Google will be making some changes to its Play Store in the coming months that should make it easier for users to find apps optimized for tablets and foldables.
According to Google, the Play Store three major updates for better findability of apps for large screen devices, such as tablets, folding systems, and Chrome OS computers. For example, Google is making adjustments for ranking and promoting these types of apps. The users with a tablet or Chromebook are then recommended those apps and they also appear prominently in search results. Apps of ‘high quality’ are given priority and Google clarifies the conditions to get that qualification for large screens, such as offering a landscape mode.
The app store also receives notifications for apps that do not meet the basic requirements for compatibility with large screens. The users of tablets and Chrome OS systems are warned in such a way that certain apps are not user-friendly in combination with their device. Google promises that more updates will follow in this area.
Finally, Google is adding the ability to display app reviews and ratings by device type in the Play Store. In addition to tablets, foldables and Chrome OS, this also concerns wearables and cars. Those reviews should then give the user an impression of how an app works on their device. Google has recently started paying more attention to Android on tablets, after that product category has been underexposed for years.