645 'Google Play' stories
March 2012 - November 2015
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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
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.
SoundCloud releases first app for creators with ‘Pulse’ for Android
SoundCloud, the music sharing and discovery community popular with independent musicians, is today releasing its first ever app specifically for creators with the release of SoundCloud Pulse for Android.
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Google Play Games app adds gameplay recording & sharing features
After adding gameplay recording features to mobile apps alongside its new YouTube Gaming platform launch earlier this month, Google is today updating its Google Play Games app for Android with similar features.
The update will allow users of the Play Games app to quickly hop into gameplay recording with the ability to share their own commentary simultaneously using their device’s front facing camera and microphone.
Google notes that the feature should come in handy for some of the content creators contributing to the roughly 144 billion minutes of gaming videos and live streams viewed on YouTube each month.
The updated Google Play Games app for Android is rolling out to users in the US and UK starting this week with users in other countries getting access in the near future.
Skype for Android adds video message filters, improvements to conversations & contacts
Skype is rolling out an update for its Android app today that introduces new video filters not unlike competitive video chat services.
The new filters can be applied to video messages with various effects to choose from, and you’ll also find some Halloween themed emoticons and filters to celebrate the occasion this month:
And lastly, Android users get a few welcomed improvements to conversations and contacts in the update, including:
The updated Skype for Android app is available on Google Play now.
Google will soon bring podcasts to Play Music
Google announced in a blog post today that it is finally bringing podcasts to its Google Play Music app. In order to make that happen, the company — now a subsidiary of Alphabet — has launched a tool for podcasters to upload their content.
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Popular MMORPG ‘Pocket MapleStory’ gets a worldwide release on Android
Developer of the popular PC game MapleStory has long had a mobile version of the game, Pocket MapleStory, but up until now there has only been a Korean version and a soft launch in select countries. Today the game officially comes to all users worldwide with a localized version for English players.
The mobile version of the game packs in the full side-scrolling MMORPG desktop experience including all 1,500 different quests, real-time online multiplayer functionality, and rich, colorful environments.
Android users are getting the game first with a release on Google Play for free, but with in-app purchases available for items and character customizations.
Developer NEXON Korea noted in its press release that the game already has “more than seven million downloads in Asia and has been the number one free game on both the App Store and Google Play in Korea and Taiwan.” The game is yet to get a worldwide release on iOS, but it will come to all users on the platform later this year.
Pocket MapleStory is available for Android users now on Google Play.
Glu’s ‘Sniper X’ first-person shooter stars Jason Statham for its latest celebrity tie-in
App publisher Glu today announced its latest game for Android, which is also its latest celebrity partnership with actor Jason Statham starring as the game’s main playable character. The free game is a first-person shooter that some players will notice bears a similarity and seems to borrow from some of Glu’s past FPS games including the Contract Killer series.
The celebrity tie-in, featuring Statham’s name, likeness, and voice, follows Glu’s successful “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” game that reports last year said was on pace to take in around $200 million.
Sniper X with Jason Statham is available on Google Play now for Android smartphones and tablets. The game is free to download but includes in-app purchases for in-game items, which is also the approach Glu took for the successful Kim Kardashian game.
Official trailer from Glu below:
[youtube=https://youtu.be/AYkwjYuly2U]
Google Play Store gets major redesign, adds fingerprint authorization in Android 6.0
A short while ago, Google revealed a new redesign for its mobile Play Store which, among other changes, would separate apps and entertainment content. From today, you could see that new design hit, and when it does, you won’t be able to miss it.
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YouTube Red is Google’s new $10/month ad-free subscription video streaming service
Not to be confused with (Red) Youtube or RedTube, Google announced a new streaming Netflix competitor today dubbed YouTube Red. The service will also include YouTube streaming music which is also Google Play Music all access which currently carries a $9.99/month price tag so the effective upgrade is $0 for streaming videos and much more…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 (unlocked) $430, Anker USB Solar Panel $50, more
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:
Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone 32GB (unlocked): $430 shipped (Reg. $600+) | eBay
Daily Deals: Anker Charger w/ 2-Port USB Solar Panel $50, Misfit Shine Activity and Sleep Monitor $50, more
Free MP3 Downloads: Greatest Hits from TLC, Muddy Waters, more plus Shakira Deluxe Edition
Turn your old system into a Bluetooth speaker with the Mpow Streambot for $16 Prime shipped (Orig. $36)
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 32 GB LTE GSM (unlocked): $570 shipped (Reg. $740) | eBay
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge 32 GB on Verizon (w/ two year contract): $50 shipped | Best Buy
HTC One M9 32 GB flash on Sprint (w/ two year contract): $1 shipped | Best Buy
More new gear from today:
Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts
More deals still alive:
Storage: Samsung 500GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $150 (Reg. $170), WD My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 Portable HDD $70 (Reg. $85)
New products & more:
Electric Jukebox doesn’t want to be Spotify or Chromecast, so what is it?
Yahoo releases redesigned Mail app for Android w/ Outlook, Hotmail, AOL Mail integration
Yahoo is rolling out an update to its Mail app for Android that introduces a refreshed design, as well as new features including smarter search, contacts management and rich compose. Alongside the updated app, Yahoo Mail is for the first time introducing account integration for third-party email services including Outlook.com, Hotmail, and AOL Mail.
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Support page leak reveals Google’s plans for upcoming ‘music gifts’
Android Police this evening has spotted a minor change to the Google Play support page for Play gift cards. The webpage has been changed to include a reference to something called “music gifts,” although it’s entirely unclear what they are at this point.
As Android Police suggests, it’s possible that this could be a way to gift people albums and songs on Play Music. It’s also possible that it will be a way to gift an actual Play Music All Access subscription for ‘x’ amount of months to other users. Whatever music gifts are, they will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
All of this is pure speculation at this point, however. Nevertheless, it seems likely that Google is preparing something to announce soon, given the change to its support page today.
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Google offering popular games like Monopoly & Need for Speed for just $0.10 [Update: More]
Google today has started a sale on the Play Store that offers a variety of popular games for just $0.10. Google is notorious for offering sales on apps at steep discounts and this time is no different. The company is offering games such as Monopoly, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and more for the small price of $.10.
13 popular games are included in the sale. The full list can be seen below:
You can view all of the above games on Google’s dedicated page for its $0.10 game sale here.
Update: The following games also appear to be getting the $0.10 treatment, although they aren’t listed on the dedicated page:
Latest Google Play Movies & TV app update makes binge watching shows even easier
Google today has updated its Play Movies & TV app to version 3.9 with a couple of new features and bug fixes. The standout new feature of the app with this update is a new feature called binge watch. Binge watch is a capability that will automatically plays the next episode in the season of a show a user is watching.
Once the credits of the show start to play at the end, a small thumbnail will appear in the lower right corer of the display with the number and title of the next episode, as well as a timer. Once the timer hits zero, the next episode will automatically begin to play. Users can also tap on the thumbnail to immediately jump to the next episode, or swipe right to stop autoplay (via Android Police).
Next up, the update improves the process of setting up a Roku device through the app. Users can now setup a Roke through a new “Connect a device” option in the Settings menu. Google also notes that the update adds support for Android 6.0 Marshmallow and includes a variety of bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.
The latest version of the Play Movies & TV app is available now on the Play Store.
Google launches Google Play Music All Access Family Plan w/ 6 users for $15 per month
Google has today launched a new Google Play Music All Access family plan at today’s September 29th event. This is a move to take on competitors like Spotify and Apple, and will allow users to use the service across 6 accounts for just about $15 per month…
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Google Play ups app size limit for devs from 50MB to 100MB
Google today announced that it’s increasing the size limit for apps on Google Play allowing developers to upload APK files (Android application package) up to 100MB in size. That’s up from the old limit of 50MB and will allow developers to push out bigger app packages without a warning to the user, which will now only appear when apps are over the 100MB quota.
While Google notes that the increase will help developers with rich apps or graphically intensive games that need a bigger app package, it also warns developers to keep in mind mobile data connectivity and caps, app performance, and install times for users.
Not much changes for users, however, as Google points out that auto-updating of apps will remain “over Wi-Fi only, enabling users to access higher quality apps and games while conserving their data usage.”
Developers can find out more here.
Report: Google to launch Google Play Music All Access family plan for $15/month
According to a new report out this morning from Android Police, Google is planning to launch a new Google Play Music All Access family plan at tomorrow’s event. This is a move to take on competitors like Spotify and Apple, and will allow users to use the service across 6 accounts for just about $15 per month…
And that’s pretty much all we know about it that this point. For quick comparison, Spotify’s family plans range between $15 and $30, with the lower end of that being for just two accounts. Apple Music, on the other hand, offers exactly the same deal that Google is planning to launch tomorrow — $15 a month for 6 users.
Tomorrow’s event is set to be packed with new Chromecasts, the new Nexus 5X and 6P, as well as other announcements. If you need to catch up, be sure to head over and read our full roundup, where we’ve outlined all the new products and features coming to Google’s product lineups.
Google Play services 8.1 now available for developers
Google just announced the rollout of Google Play services 8.1 for developers, introducing Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) permissions, app invites, ambient mode maps, the new Play Games Player Stats API, and more.
Among the more notable new features for developers in this release is support for the new permissions in Android Marshmallow, which we noted previously offer users precise control over app permissions on a case by case basis.
A new App Invites feature allows apps to integrate the ability for users to invite Google contacts from Android or iOS using email or SMS, while a new Play Games Player Stats API will let apps better customize the gameplay experience in relation to the player’s stats and actions.
Lastly, Google Play Services 8.1 brings the ambient mode for always-on apps on Android Wear to Google Maps and introduces Nearby Status Listener for Google Nearby allowing apps “to receive callbacks when an active Nearby publish or subscribe expires.”
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyODgiUZ_YE]
The Google Play services 8.1 SDK is available now for developers.
Google Play Newsstand reaches 1 billion installs on the Play Store
At this point it’s just about once a month that an app on the Play Store manages pass 1 billion installs. This month, the app to reach this milestone was Google Play Newsstand.
Not many apps have reached this number, and third-party apps from Facebook are the only outside of Google to do it. As you might expect, other popular Google-made apps like Google Maps and Gmail, alongside Hangouts, Play Music, and others, managed to pass the 1 billion mark a while ago.
Passing 1 billion installs isn’t very exciting for Play Newsstand considering the app comes pre-installed on most Android phones, but it’s worth noting that not all of Google’s stock apps have come anywhere close to this milestone. Google Docs, for example, which comes shipped on all Nexus devices and others, is only in the 50-100 million range.
Google Play gift cards are now available at five retail outlets in India
Google Play gift cards, a familiar sight at supermarkets across the United States, have now arrived in India. This comes a few months after Google first introduced prepaid vouchers in the country, and according to the official Google India blog, the new cards will be coming to a total of five retail outlets at launch…
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HTC throws some hot deals our way: One M9+$100 Google Play Cred: $486, $239 Nexus 9, Re: Cam $100, more
From 9to5Toys:
HTC is hosting a pretty good set of markdowns this morning at the company store.
If you are looking to get into HTC at a discount or add some kit to your current HTC setup, this might be a good time.
Download 10 tracks of Latin Vibes for free over at Google Play
Google Play has 10 tracks of Latin Vibes Free for a limited time. Just head on over and download the full album.
We can honestly say we are only familiar with one artist in this collection (I think you can guess who), but the price is just right.
9to5Toys Lunch Break: ASUS Chromebox $200, Samsung 64GB MicroSDXC card $19, more
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:
ASUS Chromebox 1.7GHz/4GB/16GB Desktop PC: $200 shipped (Reg. $230)
Samsung Storage: 64GB MicroSDXC $19 (Reg. $23+), 850 Pro 1TB SSD $420 (Reg. $450), more
Google Play offers free downloads of Sia’s 1000 Forms Of Fear album ($10 value)
Asus ZenWatch Android Wear Waterproof Smartwatch: $130 (Reg. $200)
Refurbished Samsung Gear Fit Watch: $54 shipped w/ code NEXTIME5 (Reg. $100) | A4C
Daily Deals: Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable Hard Drive $45, Photive Water Resistant Bluetooth Speaker $40, more
Blue Microphones: Yeti USB (silver or platinum) $85 shipped (Reg. $130), more
More new gear from today:
Brother Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax with AirPrint: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
More deals still alive:
Brand new FitBit Flex: $60 shipped (Reg. $100)
[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/642057385071255552 align=’center’]
New products & more:
A new Star Wars merchandise subscription service launches while Amazon discounts Force Awaken toys
The new Gamevice MFi game controllers will fit your iPad Air and iPhone 6s just right
Google Play Newsstand get sports information in latest update
Google Play Newsstand is definitely my least used Google Play app. That’s not saying much, though, because Google Play Music is really the only one that I use. Play Books, Play Games, and Play Movies might as well not exist in my eyes. That said, if you do use Newsstand, you might be interested in today’s new update. Within, you’ll find new support for sports scores for your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB teams…
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Android Wear and Moto 360 launching in China after strategic Mobvoi partnership
Android and Mobvoi have formed a ‘strategic partnership‘ to bring Android Wear to mainland China for the first time. This news comes days after revelations that Google is working to bring a tweaked version of Android and the Google Play Store to China. Negotiations have been difficult, and require compromises from Google, but with Android Wear officially landing, it signals the beginning of a much bigger focus on China than has been possible in recent years…
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