The Latest from Google Play: Q2 2024

Hi everyone,

Welcome to our second installment of The Latest! If you missed the inaugural edition, The Latest is our new quarterly update on the top announcements from Google Play, including product news, partnerships, programs, and more.

In this update, we have exciting announcements from Google I/O, including new features that empower developers to bring their ideas to life and build successful businesses and new ways to help people discover experiences they'll love. We’ve also leveled up our Play Points program with exciting perks and rewards, like exclusive early access to Squad Busters from Supercell and special prizes in the new Diamond Valley treasure hunt mini game in the US.

Without further ado, here’s the latest from Google Play.

Helping users discover content they’ll love 

We’re committed to helping users find more apps that they’ll love, and developers connect with the right audience. That’s why we're continuously providing tools that help developers reach their ideal users, personalize messaging to make it more relevant for different audiences, and create engaging experiences that drive downloads and retention.

Enhanced app store listings: More ways to reach the right audience

Developers can already tailor their app store listings to personalize how they showcase their apps to different user audiences. Now, they can also create listings based on what users are searching for. Tailoring listings by search keywords will help make the content more relevant. To help developers get started, Play Console can provide keyword suggestions and even generate suggested descriptions with Gemini models. For example, a recipe finder app can create different listings for users looking for kid-friendly recipes or vegetarian recipes.

AI-powered review highlights and FAQs: Helping users discover great apps faster

We’re expanding how we use AI to help users make well-informed install decisions. Our AI-generated review summaries help users quickly learn what makes an app or game special, right from their search results. Now, users in the US can also find these highlights on app detail pages. We’ve also heard positive user feedback about AI-powered FAQs on game detail pages, so we’re expanding this feature. Now for select apps, users in the US can also find these FAQs on the app’s detail page and search results when they’re searching for a specific app name.

Deep links: Enabling seamless web-to-app journeys

With deep links, developers can take users directly to a relevant page within an app. This helps increase engagement and connects users to the content that they’re interested in so we’ve also made it easier for developers to manage their deep links in the Play Console. Our latest deep link patching update allows developers to make quick changes or experiment with their deep links, without the need to publish a new app release.

Editorial recommendations: Curated for diverse interests

Our commitment to personalized discovery is reflected in our vast editorial initiatives, showcasing a wide spectrum of cultural moments, seasonal celebrations, and global events. Throughout May, we honored Asian and Pasifika Ancestry Month with curated collections of apps, books, and games created by the Asian and Pacific Islander community, featuring special events and spotlighting developers and authors of API descent. We also joined in the excitement around Taylor Swift's album release, the NBA playoffs, Songkran (Thai New Year) in Thailand, Golden Week in Japan, and celebrated Pride Month globally.

Seamless app discovery: Helping users enjoy apps across their devices

We know users often download and use apps across several different devices. Now, when users search for apps, we’ll also suggest relevant apps across different device types, making it easier for users to find and install, for example, a relevant TV app from their phone.

And, in case users forget to try an app they’ve downloaded recently, we’ll remind them about the app if they haven’t opened it within a day, and again if they haven’t opened it after a week.

Google Play Books: New ways to help users find their next favorite read

We announced several new Google Play Books features to help users find and enjoy great ebooks and audiobooks. Kids and families can browse a newly expanded selection of over 300 nonfiction ebooks in English available at no charge. We also announced our new Google Play Books channel on YouTube featuring thousands of audiobook previews, at no cost.

Continuing to make Play the best destination for games

We’ve continued to expand Google Play Points and Google Play Pass to new markets and offer exciting perks. We recently launched Play Points in Brazil and expanded Play Pass to Japan and Korea.

Google Play Points: Leveling up gaming & entertainment

We leveled up Google Play Points with new perks and rewards to connect users with experiences they’ll love — and the higher their status, the more they’ll unlock. Google Play Points members can get exclusive early access to new games, VIP experiences at gaming and entertainment events, and discover new ways to play and win.

Diamond, Platinum and Gold members in select markets recently received exclusive early access to play Squad Busters from Supercell. Play Points members can also use their points for special in-game items.

Following its earlier success in Korea and Japan, we launched a treasure hunt mini game, Diamond Valley, to Play Points members in the US. Available through July 15th, users can hunt for “diamonds” and use them to enter to win prizes like Pixel devices, Razer products, merchandise from favorite games, and more (terms apply).

Google Play Pass: Bringing even more value to customers and developers

Diamond, Platinum and Gold Play Points members in more markets, like India and Mexico, now have access to a 3 month extended free trial of Google Play Pass (terms apply).

We’re continually partnering with developers to add new games to our current catalog of over 1,000 titles in Play Pass. Many games supported by Play’s 2023 Indie Games Fund are now also available through Play Pass, including Farm vs. Aliens, Fighters of Fate, and Wind Peaks. We’ve also updated our developer reporting so that developers can better attribute Play Pass promotions in their earnings reports.

Driving global growth for app businesses with secure, frictionless payments for users

With over 2.5 billion users across 190+ markets, Google Play connects developers with a vast global audience. We continue to focus on improving the ability to offer monetized experiences across these markets by making it easier for users to make secure and seamless purchases.

Expanded payment options: More ways for users to pay for content

Our extensive payment method library, which includes over 300 local forms of payment in more than 65 markets, continues to grow.

• We enabled Pix in Brazil and Blik Banking Redirect in Poland, allowing millions of customers to use their preferred payment method.

• Users with Google family setup can now approve their child’s purchases on Android from any OS. Previously, these purchases could only be approved on Android devices.

• Starting in India, users can now ask a friend or family member outside their Google family group to make a purchase for them by sharing a payment link via text or email. New Internet Users (NIU) often rely on friends and family for help with app setup and digital payments. By introducing the "Ask someone else to pay" feature, we aim to lower barriers and enhance the convenience of digital gifting. Given the substantial NIU market, widespread usage of gift cards, and a prevailing culture of sharing financial credentials, we initially launched this feature in India before potential global expansion.

Optimized pricing: Helping developers determine the right local prices

An optimized price helps developers remain competitive and protects their apps from price arbitrage exploitation so we’ve continued to invest in tools to help developers make informed pricing decisions and maximize their revenue.

• To give developers more pricing flexibility, products on Google Play can now be priced as high as 999.99 US dollars or the local equivalent (excluding South Korea). This opens up new price points and the ability to optimize for users willing to pay for an ultra-premium experience.

• To ensure a fair purchasing experience for users across different markets, we’ve given developers more control to limit potential price arbitrage, where bad actors buy products at a lower price point in a different country than their own. Price arbitrage can hurt developers by making it harder to set fair prices, potentially causing them to lose money or avoid certain markets so we’ve enhanced the ability for developers to restrict users from purchasing products in a different country or region.

Enhanced purchase experiences: Simplifying the user journey

We’re making the purchase experience more seamless and convenient by giving users more guidance and flexibility, and giving developers the tools to fine-tune these experiences.

• Our new installment subscriptions feature empowers developers to offer flexible payment plans for long-term subscriptions, making their products more accessible to users in Brazil, France, Italy, and Spain who may be hesitant about large upfront costs. In our early access program, apps saw 8% more subscription sign-ups and 4% higher user spend.

• We now offer users the option to purchase in-game items on the Play Store on the web, in addition to the Play Store on their mobile device, creating another purchasing surface that benefits gamers and developers.

• We’ve added new badges to the Play Store such as “best selling,” “trending,” and “popular” to help guide users’ purchases and improve developers’ checkout performance.

• We also introduced the new Play Billing Lab app, which makes it easier for developers to thoroughly test features that improve the user experience for one-time purchases and subscriptions. The Lab allows developers to test their integration with Play's billing system, create test configurations without affecting real users, and experiment with country overrides and subscription lifecycle changes.

Boosting trust with safer, high-quality experiences

In April, we shared a recap of the many ways we worked to keep Google Play users safe in 2023. Since then, we’ve made even more updates designed to protect both users and developers, including updates to app management tools, enhanced user security, and proactive ways to safeguard user trust and business integrity.

Government app badging: Providing extra verification for trusted apps

We recently launched a new badge to accompany official government apps in the Play Store. Government badges are now available globally in over 100 countries worldwide, making it easier for users to identify government-operated apps. This feature adds an additional layer of protection on top of our policy which already prohibits apps with misleading descriptions or icons.

Data deletion details in Data safety section: Helping users stay in control

We’re made it easier for users to take action if they choose to delete an unwanted app account and the related data. Now, if an app enables account creation within the app, users will now see a “Data deletion” field in the app’s Data safety section of the app’s store listing. Developers are required to provide information and resources to help users manage app data and better understand the app’s deletion practices.

Strengthened guidance and review capabilities: Ensuring safe AI experiences

We’re committed to fostering a safe and innovative environment for apps with generative AI features. So in June, we gave developers more guidance on how to build responsibly and shared more information on how we’ve expanded our review capabilities over the past year to address these new complexities. For example, we’ve:

• Enhanced our review process with new technology like large language models to analyze app submissions and flag them for people on our global team to take a closer look.

• Strengthened our policy to require apps with generative AI features to give users a way to report offensive content.

This combination of human expertise and increased AI efficiency helps us improve the app review experience for developers and create a safer environment for everyone.

Google Play SDK Console: Partnering with SDK owners to build safer app experiences

We've been working on tools and solutions dedicated to SDKs, to help make them safer for apps and users.

• Recently, we opened up SDK Console to all SDKs, including open-source and smaller SDKs that weren’t supported before. Now, SDK providers of all categories and sizes, can gain valuable insights into SDK usage, identify and fix issues faster, and communicate directly with app owners through Play Console and Android Studio, enabling them to deliver higher quality, safer experiences for apps and users on Google Play.

• App developers can also now share crash or ANR data with SDK owners, and SDK owners can give guidance to app developers on how to fix crashes or errors in all affected apps in Android Studio and Play Console.

• In addition, developers will now also get emails and persistent alerts on the Policy status page when their app includes a non-compliant SDK version, helping developers take action and avoid enforcement actions caused by an underlying SDK they are using.

Enhanced app-release tools: Preventing surprises and streamlining launches

Our new pre-review checks feature streamlines app launches by consolidating quality checks into one easy-to-use interface. Developers can now proactively identify and resolve policy and compatibility issues before their app goes live. Additionally, the ability to discard unwanted releases in the "Not yet sent for review" stage reduces the risk of accidental updates.

Play Integrity API updates: New protections against unauthorized access

The Play Integrity API empowers developers to protect their app and their users against attacks, abuse, and unauthorized access. Developers using Play Integrity features may see up to 80% lower unauthorized usage compared to unprotected apps. We recently launched new features to help developers further defend users against security threats:

• Recent device activity lets developers detect and respond to devices that may show signs of automated traffic or an attack.

• App access risk verdict lets developers check if another app could be capturing the screen or controlling the device.

• Play Protect verdict lets developers check if there is any known malware on the user’s device.

Developers can use these verdicts to decide how their app should behave. For example, if a user is about to perform a sensitive action like transfer money, the developer could check the integrity verdict and ask the user to close screen sharing apps and turn on Play Protect to ensure they’re protected. If the user doesn’t meet the requirements, the developer could ask the user for additional verification before completing the payment or limit access to the feature.

Championing our global developer community

Our global developer community is the heart of Play. We're constantly seeking ways to celebrate their successes and provide the resources they need to reach their full potential.

#WeArePlay: Shining a spotlight on the global developer community

Last year, #WeArePlay went on a virtual tour of India, Europe and Japan to spotlight the stories of app and game founders. Now, we’re continuing our tour across the world with our next stop: Australia. From an app helping turtle conservation to a game you can never win, meet 50 founders building growing businesses on Google Play from all across the country.

We also continued to share more stories in our global series too, including one of my personal favorites featuring Zülal from Türkiye. Born with limited sight, she has been a power-user of visual assistive technologies since the age of 4. Now, she’s the founder of From Your Eyes - making apps using custom AI to help describe the world in detail for people like her.

And, to celebrate Pride Month in June, we’ve put a spotlight on four LGBTQ+ founders featured in #WeArePlay who designed and built tools to support the community — from dating apps to mental health platforms.

That’s it for our Q2 update from Google Play! We look forward to seeing developers at I/O Connect Bengaluru, where we’ll also be hosting a graduation ceremony for our Indie Games Accelerator class of 2024. I can’t wait to see how these updates empower developers to build even more amazing apps and games, giving users even more to explore and enjoy.

Until next time,

Sam Bright
VP & General Manager, Google Play