Google Play Store Receives Major Update with AI-Powered Features and Improved User Experience

Google Play Store makes it easier to find Android apps, but I'm gutted this comics feature is Japan-only

Google is introducing sweeping changes to its Play Store on Android in an effort to make finding apps on its platform easier. Multiple features are being added to the digital storefront including a section dedicated entirely to manga of all things. But before we get into the new page, we're first going to over what may be the most impactful change: a home screen widget called Collections, which allows one to keep track of what's happening across apps and actively receive recommendations. You can alter the widget's design to a full-screen view, a single-line bar, or something in between with a few icons, but regardless of layout, it splits things up by categories of apps. For example, Watch, gives video recommendations for YouTube and streaming services. It even has a Continue Watching section that takes you back to a show or movie where you left off. There's also Listen for audio content like music or podcasts, and Shop delivers deals you might be interested in. The latter can return you to "active shopping carts inside [other] apps." Collections is available for download from the Google Play Store; however, it seems it's still rolling out, and the feature might not be ready just yet. Nothing happened when we attempted to install the widget, and it didn't appear anywhere on our Android phone. It wouldn't be a new Google update without artificial intelligence making an appearance somewhere. During the past I/O 2024 event, the tech giant implemented AI-generated reviews into the Play Store to quickly deliver information about an app. For this update, Google has decided to utilize AI to help people "compare [software] in similar categories." A comparison page details an app's most notable features, how many times it's been downloaded, and what it does. The company is also adding several search controls, starting with interest filters for video games in the search bar. These let you narrow down the game genre you're most interested in or would like to play, be it action titles or puzzle games. If you want to control your experience on the platform, Google is implementing Personalization in Play to manage your app data. What's shared or not shared will have a direct influence on the listings that appear. As an example, revoking data-sharing permission from the Fitness app would cause fitness-related software to pop up less often. The same applies to finance apps, productivity apps, or whatever; they'll become less common. But arguably, one of the best features is exclusive to Japan, and it's the new Comics section. Google partnered with Japanese publishers to create an entire section dedicated to manga and manga-related content. It includes first-chapter previews, editor picks, fan reviews, and trailers. The best part is that Japanese users don't have to install a single app as it will be built right in. Given how massively popular manga is worldwide, it would've been great if this section had seen a wider release. But sadly, to the dismay of fans of the medium worldwide, that isn't the case. We reached out to Google asking if it plans to expand the Comics tab and when exactly this Play Store update roll out. This story will be updated at a later time.

Google Play just got a huge update -- curated collections, comics, multi-gaming on PC and more

Google's making it easier and more intuitive for people to explore their favorite apps and games in an upcoming massive update to its Google Play app. Most of us just graze over that app, but the next time you check it out, you'll notice some big changes that introduces AI-generated app reviews, intelligent curated content, multi-gaming on a PC, and a revamped rewards system with more ways to earn points for playing your favorite games. It doesn't end there because soon you'll be able to read comic books in a totally new way directly from the Google Play app. With millions of Android devices out there, this update will make Google Play a destination that's worth checking out apart from downloading new apps. While most of these new features are being rolled out with the latest version of the Google Play app, other features are coming later. Here's everything new with Google Play. Don't you hate having to find something good to watch on Netflix or perhaps an audiobook for your commute to work? The new Collections experience with Google Play takes the hassle out of finding new content for you to consume by curating relevant selections across all the apps you use on your Android device. It's broken down into different categories consisting of watch, listen, food, social, read, and games. There's even a collection for shopping, which lists stuff you might be interested in buying, as well as any special sales going on at different places. One feature we'd like to see -- and which is something Google says it's looking to explore -- is the ability to get reminders on when specific products go on sale. Now this one could be contentious, since your first inclination is to think that AI's going to be writing up a full review -- but it's not being used that way. Instead, the feature taps into Gemini models to generate helpful information based on the most important reviews and frequently asked questions. Rather than reading through all the user reviews, AI will go through them and pick out the most important stuff you should know about, so you're not wasting time sifting through endless reviews yourself. There's also going to be an apps highlight feature that compares apps in similar categories. The Google Play app will feature Curated spaces that allow you to explore new topics. For example, there's a curated space for cricket to help people explore all cricket content across various channels in one place. Another one we got to preview is the curated space for comics in Japan, where you'll be able to read manga and comics-related content through Google Play -- with free first chapter previews, the ability to interact with live events, and fan reviews. This new level of interaction gives publishers more ways of interacting with their fans on live events. Google Play Games on PC has been in beta for a while now, but this new update introduces the ability to play two Google Play games on a PC simultaneously. Now, you're probably wondering how this could be beneficial? Well, if you're playing a passive game like Clash of Clans that simply requires you to collect resources while playing the game, you can use this new multi-gaming feature to run a second game that's more action driven -- all without closing the other game. In addition to this, many of the titles will support higher resolutions for the best gaming experience on PC. Who says it doesn't pay to play? Google's giving gamers an extra incentive to play their favorite Android games with a revamped rewards system, which can land you prizes like Pixel devices, gaming products, and other merchandise. You'll continue to earn points just as before with select titles, but Google's launching additional ways of earning points through the perks portal of the app -- with Super Weekly Prizes for Diamond, Platinum, and Gold members. All of these accumulated Google Play Points could be used for a dozen of things other than physical gifts, including services such as Google One or YouTube Red.

Google Play Gets Some Really Sweet New Features

We may earn a commission when you click links to retailers and purchase goods. More info. Google announced this morning that the evolution of Google Play is upon us, with the end goal being to transform it into an end-to-end experience that amounts to way more than just a place you get your apps from. To accomplish this goal, Google is introducing a suite of new features for Play users, with the highlights being curated spaces, the ability to list specific interests when searching for new apps and games, as well as added privacy and app recommendation controls. Earlier this year at Google I/O, Google announced that it was bringing AI to Google Play in the form of combing and displaying app reviews, but also getting detailed is the use of AI to help users compare apps in similar categories. AI will also be used to help provide easy to read highlights for apps, as shown below. For those looking to find apps based on an interest, curated spaces in Google Play will provide a single spot to find apps focused on a single subject. Google notes that it tested this feature for cricket fans in India and yielded positive results. The same has been done for comic fans in Japan. As detailed by Google, "You can access comics-related content all in one place -- including free first chapter previews, live events and trailers, editor picks and fan reviews even from apps you haven't installed." Multi-select interest filters are getting added, letting you specify your preferences when searching for a new game. Whether it be a certain genre or interest, these new settings should allow you to quickly identify and download games you'll enjoy instead of needing to browse app charts. Google Play Games for PC users will love this next one. Over the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out multi-game capabilities, allowing gamers to have two games going simultaneously. Google explains that players can be, "actively competing in one, while keeping an eye on resources in another." For anyone who remembers the Nexus 7 tablet, there was a Google Play widget that showcased content from all the various categories on the platform. With this announcement, that widget is coming back in the form of Collections. Once added to your home screen, you'll be able to dive directly into your content from apps already downloaded. For example, jump back into a TV show you were watching or book you were reading. Google is also adding new controls for what app data Google Play uses to cater your store experience. You can head to "Personalization in Play" from the main menu to find the new controls. You'll see a full list of your apps and you can manually select and deselect app data you want or don't want used inside of Google Play.

The Google Play app on your Android phone is getting a huge update | Digital Trends

The Google Play app on your Android phone is about to get its biggest update in a long time. The announcements came earlier today, with Google saying its end goal is to transform the user experience on the Google Play app, to turn into more than just a place to download apps. To do this, Google is implementing various changes and new features, including curated spaces, the ability to list specific interests when searching for new apps and games, and new privacy and app recommendation controls. Let's dive into some of them. AI Recommended Videos The first big thing is, naturally, AI, which Google first announced during Google I/O earlier this year. The AI implementation will let you use AI to browse and display app reviews and compare apps in similar categories. The AI can also provide highlights about the app, making it easier to read and find what's relevant to you. It sounds rather similar to Amazon's implementation of AI into the product pages, where the AI can process user reviews and give you a general overview of the pros, cons, and common user complaints about a particular product. Curated spaces The other big change comes from curated spaces. Google Play will give you a single place to find all the apps on a specific subject. That could be anything ranging from sports, like cricket for fans in India, to comic books for fans in Japan. The curated spaces will let you access all related content in one place, including things like free chapter previews for comics, live events and trailers, editor picks, and fan reviews from apps you haven't installed yet Multi-select interest filters User interest is a big focus. Google is adding filters like genre that will let you specify your preferences when searching for a new game without having to browse the app charts. Google Play Games for PC PC users aren't left out in the cold, either. A few years back, Google added PC support to Google Play Games with the Google Play Games beta desktop app, allowing you to play Android games on your PC. Over the course of the next several weeks, Google is rolling out multi-game capabilities that will let you play two games simultaneously and competitively -- essentially giving users multiplayer support. Collections Next, we have collections in the form of a widget that you can add to your home screen. This widget will show your downloaded apps, books, TV shows, and other content, letting you easily jump back into what you were doing. This was something that existed in the Nexus 7 era, so it's nice to see it come back and roll out to all users. Play Points The Play Point system was first launched in 2018, allowing members to earn points for purchases on the Google Play Store. Generally speaking, there weren't a lot of great things to get. That's set to change with Google rolling out weekly events called Super Weekly Prizes. Users will now be able to enter drawings for a physical prize, which could include various Pixel gear like a Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds Pro, and even phones. The drawing will only be available to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members and only for users in the U.S., U.K., Japan, South Korea, or Taiwan. New controls Less exciting, though still important, Google is giving you control over app data. You'll be able to head to Personalization in Play on the main menu to find the new controls that will let you pick which apps are used inside Google Play.

Google is updating the Play Store with AI-powered app reviews and curated spaces

Google just announced a suite of updates to the Play Store in an attempt to make it more fun to use. This is part of a larger move by the company to turn its online marketplace into "an end-to-end experience that's more than a store." You read that right. They want us to hang out on Google Play. Here's what the company has planned. The update brings AI-generated review summaries that pull from user reviews to develop a consensus. You've likely already encountered this type of thing on Facebook and while using Google search. The company first announced this feature at this year's I/O event. This AI-adjacent approach will also apply to auto-generated FAQs about each app that are powered by Gemini models. Additionally, there will be AI-generated highlights that offer a quick summarization of a particular app. Google showed off a still image of this for a photo editing app in which the highlights included the number of filters and layouts available, in addition to tools and sharing options. This AI approach will also let users quickly compare apps in similar categories. Google's also rolling out shared spaces on the Play Store. These aren't communities or mini social networks, like Reddit or something, but rather splash pages for various topics of interest. The company started this project with a pilot involving cricket. The shared space gave users in India the ability to "explore all their cricket content from across various channels in one, convenient spot." This included relevant videos, around 100 curated cricket-related apps and some simple user polls. The next curated space will be about Japanese manga. There has been no word as to when this feature will expand into multiple categories available to global users. The entire "shopping for a new game to play" experience is also getting an upgrade, focused primarily on discovery. Google promises "enriched game details" pages, complete with YouTube videos from developers and clearly-marked promotions, which reminds me of Steam. This even extends to the post-purchase experience, as return users will see updated developer notes and a section for tips and tricks. The program is in early access and currently only available to English language users. There are also some new games coming to Google's oft-overlooked Play Pass, like Asphalt Legends Unite and Candy Crush Saga, and a feature that lets users play multiple games at once on PC. Finally, there's some personalization stuff in this update. The new Collections feature provides custom categories based on previously-purchased apps. This means that each Google Play homescreen will be different for each user, offering an easy way to continue binging a show or finishing a video game. Many of these upgrades begin rolling out today, though some are still in the early access stage. Others, like the shared spaces feature, still have some kinks to work out.

Google Play Unveils New Features: Enhanced Gaming, Curated Comics And More - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

Google Play introduces new features including Collections for organizing app content and improved gaming functions for PC users. Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google is enhancing its Google Play Store on Android with a suite of new features aimed at enriching the user experience. Collections: A New Way To Organize App Content One of the standout features is the new "Collections" section. Unlike previous app discovery methods, Collections focus on content within apps already installed on users' devices. See Also: Google Analysts See Upside For Alphabet Stock Following Q2 Earnings As Generative AI Drives Accelerated Search Growth This feature organizes content into categories such as shop, watch, and listen. It includes a "continue watching" row for streaming services and highlights recent deals from various retailers. Google's blog notes: "With your app content in one place, it's easier to pick up right where you left off." Enhanced Gaming Features And Play Games for PC Gaming also receives notable attention with the introduction of versatile new functionalities. Users can now apply interest filters to refine game suggestions, enhancing personalized recommendations. Additionally, Play Games on PC, which entered beta in 2022, now supports multitasking across multiple game windows. This improvement allows users to play multiple games simultaneously, such as juggling between Clash of Clans and other titles. Expanded Rewards And Prizes Google is also revamping its Play Points reward program by introducing "super weekly prizes." These rewards, available to gold, platinum, and diamond members, now include high-end Pixel devices and Razer gaming products, with prizes rotating on a weekly basis. Curated Comics Section In Japan In Japan, Google is launching a dedicated comics section within the Play store. This new space will offer a range of comics-related content, including free first chapter previews, live events, trailers, editor picks, and fan reviews. Greater Personalization Control The update also introduces enhanced personalization controls. Users can now exclude certain apps from influencing Google Play's recommendation algorithms by navigating to the "Personalization in Play" section. Read Next: As Google Search's Growth Outpaces That Of YouTube, Alphabet CFO Says 'Really Pleased' With Platform: Here's Why Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Google adds AI-powered comparisons, collections and more data controls to Play Store | TechCrunch

Google on Wednesday launched a slew of features for its Play Store that aim to encourage users to use the app store to find and engage with content rather than simply visit it to download apps. The Play Store is getting AI-powered app comparisons, automatically organized categories for similar apps, dedicated hubs for content, data personalization controls, support for playing multiple mobile games on PCs, and more features. Notably, the app comparison feature is powered by Google's Gemini AI model and it lets users compare apps in similar categories easily. When you search for an app that can do a specific task, like photo editing, the AI will suggest multiple options to help you quickly find the right app. Each of these suggestions is accompanied by a description that highlights its features. The feature is obviously part of the company's ongoing efforts to infuse AI into its services. The company said during the Google I/O event in May that it was using Gemini models to power AI-generated app reviews and FAQs on the Play Store that would summarize the most important reviews and common questions about game listings. These new features follow a preview of its latest policy updates for the Play Store, which will go into effect on August 31. The company is planning to delete apps that don't meet its standards en masse -- this includes "apps that crash, do not have the basic degree of adequate utility as mobile apps, lack engaging content, or exhibit other behavior that is not consistent with a functional and engaging user experience," Google wrote. We're also getting a new Collections feature that is designed to help users find relevant content from their most-used apps. It will be available to U.S. users from today. Long-pressing on the Play Store icon will now display a menu with seven categories: "Food," "Game," "Listen," "Read," "Shop," "Social," and "Watch," each of which houses a selection of relevant apps and the content that you most recently interacted with. For instance, if you were previously browsing headphones on the Best Buy app, that app would appear at the top of the list in the "Shop" category so you could quickly get back to browsing. The Play Store will also suggest related apps. TechCrunch learned during a demo of the feature that Google plans to add more categories to this list, like "Health & Fitness," "Travel & Events," "Sports," and "Dating." The company is also considering making Collections customizable so that users can group apps together as they wish and get recommendations for similar or related apps. There's also "Curated Spaces," another feature that pulls together content into a dedicated hub so that users can explore more of their favorite content. The first of these spaces is "Comics," essentially a hub for thousands of manga and anime titles for users in Japan. Google is also letting users control which data associated with a particular app (like app activity, purchases, and offers) can be used by Google Play. By going to Profile and selecting "Personalization in Play," users can turn off how Google Play uses data from apps to offer personalized recommendations and ads related to those apps. The company noted that it may take up to 24 hours for changes to take effect. People who use Google Play Games on PC to play mobile games on their computer can now have two games open at the same time in two separate windows, similar to a split-screen set up. During a demo, Google opened up Clash of Clans and Disney's new kart racing game, Speedstorm, side by side to show off the feature. So this feature would let you, for instance, add troops to the training queue in Clash of Clans before you start another Speedstorm race. The multi-gaming feature will be rolled out over the next few weeks.