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Google has a new way to call out poorly made Android apps
Google's plan to improve the Android experience involves more than just tweaking the operating system. It also requires developers to up the quality of their work, and now Google has a new way to warn app creators whose work isn't up to snuff. Long story short, if your app ranks in the bottom 25 percent when it comes to certain stability, battery or rendering metrics, you'll be hearing from the search giant through the developer console.
Play Store apps can offer introductory discounts on subscriptions
Subscription services have been on mobile devices for a while. Netflix, Hulu, Marvel Unlimited and others have made shelling out a few dollars a month part of our on-the-go digital lifestyle. But if developers who rely on that business model wanted to use the Android subscription feature they were stuck charging full price from day one. That's about to change.
Google gets better at spotting bogus Play Store app installs
It'd bad enough when you download a crummy Android app, but it's worse when you're tricked into installing that app thanks to fake installs and other tricks that make it seem more popular than it is. Google wants to fix that: it's deploying upgraded detection and filtering tech that should do a better job of catching installs meant solely to pump up an app's placement in the Play Store. Developers won't immediately get the boot if they're caught (rookie developer may not fully understand the rules), but those who make a habit of rigging the system could lose their app presence.
'Secure' apps in Google's Play Store are a crapshoot
Infosec Apple fanboys are not known for their empathy -- either for those who can't afford their holy high fetish of phone security (iPhone) or for those who simply can't stomach the ecosystem's mounting hypocrisies. But there's one thing on their side. Apple's App Store at least tries to curate product security, while Google's Play Store is like playing appsec Russian roulette.
Google brings Family Library sharing to the Play Store
The Google Play Store's rumored Family Library feature officially goes live today with expanded sharing options for all of your apps, movies, TV shows and books. With a little bit of setup, your Google Play Store purchases are now available across every device in your household.
Two more Chromebooks are ready to test Android apps
Nearly two months after Google confirmed the Play Store and more Android apps are coming to Chrome OS, it finally added support for the feature on some new hardware. The Acer Chromebook R11 and Chromebook Pixel have joined ASUS' Chromebook Flip -- where we recently gave Android apps a try -- with support as long as owners switch their devices to the dev channel. Naturally, it's all still early ahead of the real rollout later this year, but if you're a developer or curious user trying to find out how it works for yourself, they might be a couple of laptops you already own.
The Google Play Store family plan is reportedly ready to launch
Late last year, Google took its first step towards letting users share their purchased media with family members. The initial foray was a family plan for Google Play Music, which let multiple family members stream music for $14.99 a month. But now, it seems that Google is going to let users share movies, TV shows, book and apps as well. According to Gizmodo, Google's family plan will let you share all media purchased from the Play Store with five other family members, though purchased music isn't part of the deal. The family "manager" will be able to control what other members can access and what they won't be able to see.
Android apps will unlock the full potential of Chromebooks
For me, the most exciting announcement at Google I/O in May wasn't even mentioned in the opening-day keynote. During the second day of the conference, Google dropped some rather big news: The Play Store and Android apps will come to Chromebooks later this year. As someone who's been a big Chrome OS believer for years now, I was quite pleased at the notion of having more apps and better offline capabilities. It's just what the platform needs to fully move past its "glorified browser" reputation. While the Play Store won't officially come to Chromebooks until the fall, there is a way to give it a shot today. If you install the Chrome developer channel on the ASUS Chromebook Flip, you can try Android apps out now. I've spent the past few weeks seeing how much running Android on a Chromebook changes the experience of using the platform -- for good and for bad.
Google wants make it easier to craft apps that go big
The Google Play Store serves over a billion users globally a month, so the potential for an app to go big is nothing to sneeze at. Alas, the chances of that actually happening is a different story, which is why Google has released a bunch of updates to help developers craft apps to make more of an impact.
Google's Family Library will let Android users share apps
It's been a long time coming, but Android users will soon be able to share apps with other family members. Android Police reports that Google has begun notifying developers that Family Sharing, which lets up to six family members enjoy the same paid app, will be enabled by default from July 2nd, giving Android households the opportunity to enjoy similar perks to those with iPhones and iPads.
Spotify comes to Android TV
The Google I/O opening keynote might be over, but that doesn't mean there's any shortage of news from the developer event. Spotify, for one, has announced that it is expanding its reach to TVs and set-top boxes by launching a new Android TV app. It's exactly what you'd expect from a Spotify offering, in that it allows you to browse your tracks, albums and playlists, either with your Android TV remote or with the Spotify app thanks to Spotify Connect.
Google I/O schedule leaks info on Android apps for Chrome OS
It wasn't mentioned during today's keynote, but we're pretty sure that tomorrow we're going to hear about Google getting Android apps, and the Play Store running on Chrome OS. In a since-updated I/O calendar entry spotted by 9to5Google, the company said, "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!" In any case, this isn't a surprising development. Reports last year suggested that Google was working on merging Android and Chrome OS, and indeed, some Chromebook users have been seeing an option to enable the Play Store for some time now. While we wait for more details, developers at I/O have an incentive to arrive early: The first 50 are promised a free Chromebook for their trouble.
Google Play is getting a dedicated VR section
Google is unpacking a lot of virtual reality news at its I/O developer conference today, and to make sure you can discover that content easily, the company is adding a dedicated VR section in the Play Store. That virtual reality hub will serve up immersive mobile games from the likes of EA and Ubisoft, as well as video streaming from Netflix, Hulu and HBO Now, among other services. You'll be able to get news reports from USA Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNN with sports-related stuff from the MLB and NBA. Google's own photos, Play Movies, Street View and YouTube videos will work on the new Daydream VR platform as well.
Google Play makes it easier to test Android apps
It's not too hard to beta test an Android app, but the process still tends to involve jumping through a few hoops. You might need to visit the developer's website, for instance, or join a community. Thankfully, it's about to get downright trivial in the near future: Google is rolling out a Play Store update that lets you join (or leave) Android betas right from the regular app's listing. Certain tests may ask you to sign up for a Google+ community first, but you won't have to go scrounging for a beta-specific app entry or download an installer from a website.
Google will soon bring the Android Play Store to Chromebooks
Android apps in Chrome OS may already be a thing, but there really aren't that many available on the Chrome Web Store. That could soon change, however, as the search giant appears to be on the verge of launching the Play Store on Chrome OS, as evidenced in a new screenshot recently shared on Reddit.
Google helps Android app makers understand its rules
It's frustrating when a favorite Android app disappears from Google Play, but it's even worse when that happens due to a misunderstanding of the rules. Do you really want to lose access over an honest mistake? Google is taking steps to prevent that from happening in the future. It just overhauled its Developer Program Policy Center to make app guidelines easy to understand, reducing the chances that an app will get the boot.
Google's redesigned Play store starts rolling out
After being teased last week by Google engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, the redesigned Play store has apparently started showing up on some Android devices. Android Central says the new mobile shop for apps, books, music, movies and more, which features a simplified tab-based interface, hit one of its smartphones last night. We checked ours to no avail, so you shouldn't freak out if it's not on yours either. Now that it's out there for certain people, it won't be too long before everyone can begin using it. Patience is a virtue.
Google Play's pending redesign gets an early tease
While an app store redesign may not be the most exciting update, there are some pending tweaks to the Google Play store app that tidy things up a bit. Thanks to Google software engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, we have an early look at a few of the changes. Aside from some aesthetic polish and scrolling animations, Google is dividing the store into two main parts: Apps & Games and Entertainment. Google Play is currently divided into six categories that appear when you first open up the app, so reducing those down to two seems to simplify matters a bit. There's also support for languages that read right to left, based on some of the screenshots Grouchnikov uploaded to Google+. Unfortunately, there's no indication as to when Android users will receive the update. For now, you can see how the Google Play has evolved since its early days as Android market on the other side of the break.
Google gives your Android apps more room to breathe
Google just introduced a low-key change that could make a big, big impact on the Android apps you use. The search giant has doubled the maximum initial download size for apps from 50MB to 100MB, giving developers more headroom before they have to rely on post-install downloads like the ones you often see for large games. That will not only spare you from rude surprises when you're launching apps for the first time, but allow for more complex apps than were possible before.
Android app makers can experiment with Play Store listings
Those rumors of Google letting Android app developers experiment with what you see in the Play Store? Yes, they're true. Creators can now conduct tests to see what pricing works best, or whether one icon color is more alluring than others -- you'll only view one of each while the test is ongoing. Also, app makers are getting Developer Pages (shown above) that showcase all of their apps, so you'll have a one-stop shop for everything from your preferred brand. If all goes well, you'll find more Android apps with prices you're willing to pay, and you won't have to scrounge quite so much to get every app you need. Don't miss out on all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2015. Follow along at our events page.
