The Google Play Store is a staple of Android phones and the first destination most people go when looking for new apps. Lucky for them, Google announced several upcoming features that aim to make the Play Store even more useful. Here are the most exciting of those features.
1 Control Which Apps Impact Your Ad Experience
Currently, Google Play tracks the apps you download through its store and uses that information to influence what personalized ads and sponsored content you might see while using it. With Personalization in Play, you’ll be able to choose which apps contribute to those ads and sponsored content.
So if you downloaded a photo editing app, and you don’t want to see any ads for similar apps in the Play Store because of it, you’ll have that power.
2 AI-Powered App Comparisons
AI is making its way into every corner of technology, and the Play Store is no exception. Using Google’s own Gemini AI model, you’ll be able to see quick and informative comparisons between apps in the same category.
If you search for an app in a specific category, like coupon apps, Gemini will provide multiple alternative app suggestions. It’ll also give you a quick comparison of their features, allowing you to get a feel for your options without the hassle of digging through reviews and app details yourself.
For the features Gemini will summarize for you, expect it to be things like highlights, reviews, and FAQs related to the apps that are pulled up for comparison.
3 Multi-Select Interest Filters to Find the Apps you Want
If you don’t have a specific app in mind, Google Play has many filters you can use to search for all apps in a category. Currently, you can only select one filter for your search, such as “Match 3” or “Puzzle” if you were searching for a game. But what if you specifically want to find a sports-based match-3 game, or a puzzle game about music?
When Google’s multi-select filters roll out, you’ll be able to do just that. By selecting multiple filters, you’ll be able to narrow down your search for a new app to be as specific as you want. If you want to find the one strategy, simulation, sports-themed, match-3 card game that exists on the Play Store, it’ll be much easier to do with this feature!
4 Play Multiple Games at Once with Google Play Games on PC
In my years as a PC gamer, there have been plenty of times I wished I could conveniently play more than one game at a time. When this feature rolls out for all of us in the next few weeks, that wish will become reality: Google Play Games on PC will support playing multiple games at once.
You’ll be able to open up each game in a separate window on your PC and run them simultaneously, so you can plan your next raid in Clash of Clans even as you try and work out that next level of Homescapes.
Considering that Google plans to add a ton of in-game discounts and special offers to its Play Pass soon, it’s a great time for this feature to make an appearance.
5 Collections Puts All of Your App Interests in One Place
This feature has already begun rolling out and may be available to you already. By pressing and holding the Google Play icon, you can add a new widget called Collections to your home screen. The Collections widget is like a hub for different categories of your apps, including food, gaming, social, shopping, and more.
Each category contains a selection of appropriate apps that you use the most often or used the most recently. If you were using a music app like Spotify recently, it may appear at the top of its relevant category so you can quickly get back into it. Or, if you were recently using the Amazon app to shop, it would appear at the top of the shopping category so you could hop back in.
The Collections widget may also present content relevant to your recently used apps, or suggest new apps for you to try based on which apps you’ve been using in each category. There are only seven distinct categories right now, but Google plans to add more categories in the future, and it’s even considering just letting you group apps together however you want, making personalized categories of your own.
While these new features look very promising, most of them aren’t out yet, not including the Collections feature that should be available to everyone soon. Google hasn’t announced exactly when these features will roll out, so if you’d like to try out some similar platforms while you wait for the Google Play Store to step up its game, there are some fantastic Android alternative stores to download your apps from.