Google is bringing new features to the Play Store

Google is bringing a host of new features to its Play Store on Android, aimed at improving the user experience and making the platform more attractive and functional.

Updates include new categorized “Collections,” an expanded rewards program, improvements to the Play Pass subscription service, and a curated space for comics in Japan.

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Changes to the Play Store

The changes were initially presented during a press conference held in New York on Tuesday (23). The person who spoke about them was Play Store vice president Sam Bright, showing some improvements that had already been announced before during I/O.

He also talked about the arrival of more AI features, and improving them so that they become a truly useful tool within the digital store. The idea is that the tool can do things like compare apps in the same category so that the user understands the weak and strong points based on real reviews of those apps.

According to them, these changes are intended to make the Play Store “a complete experience that goes beyond a store”, that is, the app store is more than just an app store.

New Collections on the Play Store

One of the biggest new features is the introduction of “Collections.” Rather than trying to sell you new apps, Collections are designed to highlight content from apps you already have installed, organizing it into categories like shopping, watching, and listening.

This includes a “continue watching” row for various streaming apps and the latest offers from select retailers. For example, if you have the Magazine Luiza or Amazon app installed, you will be able to see some offers on products from those apps right there in the Play Store.

In the case of streaming, the feature aims to facilitate the continued use of applications, allowing users to resume their activities where they left off.

Play Pass improvements and game features

Google’s Play Pass subscription service has also received significant improvements. Play Pass subscribers on PC can now play multiple games at once, allowing them to, for example, play Clash of Clans in one window while playing another game on another part of the screen.

This functionality increases the versatility of the service, which had already been launched in beta version in 2022 and received 4K support.

Additionally, when searching for games, users can now select interest filters to refine the types of games Google Play suggests, making the search for new games more personalized and efficient.

Play Points Rewards Program Expansion

Google is expanding its Play Points rewards program with the introduction of “weekly super prizes.” Available to gold, platinum, and diamond members, these prizes include Pixel devices, Razer gaming products, and other hardware, in addition to the usual prizes.

The prizes will rotate weekly and can be claimed in the Play Points benefits tab, making the program more attractive to users. It is worth remembering that the program was launched here in Brazil recently, and that the prizes here are different.

Curated space for comics in Japan

The company also revealed that Android users in Japan will gain a new curated space on Google Play dedicated exclusively to comics. This space will allow users to access comics-related content in one place, including free previews of the first chapter, live events, trailers, editors’ picks and fan reviews, even from apps they haven’t installed.

A new “comics” tab will be added directly to the Google Play home screen. The company is also exploring the possibility of expanding these curated spaces to other regions, as it previously did with a cricket section in India.

Data control and personalization in the Play Store

Another important advancement is the increased control over the data used for Google Play’s personalized recommendations. Users can now choose which apps contain sensitive data that they don’t want to be considered in the store’s personalization algorithms.

This option can be found by navigating to “Personalization in Play” in the main menu, allowing for greater privacy and control over the recommendations you receive.

Some new features have already started to be released, although most of them are in early access. Others do not yet have a release date. The changes are interesting, but it is not yet clear whether they will be enough to make people spend more time in the app store or not, which only time will tell.

Fonte: The Verge