Newsletter
Google had plenty to say at Google I/O 2024 already. The keynote was packed, and Google will also be segmenting various other announcements today and tomorrow. Amongst everything else, Google has announced new ways for developers to attract and engage users on the Google Play Store, amongst other things.
Google Play to offer developers new ways to attract & engage users
Needless to say, this particular announcement is related to the Google Play Store. That is Google’s official app store for Android, and is one of the focuses of this year’s Google I/O. Well, it’s more or less the focus every year, as it’s a core Android service.
Google will now allow developers to be more specific with their store listings. They’ll be able to tailor those listings by search keywords, and even get suggested keywords. Google’s Gemini AI can use those suggested keywords to draft more impactful store listings.
The company is also expanding SD Console to all SDK providers. That way, app developers will have more data and tools to choose the best SDKs for their apps. Google is also placing new pre-submissions checks in place, they will “combine existing quality check into one place making it easier for developers to spot common policy and compatibility issues before the app goes live”.
The company is also boosting the security
The Mountain View giant is also boosting security. It is placing new protections in place to help app developers. Updates to the Play Integrity API will do just that, prevent them from attacks. The app access risk tool will also let developers know when a non-accessibility app is capturing the screen or controlling the device.
On top of all that, Google is improving cross-device discovery. The company said that listings for an app “will now show ratings and reviews specific to each device”. That was, users will know what experience to expect on each of their devices. You’ll also be able to filter by device type, of course.
Google has also announced that the Google Play Store will now automatically update price ranges to reflect currency fluctuations against the US dollar.