download the complete reports here:

About Pixalate

Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com

Disclaimer

The content of this press release, and the Q1 2026 Delisted Mobile Apps Running Ads Reports (the ‘Reports’), reflect Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. Any data shared is grounded in Pixalate’s proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. Pixalate is sharing this data not to impugn the standing or reputation of any entity, person or app, but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to programmatic advertising activity across in the time period studied. Per the Media Rating Council (MRC), “‘Invalid Traffic’ is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. Among the reasons why ad traffic may be deemed invalid is it is a result of non-human traffic (spiders, bots, etc.), or activity designed to produce fraudulent traffic.” Where the traffic characteristics are suggestive of deliberate intent to mislead, such IVT is often referred to as “ad fraud.” Also per the MRC, “'Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Court or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes.”