Google is rapidly rolling out its Gemini AI across the entire ecosystem, with the Play Store being the latest platform to receive a major update. This search giant has launched a significant enhancement to its Play Store, introducing a range of AI-powered features designed to make app discovery, content consumption, and gaming more personalized and engaging. According to the tech giant, this update aims to help users find apps, games, and other content faster by offering recommendations tailored to their interests.
One of the key features of the update is the new "You" tab, which acts as a personalized hub for every user. This tab consolidates user subscriptions, app usage, and rewards in one place, making it easier to keep track of everything. It also offers recommendations for apps, games, podcasts, audiobooks, and novels based on user preferences and activities. By understanding how users interact with various apps and media, the Play Store can suggest relevant new content and help users continue engaging with what they already use.
The company, led by Sundar Pichai, has also integrated its Gemini AI into the Play Store to enhance app discovery. This AI integration allows users to more easily compare similar apps and access AI-generated reviews and answers to frequently asked questions before installing any app. The feature also supports localized content recommendations—for instance, a cricket-focused hub in India that brings together apps, games, and media related to that topic in one convenient space.
Gaming is a special focus of this update, which introduces "Gemini Live," an AI assistant that provides real-time support during gameplay. This assistant can analyze in-game events and offer context-specific tips, display information about rewards and achievements, and respond to voice commands without interrupting gameplay.
The Play Store has also expanded its Google Play Games platform to PCs, enabling more than 200,000 games to be played across multiple devices. The update includes a redesigned "Apps" tab aimed at improving navigation. Smarter recommendation tools and interactive features help users discover apps more efficiently while encouraging developers to engage with their audiences through richer content like video previews and tutorials. This redesign complements the AI-driven enhancements, ensuring users not only find apps faster but also interact with them in more meaningful ways.
Despite these efforts and advancements, Google Play still faces controversies regarding its policies and practices. For example, in August 2025, the company overhauled its developer fee structure and rules in the European Economic Area (EEA), a move that drew strong criticism. Changes included adjustments to external promotion programs and the introduction of a tiered fee system, which some developers view as restrictive and potentially anti-competitive. Earlier in January 2025, Indonesia's antitrust authority fined Google approximately $12.4 million for requiring local developers to use its billing system, which was seen as unfair and limiting.
