Google Play

639 'Google Play' stories March 2012 - July 2016

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google play store

Before the unified Play branding, Google had the Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore. Google decided to merge and rebrand its individual digital offerings into the Play Store in March of 2012.

The Play Store is now the default place to purchase apps, movies & television, music, books, and news subscriptions for all Android devices. The latter four offerings having their individual Android and iOS apps to watch, listen, and read purchased content. Most content can also be accessed through the web.

In April of 2016, the suite of icons were redesigned in a similar style to provide a consistent look across all devices and the web.

Google Play

Google to expand its family plans beyond just Play Music

Edoardo Maggio Jul 13 2016 - 4:03 am PT

With more and more families adopting an increasing variety of devices in the home it only seems logical for big software makers like Apple and Google to work on sharing plans.

While Apple has had a Family Sharing plan for a while now, Google has only offered such option for its Music service; but that may be about to change…

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Google now offering 4 month free trial for Google Play Music/YouTube Red

Ben Schoon Jul 2 2016 - 1:31 pm PT

If you have yet to try out Google Play Music, or alternatively, YouTube Red, then Google’s latest offer to get you to sign up for the service is certainly one worth looking at. In celebration of July 4th, Google is offering a 4 month subscription to both services completely free of charge.

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HP launches the Chromebook 11-inch G5 w/ 12.5 hours of battery life, optional touchscreen

Stephen Hall Jun 27 2016 - 8:25 am PT

HP has today launched the latest version of its lower-end Chromebook, the HP Chromebook 11-inch G5. At first glance there might not appear to be anything special about this laptop, but there are a couple of standout features: the laptop offers more than 12 hours of battery life, and there’s also a model that includes a touchscreen (essential for those planning to take advantage of recently-announced Android app support coming to more Chrome OS devices later this year)…

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Report: Google also working on 85-15 revenue split with developers, but without year long wait

Abner Li Jun 8 2016 - 3:05 pm PT

Among other changes this morning, Apple announced a new 85-15 revenue split with developers of apps that have subscriptions. Recode is now reporting that Google has had the same plan in mind for the Play Store, but with an important advantage.

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Get two months free Google Play Music premium by using TripAdvisor app

Ben Lovejoy May 25 2016 - 5:42 am PT

If you’re not yet tried Google Play Music, a deal with TripAdvisor lets you get two months of premium subscription free of charge. The offer is to promote a partnership between the two companies which allows you to play music relevant to the city you’re visiting …

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This week’s top stories [Google I/O Edition]: Android N Preview 3, Daydream, Play Store on Chrome, Assistant, apps & more

Jordan Kahn May 21 2016 - 10:31 am PT

In this week’s top stories we round up all of our coverage from Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference where it also took the wraps off a number of upcoming hardware and software products. Android N Developer Preview 3, the Play Store comes to Chrome, Google Assistant, the new Daydream VR platform and much, much more.
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Inaugural Google Play Awards highlight best apps released in the past year

Abner Li May 19 2016 - 9:12 pm PT

At an I/O session this evening, the inaugural winners of the Google Play Awards were announced. With 10 categories, winners were selected by the Google Play team based on launching or having a major update in the past 12 months, app quality, and innovation.

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‘Playbook by Google Play’ app is Google’s new resource for app devs

Jordan Kahn May 18 2016 - 4:25 pm PT

Alongside all of the Google I/O announcements today, Google announced a new resource for app developers in the form of the new ‘Playbook by Google Play’ app available in beta now.
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It’s official: Android apps and the Play Store are coming to Chrome

Stephen Hall May 18 2016 - 12:36 pm PT

It looks like there’s a little tidbit of information that might have been originally planned for the keynote (pulled because of time restraints, maybe?). According to a session description now on the Google I/O website, Google “announced” today that the Google Play Store is coming to Chrome…

Today we announced that we’re adding the best mobile app experiences in the world, Android apps and the Google Play store, to the best browser in the world, Chrome! Come to this session and test your Android apps for Chrome OS. You will get hands on help from our friendly engineers on how to optimize your Android app for Chromebooks. Oh, and we will also be giving the first 50 developers to show up a free Chromebook so they can get a head start bringing their apps to Chrome!

This isn’t exactly surprising as we saw evidence that this was in the cards all the way back in April, but it’s cool nonetheless to see it become official. It looks like this session is going to involve Google showing devs how to test their Android apps on the desktop platform. Also worth noting: the first 50 devs to show up will get a free Chromebook.

We’re on the ground at the event now, so stay tuned as we learn more.

Google Play Developer Console gets a small visual facelift

Edoardo Maggio May 18 2016 - 7:15 am PT

Since the introduction of Material Design exactly two years ago at I/O 2014, Google has put a lot of emphasis on design, and streamlining even seeming minutiae like icons has become a priority.

Today it’s the turn of Google Play‘s Developer Console (via Android Police)…

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Play Store v6.7 lets you join and leave the beta testing program, leave feedback for devs, more

Edoardo Maggio May 16 2016 - 2:33 am PT

For those who are fairly experienced in the app world, joining betas is always exciting and fun — since it allows people to access the latest features and design tweaks — despite the usual presence of bugs.

With the rollout of version 6.7 of the Play Store, Android Police first spotted, Google will now allow you conveniently see if you’re in a beta testing group from within the Store itself, leave and join potential betas, and even give developers some feedback regarding the latest build…

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Google Play Music honors Prince by going purple, Android app testing new search bar

Abner Li Apr 22 2016 - 11:02 am PT

After a months-long wait, Google Play Music finally added podcasts features earlier this week. To pay homage to the passing of music icon Prince yesterday, the web app has since adopted a purple theme. Additionally, some users (via Android Police) are now seeing a new search bar in the Android app.

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Google Play Store continues to lag behind iOS App Store in revenue despite advantage in downloads

Edoardo Maggio Apr 19 2016 - 11:24 am PT

For both Google and Apple, the operations on their virtual stores are hugely important, as they account for millions of dollars. However, there has historically been a disparity between the number of downloaded applications and the actual money generated by them, a trend that seems to have peaked in the first quarter of this year.

According to App Annie‘s Index Market for Q1 of 2016, in fact, Google’s Play Store saw a number of downloads that roughly doubles that of the iOS App Store, which in turns represents the platform with the highest profitability, with over 90% more revenue generated over its counterpart…

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Podcasts are now live in Google Play Music & rolling out to Android users, coming soon to iOS

Abner Li Apr 18 2016 - 10:39 am PT

As leaked by NPR last week, podcasts are now live in Play Music. Google announced the feature last October and podcasters have since been able to upload their shows. Besides just subscribing and listening, Google will apply the same recommendation features for music to podcasts.

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Podcasts reportedly coming to Google Play Music on April 18

Abner Li Apr 14 2016 - 1:26 pm PT

Google announced in October that podcasts would be coming to Play Music. Since then, Google has been working with podcast networks and podcasters could begin adding their shows. According to NPR (via Android Police), Google will finally launch the feature on April 18th, this coming Monday.

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Google announces brightly colored refresh of Play Store icons and apps

Abner Li Apr 4 2016 - 10:36 am PT

Google Play has seen its share of design refreshes since its launch four years ago, but starting today all Play apps will be getting a new, more consistent look. The bright colors share the same design as this year’s Google I/O teaser page and might possibly hint at what design language the company is moving to.

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Google removes Taliban app from the Play Store, alleged ISIS app remains

Ben Lovejoy Apr 4 2016 - 5:12 am PT

The BBC reports that Google has removed an Android app used by the Taliban to post propaganda.

Alemarah, an app for Android phones created by Islamist fundamentalist group the Taliban, has been removed from Google’s Play Store […]

The hardline group blamed “technical issues” for its disappearance shortly after it launched on 1 April. However the BBC understands it was taken down because it violated a Google app policy which prohibits hate speech.

However, TNW reports that a messaging app allegedly created by ISIS remains available on Google Play.

Google says that it never comments on issues relating to specific apps.

Photo: AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

Google Sheets and Slides Android apps get support for additional file formats

Jordan Kahn Mar 23 2016 - 2:03 pm PT

Google today updated the Sheets and Slides apps for Android with support for additional file formats.

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Shazam gains deeper integration with Google Play Music, offering 3-month Play trial for $1

Abner Li Mar 18 2016 - 8:53 am PT

Popular song identification app Shazam has announced (via The Verge) deeper Google Play Music integration on Android, as well as a promotion for 3 months of Play Music (which includes YouTube Red) for only $1.

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Google Play MP3 albums $1, Lexar 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive $50, AKG Headphones $120, more

Stephen Hall Mar 17 2016 - 1:19 pm PT

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Google Play MP3 albums $1 ea: Arctic Monkeys, Shinedown and Silversun Pickups

Take home the Lexar JumpDrive 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $50 shipped (Reg. $80)

Amazon Gold Box – AKG K-495NC Premium Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones $120 shipped (Orig. $350)

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB $1,200 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

Save big on Apple’s newest laptops: Retina MacBook Pro $1,000 (Reg. $1,299), 256GB 11″ MacBook Air $870 (Reg. $1,099)

Buy or upgrade Parallels ($49-$79) & get 7 Mac apps free: 1Password, Parallels Access, & more (Reg. $269)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Green Deals: Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar USB Charger (refurb) $30 (Orig. $80), Philips Dimmable LED Bulbs $6, more

Amazon Gold Box – Verus High Pro Shield smartphone cases $12 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Goat Simulator for iOS drops to just $1 (Reg. $5)
Lumsing 8,000mAh Power Bank $10, TechMatte MagGrip Car Mount Holder $5, more
Games/Apps: Nintendo/PS/Xbox gift cards BOGO 20% off, iOS freebies, more
Daily Deals: APC Back-UPS 1080VA UPS $100, LG 49-inch 1080p Smart LED TV $505, more
Networking: TP-LINK 802.11ac router + DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem: $120 (~$150 value)
This garden dump cart is built like a tank and can be pulled by a tractor: $99 (Reg. $130)
Dock and charge your iPhone + Apple Watch in one place for $8 Prime shipped
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $34)
Apple iPhone 6s/Plus Factory Unlocked up to $100 off, 16GB just $579 shipped (Reg. $649)
Apple TV Deals: 4th Gen 64GB $175 (Reg. $200), 3rd Gen $49 (Reg. $69), more
iPad Pro Wi-Fi 128GB in all three colors: $790 shipped (Reg. $949)
Fresh iPad Pro discounts: 32GB Wi-Fi $650, 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular $890

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/710481620034297856 align=’center’]

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Bluetooth Speakers: Sony SRSX7 w/ Wi-Fi + AirPlay $130 (Reg. $150+), Bohm SoundBlock $22 (Reg. $50), more

How-to: Use your car and an inexpensive inverter to replace the need for a home generator

Upgrade your Mac with a Samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5″ Internal SSD for $135 (Reg. $150+)
Smartphone Accessories: TYLT MFI Lightning PowerBank & Wall Charger $6, more
iOS gamers! Don’t miss your chance to download ‘Train Conductor 2: USA’ for free (Reg. $3)
Green Deals: WORX 19-inch Electric Cordless Mower (refurb) $330 shipped (Reg. $400+), more
Load up on Altoids for less than $0.85 per tin (Reg. $1+/ea.)
Home Theater Audio: VIZIO 25-inch Sound Stand $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
Audio-Technica ATH-M40x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones $65 (Reg. $100)
T-Mobile’s latest offer delivers free MLB.TV Premium access to its customers
Fitbit Charge HR Activity Wristband w/OLED Display $100 shipped (Orig. $150)
Offload your spring yard work to Amazon and get a free gift card worth up to $60
The nimble SKEYE Nano drone has on-board camera: $50 (Orig. $69, CA Tax only)
Fashion: PUMA extra 20% off – tees from $10/sneakers from $29, more
Here’s how to get a 2-year sub to Car and Driver magazine for free (up to $25 value), more
Seagate Expansion 3TB Portable External USB 3.0 Hard Drive $90 shipped (Reg. $110+)
This War of Mine for iOS hits its lowest price ever: $4 (Reg. up to $15)
Seiki 42-inch 4K 60Hz LED UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI Inputs: $250 shipped (Reg. $369)
Media: Blu-rays from $10 – Paddington, Big Hero 6, more + iTunes movie bundles on sale
Ringke Samsung Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors from $4 (Reg. up to $11)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-inch Internal Solid-State Drive $270 (Reg. $305+)
Add 1800mAh of juice to your iPhone USB power block w/ NomadPlus for $15 (Orig. $40)
JBL OnBeat Rumble Boombox Bluetooth Speaker w/ Lightning Dock $125 (Orig. $400)
App Store Indie Game Sale 50% off: The Room Three, BADLAND 2, Mutant Mudds, more
Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop for iPhone/iPod goes free for the first time in months (Reg. $3)
TomTom for iPhone goes free for first 50 miles per month w/ new “GO Mobile” app
Hit the streets with Razor’s A Kick Scooter for $20 shipped (Reg. $30)
DJI Phantom 3 Standard Drone w/ 2.7K HD Camera: $439 shipped (Reg. $500+)
Pioneer’s Andrew Jones Speakers: Center Channel $70, Floor $91, Subwoofer $110, more
Certified refurb Mohu Leaf HDTV antenna deals from $10 Prime shipped
Grab the Hitman GO & Hitman Sniper iOS bundle for just $1 (up to $10 value)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

Sony’s PS4 Virtual Reality kit is finally ready for primetime this fall + exclusive titles announced

Turn your paper airplane into a first person virtual reality experience with PowerUP’s FPV kit
Philips introduces new ambient Hue Lights that automatically simulates the sun
WD’s new internal hard drive for Raspberry Pi brings 314GB of additional storage
LG releases a new line of 4K Super UHDTVs with HDR capabilities and big price tags
Rule this summer’s BBQ with Mark Dredge’s new Cooking with Beer guide
Canon’s best-selling DSLR steps aside for the new Wi-Fi-enabled Rebel T6
popSLATE’s second generation iPhone 6/s/Plus e-ink case drops the bulk for a slender design
LittleBits’ latest creation focuses on robotic kits and STEAM education
The new DODOcase Virtual Reality kit for iPhone and Android hits Indiegogo

Android gaming gets a boost w/ streaming game demos, indie apps collection, & gameplay recording/streaming

Abner Li Mar 14 2016 - 10:52 am PT

Google is announcing several big Android gaming updates at this year’s Game Developers Conference. A majority of them will be user facing, like app streaming and more social features in Play Games, while others will help developers market and add new features to their games.

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Chrome 49 for Android arrives w/ improved background sync, new APIs, nearby beacon notifications, & more

Jordan Kahn Mar 9 2016 - 3:31 pm PT

Chrome 49 for Android, which introduces improved background sync, new APIs, notifications for nearby smart beacons, and more, is today available to all users through Google’s public, stable release channel.

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Google Play Developer Console adds new tools to analyze user ratings and reviews

Abner Li Feb 26 2016 - 1:40 pm PT

Updates to the Google Play Developer Console will help developers gain a better insight on feedback left by users. Specifically, the new tools will help developers analyze app ratings and reviews.

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Several Brit Awards 2016 performances are now available for free on Google Play

Feb 26 2016 - 10:13 am PT

Google Play has some of the biggest performances from the 2016 Brit Awards for free. There are a total of 7 songs available from major artists including The Weeknd, Coldplay, Justin Bieber and even a special tribute to David Bowie featuring Lorde with David Bowie’s backing band. All of the freebies can be streamed or downloaded exclusively from Google Play:

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