Google Play Store makes app and games discovery easier than ever

After finally getting your shiny, new Pixel 11 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, you may want to quickly fill it with apps and games, but finding the right ones can often be a hit-or-miss. Google has been working on improving this experience with features like Ask Play for a while, but a new update to the Google Play Store makes things even more advanced.

Ask Play makes finding Google Play apps even easier

Google is updating the Ask Play feature of the Google Play Store, making it even easier to navigate the results. With the feature, you can get tailored recommendations based on natural language queries, and with today’s upgrade, you can also compare the apps in the results.

With the new feature, you can easily see details about the apps suggested by App Play and even get a comparison between the recommendations. Those include details about the connectivity, features, and monetization mode of each app, making it much easier to choose the right one.



The discovery features also extend outside Google Play, with the Play in Gemini feature, which brings app suggestions directly into Gemini conversations. The AI chatbot will soon start providing direct install links for apps, as well as deep links to content within apps, though it’s not clear when these features are launching. 

Google Play Store is fixing game discovery

Google also announced the new Game finder feature, which will initially be available only in English for users in the US, but it’ll expand to other markets soon. With it, you will be able to find games that match your taste.

At the core of it are the recommendations called Gamer DNA, which are based on your gameplay, ratings, and interests, as well as games, genres, mechanics, and other things you can specify. You’ll be able to see how players with similar Gamer DNA engaged with a game, alongside information like which of your friends is playing a specific title, user review summaries, and an overview of the reasons a certain game is trending.

Google is also introducing a Game Playlist feature allowing you to share curated collections of games. This will grow into a more social feature in the future, with shareable Game Playlists.

These features are way ahead of anything that’s available on the App Store. Apple is mostly relying on an editorial approach with the app and game recommendations for all its devices. Those include listicles on the Today tab of the App Store, as well as featured apps and updates, but hardly any personalization.

That’s a good use of AI

One thing AI is good at is parsing through massive amounts of data, and giving apps and games recommendations is usually based on exactly this. I’d love to try Google’s new features, even though I’d be wary of sponsored results.

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