Google has unveiled several new features for the Google Play store on Android. There are new categorized “Collections” that highlight content from apps you already have installed. The company’s rewards program is adding new prizes, including Pixel phones. The Google Play Pass subscription service offers more diverse gaming experiences. And in Japan, Google is launching a curated space for comics that will let people dive into previews of early chapters without having to install third-party apps.
Taken together, these changes are meant to make Google Play “a comprehensive service that’s more than just a store.”
Enhancing User Experience with Collections
The company unveiled some of the latest updates at a media briefing in New York City on Tuesday. Google Play Vice President Sam Bright touted several updates announced back at I/O, like AI-powered app reviews. These AI features are being expanded with a new tool that will make it easier to compare apps in similar categories (like photo editing apps or fitness apps).
Bright then moved on to some of the more important new features. First up is a new section of Google Play called Collections.
Rather than trying to sell you new apps, Collections is designed to show you content from the apps you already have installed and organizes it into categories like Store, Watch, and Listen. You’ll see “Continue Watching” options for various streaming apps, as well as the latest deals from select retailers. “Having your app content in one place makes it easier to pick up where you left off,” Google said in a blog post.
Gaming and Rewards Program Enhancements
Gaming is another big topic in today’s updates. When searching, you can now choose one of several interest filters to narrow down the types of games Play offers. And Play Games users on PC can play multiple games at once, so you can play Clash of Clans in one window while playing another game elsewhere on the screen. Google launched Play Games for PC as a beta in 2022, and has continued to improve it, adding 4K support and now multi-window mode.
Google is also trying to make its Play Points rewards program more appealing by adding “super weekly prizes.” Available to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members, they tier up the regular prizes to include Pixel devices, Razer gaming products, and other hardware. The prizes will rotate weekly and can be claimed from the Play Points Perks tab. We’ll keep you updated on the latest prizes available.
New Features for Japan and Privacy Controls
Android users in Japan will get a new curated space in Google Play dedicated entirely to comics. “You can access comics-related content in one place — including free early chapter previews, live events and trailers, editors’ picks, and fan reviews, even from apps you haven’t installed,” Google said in a blog post. The new Comics tab will appear directly on the Google Play home screen. The company is continuing to explore how to best use these spaces in other regions; the first example was the Indian cricket section.
NIX Solutions notes that Google is also giving everyone more control over what data is used for personalized Play recommendations. You can now choose apps that may contain sensitive data that you don’t want included in the store’s personalization algorithms. You can find this option in the main menu under “Personalization in Play.”
Will these new features lead to people spending more time in Google Play? Perhaps, but many of them (like “Collections”) are easy to ignore if you prefer to continue using the store as a place to discover new apps, as always.