Google Play Store May Introduce AI-Powered "Ask a Question" Feature for App Discovery

AI may soon make it easier to find the right Android app | Digital Trends

Google may be planning to use its AI smarts to make it easier and faster to discover and learn more about apps in the Google Play Store. The first hints about a so-called Ask a Question feature have appeared inside the code of the Play Store app, and while details are thin at the moment, they do match Google's AI efforts in its other apps. The code discovered indicates the search and individual app pages in the Play Store may get a search bar powered by AI, possibly displaying text saying "Ask a question about this app," according to a report published by Android Authority where a version of the Play Store app was torn down and examined. Code inside apps can often reveal features being tested internally before any public release. Recommended Videos While no further details are revealed in the code, and Google has not officially released the feature yet, we may be able to get clues on how it may work by looking at how Google has recently integrated AI into Google Maps. Google will use AI to summarize information pulled from place reviews inside Google Maps to answer specific questions, helping travelers find new locations and ensure they meet requirements before settling on a visit. Many apps in the Google Play Store have hundreds of reviews written by users, and Google could potentially leverage the information contained in them in the same way as it's now doing with Google Maps. The AI could quickly surface useful information in response to very specific questions about an app, helping people make better, more informed, and safer app download decisions. It could also aid app discovery by generating answers based on questions about specific app functionality. The Maps feature follows Google's introduction of AI summaries to speed up web search results, further showing why a similar feature arriving in the Play Store wouldn't be a surprise. Google isn't the only one looking at ways AI can help improve discovery in dense app stores. Apple has been linked with a similar sounding feature, where summaries about an app based on user reviews may appear on app pages in the App Store. Google's Ask a Question feature is not official, and not all features found in app code always end up being released. Still, it's something worth keeping an eye on.

The Google Play Store could use AI to help answer questions about apps - Phandroid

There are so many apps in the Google Play Store that it can be overwhelming for some users. App listings are typically accompanied by screenshots and a description of the app, along with user reviews for other users to get an idea of what the app is about. But in the future, an update to the Play Store could use AI to allow users to ask questions about the app. This is according to a report from Android Authority who discovered that in the future, the Play Store could be gaining a new "Ask a question" feature. It seems that this will utilize AI so users can ask questions about a particular app listing, and the AI will then generate answers for them. This could potentially be more useful than the description the developer created about the app. It could be especially helpful for users who are new to Android and are unclear about an app and what it does. The feature isn't live yet so we're only guessing what it can do, but hopefully we'll get more details soon. This isn't the first time that Google is implementing the use of AI in the Play Store. The company had previously announced other AI features that would be coming to the Play Store. Also, given Google's AI push, these changes shouldn't really come as a complete surprise.

Google Play Store Might Soon Let Users Ask Queries About Apps

Google Play Store's new AI feature could make app discovery easier Google Play Store is reportedly getting a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that will make it easier for users to both find new apps and learn more about them. The feature is reportedly under development and multiple strings of code about it were found in the latest version of the marketplace. The deployment of the feature is currently not known, however, the code highlights that it could be available in the form of a chatbot. This will be the third AI feature for the marketplace after the AI frequently asked questions (FAQs) and AI review summaries. According to an Android Authority report, Google is working on adding an AI feature that can answer various user queries. The feature was spotted in the Google Play Store version 43.3.32-31. The app build features several strings of code highlighting the feature which could be named "Ask a question". So far, the Play Store has one AI feature dubbed the AI-generated FAQs. The feature automatically adds FAQs about apps on the app listings page and users can read them to learn basic details about apps. However, it is not an interactive feature and users cannot learn about specific functionalities even if they wanted to. It appears Google is fixing this problem with the "Ask a question" feature. As per the report, the publication spotted three strings of code. The first says "Created by AI", which highlights that the under-development feature will be AI-powered. The second string reportedly states, "Ask a question about this app", while the third says, "Ask a question". Based on this information, it is likely a chatbot-style feature. The publication claims it could be available to users on both the app listings page as well as the app results page. Users can reportedly use it to ask any query they have about a certain app. Further, it is said that the tool will also help users in app discovery and let them find desired apps easily. However, these are mere speculations and nothing can be said about the feature conclusively. For that, we will have to wait till Google officially makes an announcement about it.

Google Play Store may utilize AI to help answer questions about unfamiliar apps

The Google Play Store can finally update multiple apps at the same time Key Takeaways Google Play Store may soon introduce a new feature allowing users to ask questions about apps. The possible inclusion of the "Ask a question" section in the Play Store was hinted at through new code strings in version 43.3.32-31. This feature will use AI to enhance the user experience, delivering answers to questions about apps. ✕ Remove Ads While there are a variety of ways to load apps onto your mobile device, the Google Play Store is going to be one of the best options, being a one-stop shop for apps, games, movies, TV shows, and more. And while Google has done a pretty good job of making it easy to use, often updating the Play Store with new elements to enhance the experience, there are folks out there that still might have questions about the process. Related I'm taking back control of my Play Store experience by turning off this feature You should, too, if you dislike targeted ads 8 So how does Google intend to go beyond the current screenshots, app descriptions, and user reviews? Well, there's a good chance that the brand is going to lean more heavily into using artificial intelligence, which to be frank, shouldn't come as a surprise. We've seen previous strings in code hint that AI content is coming, and Google has also started using AI-generated highlights in the Google Play Store as well. ✕ Remove Ads A new way to help users Well, it appears that Google may introduce a section in the Play Store that would allow users to ask questions about the app, with AI generating helpful answers. The possible inclusion of this feature was spotted by the folks at Android Authority, with new strings in code popping up in version 43.3.32-31 of Google Play Store. The new feature could be introduced as "Ask a question", and while it's unclear just how it will work, Android Authority's Aamir Siddiqui suggests that there could be a button within the app listing, which users could click, and then ask questions. Users would then get answers based on their questions that would be generated using AI. For the most part, this would solve a lot of issues, especially for first-time Android users or those that are unclear about an app and its uses. Of course, this feature has yet to be formally announced, which means that it could come out next week, or we may never see the feature come to light. Regardless, it's interesting to see features like this being worked on, and we can only hope that it will be introduced sooner rather than later. ✕ Remove Ads