Google Play Store

Google announced recently that it would purge the Play Store of outdated Android apps that didn’t support the platform’s latest features or had been neglected. According to a new report, Google’s crackdown will remove nearly 900,000 outdated Android apps from the Play Store.

In addition to a slew of new developer features at I/O 2022, Google is testing a Play Store tweak on Android that lets users see more information about apps without having to open the full listing.

At its core, Google I/O has always been a developer-focused event. Here are the biggest announcements that Google made during the I/O developer keynote and beyond.

Back in March, Google halted Android app and subscription purchases in Russia due to sanctions. Google Play is now “blocking the downloading of paid apps and updates to paid apps in Russia starting May 5, 2022.”

Google announced that the Play Store was getting a “Data safety” section last May, and it’s now beginning to roll out after a brief delay. The new section will be fully available over the coming weeks, and full developer adoption is set for July.

In addition to offering user-facing apps, Google Workspace gives companies the ability to manage their employees’ devices. Google Workspace admins now have more control over Android app updates on work devices that use managed Google Play.

A new Google Play Store policy coming into force is set to block third-party call recording apps from the online storefront from May 11.

At the end of last month, Google started requiring Android apps distributed via the Play Store to use its payment service rather than letting developers continue to collect billing details directly. To follow those latest guidelines, YouTube Premium and YouTube TV now use Google Play Billing. 

Subscriptions can get away from you, especially when you forget you signed up for anything to begin with. That’s exactly why you need to know how to easily cancel any Android app subscription at any moment, right from the Google Play Store. Here’s how you can do that.

With every release, Android introduces new system-level security and privacy features that more times than not requires support from third-party apps. Google Play will soon hide older apps for new users to encourage developers to support the latest Android functionality.

Beta programs allow you to experience cool new features in certain apps that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see until full release. So how do you get early access to Google’s features? This guide will show you how to join beta programs on the Google Play Store and what apps allow you to do that.

Back in 2020, Google announced that it would require all apps in the Play Store to use its billing system but later delayed that to this month. Google will soon allow Android apps to use their own payment system as long as Play Store billing is an option alongside it, with Spotify notably the first “User Choice Billing” partner.

After the death of Play Music, Google Play was left with applications, books, and television. The Play Store will soon drop Movies & TV on Android with the Google TV app being the new place to buy and rent content.

Last year, Google announced that app ratings in the Play Store will be specific to each device type. The company is now continuing that work of improving the large screen experience by surfacing high-quality apps and warning about unoptimized ones .

As the 2022 Google for Games Developer Summit kicks off this morning, the company detailed its latest efforts and tools for Android developers.

Google has informed Android developers that Play Store users in Russia have lost the ability to purchase apps, games, IAPs, and subscriptions.