Google is introducing radical changes to its Play Store on Android with the aim of making it easier to find apps on its platform. Multiple features are being added to the digital store, including a section dedicated exclusively to manga.
But before we get into the new page, let's first look at what may be the most impactful change: a home screen widget called Collections, which lets you keep track of what's happening in your apps and actively receive recommendations.
You can tweak the widget layout to have a full-screen view, a single-line bar, or something in between with a few icons, but regardless of the layout, it divides things up by app categories. For example, Watch offers 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 is also a Listen option for audio content like music or podcasts, and a Buy option offers deals that might interest you. The latter can return you to “active shopping carts within [other] App collections are available for download from the Google Play Store, however, it appears to still be rolling out and the feature may not be ready yet.
Nothing happened when we tried to install the widget and it didn't appear anywhere on our Android phone.
AI and new controls
It wouldn't be a new Google update without artificial intelligence making an appearance somewhere.
During the last I/O 2024 event, the tech giant implemented AI-generated reviews on the Play Store to provide quick information about an app. For this update, Google decided to use 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 a number of search controls, starting with interest filters for video games in the search bar. These allow you to narrow down the game genre you're most interested in or would like to play, whether it's action titles or puzzle games.
If you want to control your experience on the platform, Google is rolling out personalization on Play to manage your app data. What is or isn’t shared will have a direct influence on which listings appear. For example, revoking data sharing permission for the Fitness app would make fitness-related software appear less frequently. The same goes for financial apps, productivity apps, or whatever: they’ll be less common.
See in the
But one of the coolest features is undoubtedly exclusive to Japan: the new comics section. Google partnered with Japanese publishers to create an entire section dedicated to manga and manga-related content. It includes previews of early chapters, editor's 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.
Considering the massive popularity of manga worldwide, it would have been fantastic if this section had seen a wider release. But sadly, to the dismay of fans of the medium worldwide, that is not the case.
We've reached out to Google to ask if it plans to expand the Comics tab and when exactly this Play Store update will be released. This story will be updated at a later date.
In the meantime, check out TechRadar's list of the best Android phones for 2024.
