Google has big new ideas about the Play Store

Google is bringing a fistful of caller features to its Google Play shop connected Android today. There are caller categorized “Collections” that item contented from apps you’ve already installed. The company’s reward programme is adding much prizes including Pixel hardware. Google’s Play Pass subscription work is introducing much versatile gaming capabilities. And successful Japan, Google is rolling retired a curated abstraction for comics, which will fto group dive into first section previews without needing to instal third-party apps first.

Taken together, these changes are intended to make Google Play “an end-to-end acquisition that’s much than a store.”

The institution previewed immoderate of nan latest updates astatine a media briefing successful New York City connected Tuesday. Google Play VP Sam Bright highlighted a fewer upgrades announced backmost astatine I/O specified arsenic AI-generated app reviews. Those AI features are being expanded pinch a caller instrumentality that will make it simpler to comparison apps successful akin categories (like photograph editing package aliases fittingness apps).

Then Bright moved connected to immoderate of nan bigger caller features. First is simply a caller conception of Google Play called Collections.

Rather than effort to waste you connected caller apps, Collections are designed to aboveground contented from those you’ve already installed and shape everything into categories for illustration shop, watch, and listen. You’ll spot a “continue watching” statement for various streaming apps, positive nan latest deals from prime retailers. “With your app contented successful 1 place, it’s easier to prime up correct wherever you near off,” Google’s blog station reads.

Gaming is different large attraction of today’s updates. When searching, you tin now prime from a database of liking filters to refine nan types of games that Play suggests. And starting today, Play Pass subscribers connected PC are capable to play aggregate titles astatine nan aforesaid time, truthful you tin get your Clash of Clans hole successful 1 model while playing different crippled elsewhere onscreen. Google launched Play Games for PC arsenic a beta successful 2022 and has continued to iterate connected it pinch 4K support and now this.

Google is besides trying to make its Play Points reward programme much appealing by adding “super play prizes.” Available to gold, platinum, and gem members, these level up nan accustomed prizes by throwing Pixel devices, Razer gaming products, and different hardware into nan mix. Prizes will rotate connected a play ground and tin beryllium claimed from nan Play Points perks tab.

Android customers successful Japan are getting a caller curated abstraction successful Google Play that’s wholly devoted to comics. “You tin entree comics-related contented each successful 1 spot — including free first section previews, unrecorded events and trailers, editor picks and instrumentality reviews moreover from apps you haven’t installed,” Google’s blog station reads. A caller “comics” tab is coming correct to nan Google Play homescreen. The institution is continuing to research really it tin champion usage these curated spaces successful different regions; nan first illustration was a cricket conception successful India.

Importantly, Google is besides giving everyone greater power complete precisely what information is utilized for Play’s personalized recommendations. Now you tin take apps that mightiness incorporate delicate information that you don’t want to beryllium factored into nan store’s personalization algorithms. You tin find this action by navigating to “Personalization successful Play” from nan main menu.

Will these caller features lead to group spending much clip successful Google Play? Perhaps, but galore of them (like Collections) are easy to disregard if you for illustration to support utilizing it arsenic a destination for apps for illustration always.