AppMahal, an Android mobile application developed in the Middle East to help users search for apps, has received four million visits almost 500,000 downloads since launching on the Google Play store six months ago.

The free app enables users to share and recommend the best Android apps for their friends, family and social media followers, instead of searching through the multitude of apps available.

“Current search tools usually work very well if you know the exact name of the app you’re looking for. But in most cases it’s very hard, if not impossible, to look for an app based on its general description or functions. Many users don’t search for apps because they don’t know they exist, or know if there is an app for what they’re looking for,” explains co-founder Khaled Swilat in a press statement.

AppMahal appoints suggested apps that are tailored for each user based on set preferences, profile details and social connections. The app was a winner in the 2014 Red Herring Top 100 Global Awards, and has also been nominated for the 2015 Edison Awards, which recognizes leaders in innovation.

It has been developed by Arab programmers in Palestine and Jordan and is available to use in Arabic, English and Spanish, with a Chinese version also in the pipeline.