Search leader Google’s ‘Cubes’ feature for Play Store that will display relevant content from installed apps has been in the works since last year. While not much is known about the upcoming feature, a new APK teardown from Android Authority revealed a few details about the possible feature. The Play Store feature is expected to have six categories and users may check out any of them to start viewing content.
The content will likely have categories including Watch, Listen, Read, Games, Social, and Shop. Content may be displayed from apps that have partnered with Google. The tech giant could rename the feature to “Collections” and the relevant string of codes was spotted in the Play Store version – 41.6.26 version. Collections could be first available in the US followed by other countries.
Apart from the Collections widget, the full-screen UI may get a toolbar for easy navigation and controls. A shortcut for Collections may be available once you long-press the Play Store icon on the home screen. Once a user selects an available category, relevant content from the installed app will appear on the home screen.
Screengrab of Google Play Store’s ‘Collections’ feature. (Image:Android Authority)
According to TechCrunch, Google has partnered with 35 developers including Spotify, Pinterest, TikTok, Tumblr, Shopify and more to test the feature. It can (for instance) display content from a shopping app such as items in your cart or frequently ordered meals from a food ordering app, show favourite playlists from Spotify and more.
Developers will also get the opportunity to personalise recommendations and promotional content so that users can check out information which could have been missed. “With just a tap, users can launch full-screen, immersive experiences that highlight and arrange the most important content from their installed apps (who have integrated the SDK [Software Development Kit]),” Google’s Mekka Okereke said at an I/O briefing.