Google Play Store

Google has confirmed that it has now paid out over $80 billion to Play Store developers since the launch of the digital marketplace in March 2012.

Expand
Expanding
Close

On occasion, Google Play sends promotional push notifications about deals and app-related editorial content. Some users today were prompted in the Play Store to download Google Opinion Rewards as a way to earn Play credits.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google wants us to use our phones less, or at least curb our smartphone usage. This has led to a number of standalone Digital Wellbeing apps that all have weird and wonderful notions of how we should be using our phones in a healthy manner.

Expand
Expanding
Close

In a bid to declutter notification drawers, Google decided that disabling Play Store update notifications was something that was needed, despite being pretty useful.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Google Play Store isn’t just where you get new apps, but also where they’re updated. For most users, that’s done automatically, so updates are just an afterthought. Now, though, the Play Store is no longer showing notifications for updated apps.

Expand
Expanding
Close

In September, Google Play removed 24 more malware-filled apps that amassed 500,000 downloads. Dubbed “Joker,” the company’s security team today detailed the very persistent “large-scale billing fraud family.”

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google has officially announced its annual Indie Games Festival for 2020, which aims to highlight developers that have shown technical skill and innovative design in games development.

Expand
Expanding
Close

The Google Opinion Rewards app really is a great little way to receive free Play Store credits to go toward apps, games, music, and movies just for answering some simple surveys and questionnaires.

Expand
Expanding
Close

At its launch on Android last year, Fortnite could not be installed by simply going to the Play Store. It still can’t be; the battle royale game has to be downloaded directly from Epic Games and then sideloaded. Among other reasons, this is due to the developer not wanting to give Google its mandated 30% cut of lucrative in-app purchase revenue. Epic Games is now hoping for a special exception to that rule.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google’s Advanced Protection Program, an initiative to help protect the Google Accounts of those who are “most at risk,” may be getting a new protection feature on Android devices to block sideloading, according to the latest Play Store update.

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Play this year rolled out a big Android redesign and corresponding dark theme. In October, we spotted work on a Material Theme account switcher and it’s now beginning to roll out alongside a new splash screen.

Expand
Expanding
Close

With the year coming to a close in a matter of weeks, it’s time for annual recaps. Google today published the Play Store’s Best of 2019 that takes a look at apps, games, movies, television shows, and books/audiobooks.

Expand
Expanding
Close