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Wikipedia

Google Play

Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating system and its derivatives, as well as ChromeOS, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit (SDK) and published through Google. Google Play has also served as a digital media store, offering games, music, books, movies, and television programs.[4] Content that has been purchased on Google Play Movies & TV and Google Play Books can be accessed on a web browser and through the Android and iOS apps.

Google Play
Screenshot
Google Play Store on Android
Developer(s)Google
Initial releaseOctober 22, 2008; 14 years ago (2008-10-22) (as Android Market)
March 6, 2012; 11 years ago (2012-03-06) (as Google Play)
Stable release(s) [±]
Android35.1.11 / March 30, 2023; 41 days ago (2023-03-30)[1]
Android TV33.5.16 / December 8, 2022; 5 months ago (2022-12-08)[2]
Wear OS33.2.42 / November 28, 2022; 5 months ago (2022-11-28)[3]
PlatformAndroid, Android TV, Wear OS, ChromeOS, Web
TypeDigital distribution, App store, Mobile game store, Video on demand, Ebook store

Online music store (closed in December 2020)

Websiteplay.google.com

Applications are available through Google Play either for free or at a cost. They can be downloaded directly on an Android device through the proprietary Google Play Store mobile app or by deploying the application to a device from the Google Play website. Applications utilizing the hardware capabilities of a device can be targeted at users of devices with specific hardware components, such as a motion sensor (for motion-dependent games) or a front-facing camera (for online video calling). The Google Play Store had over 82 billion app downloads in 2016 and over 3.5 million apps published in 2017,[5] while after a purge of apps, it is back to over 3 million.[6] It has been the subject of multiple issues concerning security, in which malicious software has been approved and uploaded to the store and downloaded by users, with varying degrees of severity.

Google Play was launched on March 6, 2012, bringing together Android Market, Google Music, Google Movies, and the Google eBookstore under one brand, marking a shift in Google's digital distribution strategy. Following their rebranding, Google has expanded the geographical support for each of the services. Since 2018, Google has gradually sunsetted the Play brand: Play Newsstand was rebranded as Google News in 2018; Play Music was discontinued in favor of YouTube Music in 2020; and Play Movies & TV was rebranded as Google TV in 2021.

Catalog content

Android applications

 
Global availability of Google Play

By 2017, Google Play featured more than 3.5 million Android applications.[5][7] After Google purged a lot of apps from the Google Play Store, the number of apps has risen back to over 3 million Android applications. As of 2017, developers in more than 150 locations could distribute apps on Google Play, though not every location supports merchant registration. Developers receive 85% of the application price, while the remaining 15% goes to the distribution partner and operating fees. Developers can set up sales, with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends.[8][9] Google Play allows developers to release early versions of apps to a select group of users, as alpha or beta tests.[9] Users can pre-order select apps (as well as movies, music, books, and games) to have the items delivered as soon as they are available.[10] Some network carriers offer billing for Google Play purchases, allowing users to opt for charges in the monthly phone bill rather than on credit cards.[11] Users can request refunds within 48 hours after a purchase.[12]

Games

At the Google I/O 2013 Developer Conference, Google announced the introduction of Google Play Games.[13] Google Play Games is an online gaming service for Android that features real-time multiplayer gaming capabilities, cloud saves, social and public leaderboards, and achievements. Its standalone mobile app was launched on July 24, 2013.[14]

Books

 
Global availability of Google Play Books

Google Play Books is an ebook digital distribution service. Google Play offers over five million ebooks available for purchase,[15] and users can also upload up to 1,000 of their own ebooks in the form of PDF or EPUB file formats.[16] As of January 2017, Google Play Books is available in 75 countries.[17]

Movies and TV shows

 
Global availability of Google TV

Google Play Movies & TV was a video on demand service offering movies and television shows available for purchase or rental, depending on availability.[18]

As of January 2017, movies are available in over 110 countries, while TV shows are available only in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.[17]

In October 2020, Google Play Movies & TV was renamed Google TV.

Google announced on March 22, 2022, that Google Play will remove Play Movies & TV from their store and will be moved to Google TV by May 2022.[19]

Play Pass

 
Global availability of Google Play Pass

On September 23, 2019, Google launched its Google Play Pass games and apps subscription service in the US.[20][21] As of September 2019, subscribers could access the games and apps without ads and in-app purchases. The program is invitation-only for app developers, who then can integrate the service into their existing apps.[22]

Device updates

Google introduced Project Mainline in Android 10, allowing core OS components to be updated via the Google Play Store, without requiring a complete system update.[23][24]

Android 10 supports updates for core OS components including:

  • Security: Media Codecs, Media Framework Components, DNS Resolver, Conscrypt
  • Privacy: Documents UI, Permission Controller, ExtServices
  • Consistency: Time zone data, ANGLE (developers opt-in), Module Metadata, Networking components, Captive Portal Login, Network Permission Configuration[23]

On December 4, 2019, Qualcomm announced their Snapdragon 865 supports GPU drivers updated via the Google Play Store. This feature was initially introduced with Android Oreo but vendors had not added support yet.[25]

Teacher Approved

In 2020, Google launched a new children-focused 'Teacher Approved' section for the Google Play Store. Apps marked as 'Teacher Approved' meet higher standards approved for educational purposes.[26][27]

History

 
Former Google Play logo, 2012

Google Play (previously styled Google play) originated from three distinct products: Android Market, Google Music and Google eBookstore.[28]

Android Market was announced by Google on August 28, 2008,[29][30] and was made available to users on October 22.[31][32] In December 2010, content filtering was added to Android Market, each app's details page started showing a promotional graphic at the top, and the maximum size of an app was raised from 25 megabytes to 50 megabytes.[33][34][35] The Google eBookstore was launched on December 6, 2010, debuting with three million ebooks, making it "the largest ebooks collection in the world".[36] In November 2011, Google announced Google Music, a section of the Google Play Store offering music purchases.[37][38] In March 2012, Google increased the maximum allowed size of an app by allowing developers to attach two expansion files to an app's basic download; each expansion file with a maximum size of 2 gigabytes, giving app developers a total of 4 gigabytes.[39][40] Also in March 2012, Android Market was re-branded as Google Play.[41][42][43]

The Google Play Store, including all Android apps, came to ChromeOS in September 2016.[44][45]

In May 2021, Google Play announced plans to implement a new section with privacy information for all applications in its storefront. The project is similar to App Store's privacy labels and is expected to be released in full in the first half of 2022. The feature will show users what kind of information each app collects, whether the data it stores is encrypted and whether users can opt out of being tracked by the application.[46]

Music

 
Global availability of Google Play Music

Google Play Music was a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker. It features over 40 million songs,[47] and gives users free cloud storage of up to 50,000 songs.[48]

As of May 2017, Google Play Music was available in 64 countries.[17]

In June 2018, Google announced plans to shut down Play Music by 2020 and offered users to migrate to YouTube Music, migration to Google Podcasts was announced in May 2020.[49][50] In October 2020, the music store for Google Play Music was shutdown.[51] Google Play Music was shut down in December 2020 and was replaced by YouTube Music and Google Podcasts.[4]

News publications and magazines

 
Global availability of Google Play Newsstand

Google Play Newsstand was a news aggregator and digital newsstand service offering subscriptions to digital magazines and topical news feeds.[52] Google released Newsstand in November 2013, combining the features of Google Play Magazines and Google Currents into a single product.[53]

As of January 2017, the basic Newsstand service, was available worldwide. As of 2017, paid Newsstand content was available in more than 35 countries.[citation needed]

On May 15, 2018, the mobile app merged with Google News & Weather to form Google News. The Newsstand section continued to appear on the Google Play website until November 5, 2018, but now is only available through the Google News app.[54]

Devices

Until March 2015, Google Play had a "Devices" section for users to purchase Google Nexus devices, Chromebooks, Chromecasts, other Google-branded hardware, and accessories. A separate online hardware retailer called the Google Store was introduced on March 11, 2015, replacing the Devices section of Google Play.[55][56]

User interface

Apart from searching for content by name, apps can also be searched through keywords provided by the developer.[57] When searching for apps, users can press on suggested search filters, helping them to find apps matching the determined filters.[58] For the discoverability of apps, Google Play Store consists of lists featuring top apps in each category, including "Top Free", a list of the most popular free apps of all time; "Top Paid", a list of the most popular paid apps of all time; "Top Grossing", a list of apps generating the highest amounts of revenue; "Trending Apps", a list of apps with recent installation growth; "Top New Free", a list of the most popular new free apps; "Top New Paid", a list of the most popular new paid apps; "Featured", a list of new apps selected by the Google Play team; "Staff Picks", a frequently-updated list of apps selected by the Google Play team; "Editors' Choice", a list of apps considered the best of all time; and "Top Developer", a list of apps made by developers considered the best.[59] In March 2017, Google added a "Free App of the Week" section, offering one normally-paid app for free.[60][61] In July 2017, Google expanded its "Editors' Choice" section to feature curated lists of apps deemed to provide good Android experiences within overall themes, such as fitness, video calling and puzzle games.[62][63]

Google Play enables users to know the popularity of apps, by displaying the number of times the app has been downloaded. The download count is a color-coded badge, with special color designations for surpassing certain app download milestones, including grey for 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 downloads, blue for 10,000 and 50,000 downloads, green for 100,000 and 500,000 downloads, and red/orange for 1 million, 5 million, 10 million and 1 billion downloads.[64][65]

Users can submit reviews and ratings for apps and digital content distributed through Google Play, which are displayed publicly. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale. App developers can respond to reviews[66] using the Google Play Developer Console.[67]

Design

Google has redesigned Google Play's interface on several occasions. In February 2011, Google introduced a website interface for the then-named Android Market that provides access through a computer.[68] Applications purchased are downloaded and installed on an Android device remotely, with a "My Market Account" section letting users give their devices a nickname for easy recognition.[69] In May 2011, Google added new application lists to Android Market, including "Top Paid", "Top Free", "Editor's Choice", "Top Grossing", "Top Developers", and "Trending".[70][71] In July, Google introduced an interface with a focus on featured content, more search filters, and (in the US) book sales and movie rentals.[72] In May 2013, a redesign to the website interface matched the then-recently redesigned Android app.[73] In July 2014, the Google Play Store Android app added new headers to the Books/Movies sections, a new Additional Information screen offering a list featuring the latest available app version, installed size, and content rating, and simplified the app permissions prompt into overview categories.[74] A few days later, it got a redesign consistent with the then-new Material Design design language,[75][76] and the app was again updated in October 2015 to feature new animations, divide up the content into "Apps and Games" and "Entertainment" sections, as well as added support for languages read right-to-left.[77][78][79] In April 2016, Google announced a redesign of all the icons used for its suite of Play apps, adding a similar style and consistent look.[80][81] In May 2017, Google removed the shopping bag from the Google Play icon, with only the triangle and associated colors remaining.[82][83] In March 2018, Google experimented by changing the format of the screenshots used for the App pages from the WebP format to PNG but reverted the change after it caused the images to load more slowly. The update also saw small UI tweaks to the Google Play Store site with the reviews section now opening to a dedicated page and larger images in the light box viewer.[84][85] In July 2022, Google announced a new logo for the Google Play Store that is more uniform in color with other Google services.[86]

Google Play Instant Apps

Launched in 2017, Google Play Instant, also known as Google Instant Apps, allows a user to use an app or game without installing it first.[87][88]

App monetization

Google states in its Developer Policy Center that "Google Play supports a variety of monetization strategies to benefit developers and users, including paid distribution, in-app products, subscriptions, and ad-based models", and requires developers to comply with the policies in order to "ensure the best user experience". It requires that developers charging for apps and downloads through Google Play must use Google Play's payment system. In-app purchases unlocking additional app functionality must also use the Google Play payment system, except in cases where the purchase "is solely for physical products" or "is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players)."[89] Support for paid applications was introduced on February 13, 2009, for developers in the United States and the United Kingdom,[90] with support expanded to an additional 29 countries on September 30, 2010.[91] The in-app billing system was originally introduced in March 2011.[92] All developers on Google Play are required to feature a physical address on the app's page in Google Play, a requirement established in September 2014.[93]

In February 2017, Google announced that it would let developers set sales for their apps, with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends. Google also announced that it had made changes to its algorithms to promote games based on user engagement and not just downloads. Finally, it announced new editorial pages for what it considers "optimal gaming experiences on Android", further promoting and curating games.[94][8][9]

Payment methods

 
Picture of Google Play Gift Card

Google allows users to purchase content with credit or debit cards, carrier billing, gift cards, or through PayPal.[95] Google began rolling out carrier billing for purchases in May 2012,[11][96] followed by support for PayPal in May 2014.[97][98]

Gift cards

The rumor of Google Play gift cards started circulating online in August 2012 after references to it were discovered by Android Police in the 3.8.15 version update of the Google Play Store Android app.[99] Soon after, images of the gift cards started to leak,[100] and on August 21, 2012, they were made official by Google and rolled out over the next few weeks.[101][102]

As of April 2023 Google Play gift cards are available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.[103]

Subscriptions

Google introduced in-app subscriptions to Google Play in May 2012.[104][105] In June 2016, some sources reported that Google announced that subscriptions charged through Google Play would now split the revenue 85/15, where developers receive 85% of revenue and Google takes 15%, a change from the traditional 70/30 split in years prior. The move followed Apple's then-recently announced change of the same model, although commentators were quick to point out that while Apple grants the 85/15 revenue share after one year of active subscriptions, Google's subscription change takes effect immediately.[106][107][108] As of January 1, 2018, the transaction fee for subscription products decreased to 15% for any subscribers developers retain after 12 paid months,[109] establishing that, unlike what sources were reporting, Google is using the same model as Apple with in-app subscriptions on the App Store.

Google Play Store on Android

Google Play Store
Developer(s)Google
Initial releaseOctober 22, 2008; 14 years ago (2008-10-22)
Operating systemAndroid
TypeDigital distribution, App store
Websiteplay.google.com  
 
Get it on Google Play badge

Google Play Store, shortened to Play Store on the Home screen and App screen, is Google's official pre-installed app store on Android-certified devices. It provides access to content on Google Play, including apps, books, magazines, music, movies, and television programs.[110] Devices do not ship with the Google Play Store in China, with manufacturers offering their own alternative.[111]

Google Play Store filters the list of apps to those compatible with the user's device. Developers can target specific hardware components (such as compass), software components (such as widget), and Android versions (such as 7.0 Nougat).[112] Carriers can also ban certain apps from being installed on users' devices, for example tethering applications.[113]

There is no requirement that Android applications be acquired using the Google Play Store. Users may download Android applications from a developer's website or through a third-party app store alternative.[114] Google Play Store applications are self-contained Android Package files (APK), similar to .exe files to install programs on Microsoft Windows computers.[115] On Android devices, an "Unknown sources" feature in Settings allows users to bypass the Google Play Store and install APKs from other sources.[116] Depending on developer preferences, some apps can be installed to a phone's external storage card.[117]

Installation history

The Google Play Store app features a history of all installed apps. Users can remove apps from the list, with the changes also synchronizing to the Google Play website interface, where the option to remove apps from the history does not exist.[118]

Compatibility

Google publishes the source code for Android through its "Android Open Source Project", allowing enthusiasts and developers to program and distribute their own modified versions of the operating system. However, not all these modified versions are compatible with apps developed for Google's official Android versions. The "Android Compatibility Program" serves to "define a baseline implementation of Android that is compatible with third-party apps written by developers". Only Android devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements may install and access the Google Play Store application. As stated in a help page for the Android Open Source Project, "Devices that are "Android compatible" may participate in the Android ecosystem, including Android Market; devices that don't meet the compatibility requirements exist outside that ecosystem. In other words, the Android Compatibility Program is how we separate "Android compatible devices" from devices that merely run derivatives of the source code. We welcome all uses of the Android source code, but only Android compatible devices—as defined and tested by the Android Compatibility Program—may participate in the Android ecosystem."[119]

Since August 2019, all new and updated Google Play apps must have 64-bit binaries, with some exceptions. Since August 2021, Google Play will not serve apps that only have 32-bit binaries to devices compatible with 64-bit apps. This requirement does not apply to Android TV or Wear OS apps.[120][121]

Google Play Services

In 2012, Google began decoupling certain aspects of its Android operating system (particularly its core applications) so they could be updated through the Google Play store independently of the OS. One of those components, Google Play Services, is a closed-source system-level process providing APIs for Google services, installed automatically on nearly all devices running Android 2.2 "Froyo" and higher. With these changes, Google can add new system functionality through Play Services and update apps without having to distribute an upgrade to the operating system itself.[122] As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 "Jelly Bean" contained relatively fewer user-facing changes, focusing more on minor changes and platform improvements.[123]

History of app growth

Year Month Applications available Downloads to date
2009 March 2,300[124]
December 16,000[125]
2010 March 30,000[126]
April 38,000[127]
July 70,000[128]
September 80,000[129]
October 100,000[130]
2011 April 3 billion[131]
May 200,000[132] 4,5 billion[132]
July 250,000[133] 6 billion[133]
October 500,000[134][135]
December 10 billion[136]
2012 April 15 billion[137]
June 600,000[138] 20 billion[138]
September 675,000[139] 25 billion[139]
October 700,000[140]
2013 May 48 billion[141]
July 1 million[142] 50 billion[142]
2016 82 billion[143]
2017 February 2.7 million[7]

Google Play Awards and yearly lists

In April 2016, Google announced the Google Play Awards, described as "a way to recognize our incredible developer community and highlight some of the best apps and games". The awards showcase five nominees across ten award categories, and the apps are featured in a dedicated section of Google Play. Google stated that "Nominees were selected by a panel of experts on the Google Play team based on criteria emphasizing app quality, innovation, and having a launch or major update in the last 12 months", with the winners announced in May.[144][145]

Google has also previously released yearly lists of apps it deemed the "best" on Google Play.[146][147]

On March 6, 2017, five years after Google Play's launch, Google released lists of the best-selling apps, games, movies, music, and books over the past five years.[148][149]

In June 2017, Google introduced "Android Excellence", a new editorial program to highlight the apps deemed the highest quality by the Google Play editors.[150][151]

In 2020, Google Play awarded Disney+ as the top app of the year for users in the US, and SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off taking the honors in the gaming category.[152]

Application approval

Google places some restrictions on the types of apps that can be published, in particular not allowing sexually explicit content, child endangerment, violence, bullying & harassment, hate speech, gambling, illegal activities, and requiring precautions for user-generated content.[153]

In March 2015, Google disclosed that over the past few months, it had been begun using a combination of automated tools and human reviewers to check apps for malware and terms of service violations before they are published in the Google Play Store. At the same time, it began rolling out a new age-based ratings system for apps and games, based on a given region's official ratings authority (for example, ESRB in the US).[154][155][156]

In October 2016, Google announced a new detection and filtering system designed to provide "additional enhancements to protect the integrity of the store". The new system is aimed to detect and filter cases where developers have been attempting to "manipulate the placement of their apps through illegitimate means like fraudulent installs, fake reviews, and incentivized ratings".[157][158][159]

In April 2019, Google announced changes to the store's app review process, stating that it would take several days to review app submissions from new and less-established developers.[160] The company later clarified that, in exceptional cases, certain apps may be subject to an expanded review process, delaying publication by seven days or longer.[161][162]

Application bans

Some mobile carriers can block users from installing certain apps. In March 2009, reports surfaced that several tethering apps were banned from the store.[163] However, the apps were later restored, with a new ban preventing only T-Mobile subscribers from downloading the apps. Google released a statement:[164]

On Monday, several applications that enable tethering were removed from the Android Market catalog because they were in violation of T-Mobile's terms of service in the US. Based on Android's Developer Distribution Agreement (section 7.2), we remove applications from the Android Market catalog that violate the terms of service of a carrier or manufacturer. We inadvertently unpublished the applications for all carriers, and today we have corrected the problem so that all Android Market users outside the T-Mobile US network will now have access to the applications. We have notified the affected developers.

In April 2011, Google removed the Grooveshark app from the store due to unspecified policy violations. CNET noted that the removal came "after some of the top music labels have accused the service of violating copyright law".[165] TechCrunch wrote approximately two weeks later that Grooveshark had returned to Android, "albeit not through the official App Market", but rather "Playing on Android's ability to install third-party applications through the browser, Grooveshark has taken on the responsibility of distributing the application themselves".[166]

In May 2011, Google banned the account of the developer of several video game emulators. Neither Google nor the developer publicly revealed the reason for the ban.[167]

In March 2013, Google began to pull ad blocking apps from the Google Play Store, per section 4.4 of the developers' agreement, which prohibits apps that interfere with servers and services.[168]

Apps that exempt themselves from power management policies introduced on Android Marshmallow without being "adversely affected" by them, are banned.[169][170]

In July 2018, Google banned additional categories of apps, including those that perform cryptocurrency mining on-device, apps that "facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories", are only used to present ads, contain adult content but are aimed towards children, "multiple apps with highly similar content and user experience," and "apps that are created by an automated tool, wizard service, or based on templates and submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons."[171]

In 2022, two Iranian state supported ridesharing apps and three messenger apps were deleted through Play Protect for being malware and spyware.[172][173]

Application security

In February 2012, Google introduced a new automated antivirus system, called Google Bouncer, to scan both new and existing apps for malware (e. g. spyware or trojan horses).[174][175] In 2017, the Bouncer feature and other safety measures within the Android platform were rebranded under the umbrella name Google Play Protect, a system that regularly scans apps for threats.[176][177]

Android apps can ask for or require certain permissions on the device, including access to body sensors, calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS, storage, WI-FI, and access to Google accounts.[178]

In July 2017, Google described a new security effort called "peer grouping", in which apps performing similar functionalities, such as calculator apps, are grouped together and attributes compared. If one app stands out, such as requesting more device permissions than others in the same group, Google's systems automatically flag the app and security engineers take a closer inspection. Peer grouping is based on app descriptions, metadata, and statistics such as download count.[179][180]

Security issues

In early March 2011, DroidDream, a trojan rootkit exploit, was released to the then-named Android Market in the form of several free applications that were, in many cases, pirated versions of existing priced apps. This exploit allowed hackers to steal information such as IMEI and IMSI numbers, phone model, user ID, and service provider. The exploit also installed a backdoor that allowed the hackers to download more code to the infected device.[181] The exploit only affected devices running Android versions earlier than 2.3 "Gingerbread".[182] Google removed the apps from the Market immediately after being alerted,[183] but the apps had already been downloaded more than 50,000 times, according to Android Police's estimate.[181] Android Police wrote that the only method of removing the exploit from an infected device was to reset it to a factory state, although community-developed solutions for blocking some aspects of the exploit were created.[183] A few days later, Google confirmed that 58 malicious apps had been uploaded to Android Market, and had been downloaded to 260,000 devices before being removed from the store.[184] Google emailed affected users with information that "As far as we can determine, the only information obtained was device-specific (IMEI/IMSI, unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices, and the version of Android running on your device)" as opposed to personal data and account information.[184] It also announced the then-new "remote kill" functionality, alongside a security update, that lets Google remotely remove malicious apps from users' devices.[184] However, days later, a malicious version of the security update was found on the Internet, though it did not contain the specific DroidDream malware.[185] New apps featuring the malware, renamed DroidDream Light, surfaced the following June, and were also removed from the store.[186]

At the Black Hat security conference in 2012, security firm Trustwave demonstrated their ability to upload an app that would circumvent the Bouncer blocker system. The application used a JavaScript exploit to steal contacts, SMS messages, and photos, and was also capable of making the phone open arbitrary web pages or launch denial-of-service attacks. Nicholas Percoco, senior vice president of Trustwave's SpiderLabs advanced security team, stated that "We wanted to test the bounds of what it's capable of". The app stayed on Google Play for more than two weeks, being repeatedly scanned by the Bouncer system without detection, with Percoco further saying that "As an attack, all a malware attacker has to do to get into Google Play is to bypass Bouncer". Trustwave reached out to Google to share their findings, but noted that more manual testing of apps might be necessary to detect apps using malware-masking techniques.[187][188]

According to a 2014 research study released by RiskIQ, a security services company, malicious apps introduced through Google Play increased 388% between 2011 and 2013, while the number of apps removed by Google dropped from 60% in 2011 to 23% in 2013. The study further revealed that "Apps for personalizing Android phones led all categories as most likely to be malicious".[189][190] According to PC World, "Google said it would need more information about RiskIQ's analysis to comment on the findings."[191]

In October 2016, Engadget reported about a blog post named "Password Storage in Sensitive Apps" from freelance Android hacker Jon Sawyer, who decided to test the top privacy apps on Google Play.[192] Testing two applications, one named "Hide Pictures Keep Safe Vault" and the other named "Private Photo Vault", Sawyer found significant errors in password handling in both, and commented, "These companies are selling products that claim to securely store your most intimate pieces of data, yet are at most snake oil. You would have near equal protection just by changing the file extension and renaming the photos."[193][194]

In April 2017, security firm Check Point announced that a malware named "FalseGuide" had been hidden inside approximately 40 "game guide" apps in Google Play.[195] The malware is capable of gaining administrator access to infected devices, where it then receives additional modules that let it show popup ads. The malware, a type of botnet, is also capable of launching DDoS attacks.[196][195] After being alerted to the malware, Google removed all instances of it in the store,[196] but by that time, approximately two million Android users had already downloaded the apps, the oldest of which had been around since November 2016.[195]

In June 2017, researchers from the Sophos security company announced their finding of 47 apps using a third-party development library that shows intrusive advertisements on users' phones. Even after such apps are force-closed by the user, advertisements remain. Google removed some of the apps after receiving reports from Sophos, but some apps remained. When asked for comment, Google didn't respond.[197] In August 2017, 500 apps were removed from Google Play after security firm Lookout discovered that the apps contained an SDK that allowed for malicious advertising. The apps had been collectively downloaded over 100 million times, and consisted of a wide variety of use cases, including health, weather, photo-editing, Internet radio and emoji.[198][199]

In all of 2017, over 700,000 apps were banned from Google Play due to abusive contents; this is a 70% increase over the number of apps banned in 2016.[200]

In March 2020, Check Point discovered 56 apps containing a malware program that had infected a total of 1 million devices. The program, called Tekya, was designed to evade detection by Google Play Protect and VirusTotal and then fraudulently click on ads. Around the same time, Dr. Web discovered at least six apps with 700,000 total downloads containing at least 18 modifications program called Android.Circle.1. In addition to performing click fraud, Android.Circle.1 can also operate as adware and perform phishing attacks.[201]

On July 1, 2021, Dr. Web discovered malicious apps on Google Play that steal Facebook users' logins and passwords. Their specialists uncovered 9 trojans that were available on Google Play Store with over 5.8 million installs among them. The apps tricked victims into logging into their Facebook accounts and hijacked the credentials via JavaScript code.[202] Google removed these apps later on.[203]

On September 29, 2021, Zimperium zLabs recently discovered a large-scale malware campaign has infected more than 10 million Android devices from over 70 countries and likely stole hundreds of millions from its victims by subscribing to paid services without their knowledge. GriftHorse, the trojan used in these attacks, was discovered by researchers who first spotted this illicit global premium services campaign. This campaign has been active for roughly five months, between November 2020 and April 2021, when their malicious apps were last updated. The malware was delivered using over 200 trojanized Android applications delivered through Google's official Play Store and third-party app stores. Google has removed the apps after being notified of their malicious nature but this malware are still available for download on third-party repositories.[204]

On November 30, 2021, ThreatFabric, researchers explain how they discovered four different malware dropper campaigns distributing banking trojans on the Google Play Store. This evolution includes creating small realistic-looking apps that focus on common themes such as fitness, cryptocurrency, QR codes, and PDF scanning to trick users into installing the app. Once these "dropper" apps are installed, they will silently communicate with the threat actor's server to receive commands. When ready to distribute the banking trojan, the threat actor's server will tell the installed app to perform a fake "update" that "drops" and launches the malware on the Android device.[205]

Patent issues

Some developers publishing on Google Play have been sued for patent infringement by "patent trolls", people who own broad or vaguely worded patents that they use to target small developers. If the developer manages to successfully challenge the initial assertion, the "patent troll" changes the claim of the violation in order to accuse the developer of having violated a different assertion in the patent. This situation continues until the case goes into the legal system, which can have substantial economic costs, prompting some developers to settle.[206] In February 2013, Austin Meyer, a flight simulator game developer, was sued for having used a copy-protection system in his app, a system that he said "Google gave us! And, of course, this is what Google provides to everyone else that is making a game for Android!" Meyer claimed that Google would not assist in the lawsuit, and he stated that he would not settle the case.[207] His battle with the troll continued for several years, uploading a video in June 2016 discussing that he was then being sued for uploading his app to Google Play, because "the patent troll apparently owns the idea [sic] of the Google Play Store itself".[206] Android Authority wrote that "This scenario has played out against many other app developers for many years", and have prompted discussions over "a larger issue at stake", in which developers stop making apps out of fear of patent problems.[206]

Availability

Users outside the countries/regions listed below only have access to free apps and games through Google Play.

Country/region Paid apps and games Devices[208] Magazines[17] Books[17] Google TV[17]
Customers can purchase[209] Developers can sell[210] Google Play Pass[21] Movies TV shows
  Albania Yes Yes No No No No Yes No
  Algeria Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Angola Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Antigua and Barbuda Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Argentina Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Armenia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Aruba Yes No No No No No Yes No
  Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Austria Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Azerbaijan Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Bahamas Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Bahrain Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Bangladesh Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Barbados Yes No No No No No No No
  Belarus Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Belgium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Belize Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Benin Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Bermuda Yes No No No No No No No
  Bhutan No Yes No No No No No No
  Bolivia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes No No No No No Yes No
  Botswana Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Brazil Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  British Virgin Islands Yes No No No No No No No
  Brunei No Yes No No No No No No
  Bulgaria Yes Yes Yes No No No No No
  Burkina Faso Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Burundi No Yes No No No No Yes No
  Cambodia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Cameroon Yes No No No No No No No
  Canada Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Cape Verde Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Cayman Islands Yes No No No No No No No
  Central African Republic Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Chad Yes No No No No No No No
  Chile Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  China No Yes No No No No No No
  Colombia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  Comoros Yes No No No No No No No
  Democratic Republic of the Congo Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Republic of the Congo Yes No No No No No No No
  Costa Rica Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Croatia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Cyprus Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Czech Republic Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Denmark Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Djibouti Yes No No No No No No No
  Dominica Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Dominican Republic Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Ecuador Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Egypt Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Equatorial Guinea No Yes No No No No No No
  El Salvador Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Eritrea Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Estonia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Eswatini No Yes No No No No No No
  Fiji Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Finland Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  France Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Gabon Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Gambia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Georgia Yes No No No No No No No
  Germany Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Ghana Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Greece Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Grenada Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Guatemala Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Guinea Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Guinea-Bissau Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Guyana No Yes No No No No No No
  Haiti Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Honduras Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Hong Kong Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No
  Hungary Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Iceland Yes Yes No No No No Yes No
  India Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Indonesia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Iraq Yes No No No No No No No
  Ireland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Israel Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Italy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Ivory Coast Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Jamaica Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Japan Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Jordan Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Kazakhstan Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Kenya Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Kiribati No Yes No No No No No No
  Kuwait Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Kyrgyzstan Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Laos Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Latvia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Lebanon Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Lesotho No Yes No No No No No No
  Liberia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Libya Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Liechtenstein Yes No Yes No No No No No
  Lithuania Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Luxembourg Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Macau Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Malawi No Yes No No No No No No
  Malaysia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Maldives Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Mali Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Malta Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Mauritania No Yes No No No No No No
  Mauritius Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Federated States of Micronesia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Moldova Yes Yes No No No No Yes No
  Monaco Yes No No No No No No No
  Mongolia No Yes No No No No No No
  Morocco Yes No No No No No No No
  Mozambique Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Myanmar Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Namibia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
    Nepal Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Netherlands Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Netherlands Antilles Yes No No No No No No No
  New Zealand Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Nicaragua Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Niger Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Nigeria Yes Yes No No No No No No
  North Macedonia Yes Yes No No No No Yes No
  Norway Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Oman Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Pakistan Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Palestine No Yes No No No No No No
  Panama Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Papua New Guinea Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Paraguay Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Peru Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  Philippines Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Poland Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  Portugal Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Qatar Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Romania Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No
  Russia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  Rwanda Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Saint Kitts and Nevis Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Saint Lucia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines No Yes No No No No No No
  Samoa Yes No No No No No No No
  San Marino Yes No No No No No No No
  Saudi Arabia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  Senegal Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Serbia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Seychelles Yes No No No No No No No
  Sierra Leone Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Singapore Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No
  Slovakia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Slovenia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Solomon Islands Yes No No No No No No No
  Somalia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  South Africa Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  South Korea Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Spain Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Sri Lanka Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Suriname Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Sweden Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
  Switzerland Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes
  Taiwan Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Tajikistan Yes No Yes No No No Yes No
  Tanzania Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Thailand Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  Tonga Yes No No No No No No No
  Togo Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Trinidad and Tobago Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Tunisia Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Turkey Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
  Turkmenistan Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Turks and Caicos Islands Yes No No No No No No No
  Uganda Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Ukraine Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
  United Arab Emirates Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
  United Kingdom Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  United States[a] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Uruguay Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No
  Uzbekistan Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
  Vanuatu Yes Yes No No No No No No
   Vatican City Yes No No No No No No No
  Venezuela Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
  Vietnam Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
  Yemen Yes Yes No No No No No No
  Zambia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No
  Zimbabwe Yes Yes No No No No Yes No

See also

Notes

References

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google, play, also, known, store, formerly, android, market, digital, distribution, service, operated, developed, google, serves, official, store, certified, devices, running, android, operating, system, derivatives, well, chromeos, allowing, users, browse, do. Google Play also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating system and its derivatives as well as ChromeOS allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit SDK and published through Google Google Play has also served as a digital media store offering games music books movies and television programs 4 Content that has been purchased on Google Play Movies amp TV and Google Play Books can be accessed on a web browser and through the Android and iOS apps Google PlayScreenshotGoogle Play Store on AndroidDeveloper s GoogleInitial releaseOctober 22 2008 14 years ago 2008 10 22 as Android Market March 6 2012 11 years ago 2012 03 06 as Google Play Stable release s Android35 1 11 March 30 2023 41 days ago 2023 03 30 1 Android TV33 5 16 December 8 2022 5 months ago 2022 12 08 2 Wear OS33 2 42 November 28 2022 5 months ago 2022 11 28 3 PlatformAndroid Android TV Wear OS ChromeOS WebTypeDigital distribution App store Mobile game store Video on demand Ebook store Online music store closed in December 2020 Websiteplay wbr google wbr comApplications are available through Google Play either for free or at a cost They can be downloaded directly on an Android device through the proprietary Google Play Store mobile app or by deploying the application to a device from the Google Play website Applications utilizing the hardware capabilities of a device can be targeted at users of devices with specific hardware components such as a motion sensor for motion dependent games or a front facing camera for online video calling The Google Play Store had over 82 billion app downloads in 2016 and over 3 5 million apps published in 2017 5 while after a purge of apps it is back to over 3 million 6 It has been the subject of multiple issues concerning security in which malicious software has been approved and uploaded to the store and downloaded by users with varying degrees of severity Google Play was launched on March 6 2012 bringing together Android Market Google Music Google Movies and the Google eBookstore under one brand marking a shift in Google s digital distribution strategy Following their rebranding Google has expanded the geographical support for each of the services Since 2018 Google has gradually sunsetted the Play brand Play Newsstand was rebranded as Google News in 2018 Play Music was discontinued in favor of YouTube Music in 2020 and Play Movies amp TV was rebranded as Google TV in 2021 Contents 1 Catalog content 1 1 Android applications 1 2 Games 1 3 Books 1 4 Movies and TV shows 1 5 Play Pass 1 6 Device updates 1 7 Teacher Approved 2 History 2 1 Music 2 2 News publications and magazines 2 3 Devices 3 User interface 3 1 Design 4 Google Play Instant Apps 5 App monetization 5 1 Payment methods 5 1 1 Gift cards 5 2 Subscriptions 6 Google Play Store on Android 6 1 Installation history 6 2 Compatibility 7 Google Play Services 8 History of app growth 9 Google Play Awards and yearly lists 10 Application approval 10 1 Application bans 11 Application security 11 1 Security issues 12 Patent issues 13 Availability 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 External linksCatalog content EditAndroid applications Edit Further information Android operating system Global availability of Google Play By 2017 Google Play featured more than 3 5 million Android applications 5 7 After Google purged a lot of apps from the Google Play Store the number of apps has risen back to over 3 million Android applications As of 2017 developers in more than 150 locations could distribute apps on Google Play though not every location supports merchant registration Developers receive 85 of the application price while the remaining 15 goes to the distribution partner and operating fees Developers can set up sales with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends 8 9 Google Play allows developers to release early versions of apps to a select group of users as alpha or beta tests 9 Users can pre order select apps as well as movies music books and games to have the items delivered as soon as they are available 10 Some network carriers offer billing for Google Play purchases allowing users to opt for charges in the monthly phone bill rather than on credit cards 11 Users can request refunds within 48 hours after a purchase 12 Games Edit Main article Google Play Games At the Google I O 2013 Developer Conference Google announced the introduction of Google Play Games 13 Google Play Games is an online gaming service for Android that features real time multiplayer gaming capabilities cloud saves social and public leaderboards and achievements Its standalone mobile app was launched on July 24 2013 14 Books Edit Main article Google Play Books Global availability of Google Play Books Google Play Books is an ebook digital distribution service Google Play offers over five million ebooks available for purchase 15 and users can also upload up to 1 000 of their own ebooks in the form of PDF or EPUB file formats 16 As of January 2017 update Google Play Books is available in 75 countries 17 Movies and TV shows Edit Main article Google TV service Global availability of Google TV Google Play Movies amp TV was a video on demand service offering movies and television shows available for purchase or rental depending on availability 18 As of January 2017 update movies are available in over 110 countries while TV shows are available only in Australia Austria Canada France Germany Japan Switzerland the United States and the United Kingdom 17 In October 2020 Google Play Movies amp TV was renamed Google TV Google announced on March 22 2022 that Google Play will remove Play Movies amp TV from their store and will be moved to Google TV by May 2022 19 Play Pass Edit Main article Google Play Pass Global availability of Google Play Pass On September 23 2019 Google launched its Google Play Pass games and apps subscription service in the US 20 21 As of September 2019 subscribers could access the games and apps without ads and in app purchases The program is invitation only for app developers who then can integrate the service into their existing apps 22 Device updates Edit Google introduced Project Mainline in Android 10 allowing core OS components to be updated via the Google Play Store without requiring a complete system update 23 24 Android 10 supports updates for core OS components including Security Media Codecs Media Framework Components DNS Resolver Conscrypt Privacy Documents UI Permission Controller ExtServices Consistency Time zone data ANGLE developers opt in Module Metadata Networking components Captive Portal Login Network Permission Configuration 23 On December 4 2019 Qualcomm announced their Snapdragon 865 supports GPU drivers updated via the Google Play Store This feature was initially introduced with Android Oreo but vendors had not added support yet 25 Teacher Approved Edit In 2020 Google launched a new children focused Teacher Approved section for the Google Play Store Apps marked as Teacher Approved meet higher standards approved for educational purposes 26 27 History Edit Former Google Play logo 2012 Google Play previously styled Google play originated from three distinct products Android Market Google Music and Google eBookstore 28 Android Market was announced by Google on August 28 2008 29 30 and was made available to users on October 22 31 32 In December 2010 content filtering was added to Android Market each app s details page started showing a promotional graphic at the top and the maximum size of an app was raised from 25 megabytes to 50 megabytes 33 34 35 The Google eBookstore was launched on December 6 2010 debuting with three million ebooks making it the largest ebooks collection in the world 36 In November 2011 Google announced Google Music a section of the Google Play Store offering music purchases 37 38 In March 2012 Google increased the maximum allowed size of an app by allowing developers to attach two expansion files to an app s basic download each expansion file with a maximum size of 2 gigabytes giving app developers a total of 4 gigabytes 39 40 Also in March 2012 Android Market was re branded as Google Play 41 42 43 The Google Play Store including all Android apps came to ChromeOS in September 2016 44 45 In May 2021 Google Play announced plans to implement a new section with privacy information for all applications in its storefront The project is similar to App Store s privacy labels and is expected to be released in full in the first half of 2022 The feature will show users what kind of information each app collects whether the data it stores is encrypted and whether users can opt out of being tracked by the application 46 Music Edit Main article Google Play Music Global availability of Google Play Music Google Play Music was a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker It features over 40 million songs 47 and gives users free cloud storage of up to 50 000 songs 48 As of May 2017 update Google Play Music was available in 64 countries 17 In June 2018 Google announced plans to shut down Play Music by 2020 and offered users to migrate to YouTube Music migration to Google Podcasts was announced in May 2020 49 50 In October 2020 the music store for Google Play Music was shutdown 51 Google Play Music was shut down in December 2020 and was replaced by YouTube Music and Google Podcasts 4 News publications and magazines Edit Main article Google Play Newsstand Global availability of Google Play Newsstand Google Play Newsstand was a news aggregator and digital newsstand service offering subscriptions to digital magazines and topical news feeds 52 Google released Newsstand in November 2013 combining the features of Google Play Magazines and Google Currents into a single product 53 As of January 2017 update the basic Newsstand service was available worldwide As of 2017 paid Newsstand content was available in more than 35 countries citation needed On May 15 2018 the mobile app merged with Google News amp Weather to form Google News The Newsstand section continued to appear on the Google Play website until November 5 2018 but now is only available through the Google News app 54 Devices Edit Main article Google Store Until March 2015 Google Play had a Devices section for users to purchase Google Nexus devices Chromebooks Chromecasts other Google branded hardware and accessories A separate online hardware retailer called the Google Store was introduced on March 11 2015 replacing the Devices section of Google Play 55 56 User interface EditApart from searching for content by name apps can also be searched through keywords provided by the developer 57 When searching for apps users can press on suggested search filters helping them to find apps matching the determined filters 58 For the discoverability of apps Google Play Store consists of lists featuring top apps in each category including Top Free a list of the most popular free apps of all time Top Paid a list of the most popular paid apps of all time Top Grossing a list of apps generating the highest amounts of revenue Trending Apps a list of apps with recent installation growth Top New Free a list of the most popular new free apps Top New Paid a list of the most popular new paid apps Featured a list of new apps selected by the Google Play team Staff Picks a frequently updated list of apps selected by the Google Play team Editors Choice a list of apps considered the best of all time and Top Developer a list of apps made by developers considered the best 59 In March 2017 Google added a Free App of the Week section offering one normally paid app for free 60 61 In July 2017 Google expanded its Editors Choice section to feature curated lists of apps deemed to provide good Android experiences within overall themes such as fitness video calling and puzzle games 62 63 Google Play enables users to know the popularity of apps by displaying the number of times the app has been downloaded The download count is a color coded badge with special color designations for surpassing certain app download milestones including grey for 100 500 1 000 and 5 000 downloads blue for 10 000 and 50 000 downloads green for 100 000 and 500 000 downloads and red orange for 1 million 5 million 10 million and 1 billion downloads 64 65 Users can submit reviews and ratings for apps and digital content distributed through Google Play which are displayed publicly Ratings are based on a 5 point scale App developers can respond to reviews 66 using the Google Play Developer Console 67 Design Edit Google has redesigned Google Play s interface on several occasions In February 2011 Google introduced a website interface for the then named Android Market that provides access through a computer 68 Applications purchased are downloaded and installed on an Android device remotely with a My Market Account section letting users give their devices a nickname for easy recognition 69 In May 2011 Google added new application lists to Android Market including Top Paid Top Free Editor s Choice Top Grossing Top Developers and Trending 70 71 In July Google introduced an interface with a focus on featured content more search filters and in the US book sales and movie rentals 72 In May 2013 a redesign to the website interface matched the then recently redesigned Android app 73 In July 2014 the Google Play Store Android app added new headers to the Books Movies sections a new Additional Information screen offering a list featuring the latest available app version installed size and content rating and simplified the app permissions prompt into overview categories 74 A few days later it got a redesign consistent with the then new Material Design design language 75 76 and the app was again updated in October 2015 to feature new animations divide up the content into Apps and Games and Entertainment sections as well as added support for languages read right to left 77 78 79 In April 2016 Google announced a redesign of all the icons used for its suite of Play apps adding a similar style and consistent look 80 81 In May 2017 Google removed the shopping bag from the Google Play icon with only the triangle and associated colors remaining 82 83 In March 2018 Google experimented by changing the format of the screenshots used for the App pages from the WebP format to PNG but reverted the change after it caused the images to load more slowly The update also saw small UI tweaks to the Google Play Store site with the reviews section now opening to a dedicated page and larger images in the light box viewer 84 85 In July 2022 Google announced a new logo for the Google Play Store that is more uniform in color with other Google services 86 Google Play Instant Apps EditLaunched in 2017 Google Play Instant also known as Google Instant Apps allows a user to use an app or game without installing it first 87 88 App monetization EditGoogle states in its Developer Policy Center that Google Play supports a variety of monetization strategies to benefit developers and users including paid distribution in app products subscriptions and ad based models and requires developers to comply with the policies in order to ensure the best user experience It requires that developers charging for apps and downloads through Google Play must use Google Play s payment system In app purchases unlocking additional app functionality must also use the Google Play payment system except in cases where the purchase is solely for physical products or is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself e g songs that can be played on other music players 89 Support for paid applications was introduced on February 13 2009 for developers in the United States and the United Kingdom 90 with support expanded to an additional 29 countries on September 30 2010 91 The in app billing system was originally introduced in March 2011 92 All developers on Google Play are required to feature a physical address on the app s page in Google Play a requirement established in September 2014 93 In February 2017 Google announced that it would let developers set sales for their apps with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends Google also announced that it had made changes to its algorithms to promote games based on user engagement and not just downloads Finally it announced new editorial pages for what it considers optimal gaming experiences on Android further promoting and curating games 94 8 9 Payment methods Edit Picture of Google Play Gift Card Google allows users to purchase content with credit or debit cards carrier billing gift cards or through PayPal 95 Google began rolling out carrier billing for purchases in May 2012 11 96 followed by support for PayPal in May 2014 97 98 Gift cards Edit The rumor of Google Play gift cards started circulating online in August 2012 after references to it were discovered by Android Police in the 3 8 15 version update of the Google Play Store Android app 99 Soon after images of the gift cards started to leak 100 and on August 21 2012 they were made official by Google and rolled out over the next few weeks 101 102 As of April 2023 Google Play gift cards are available in the following countries Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong India Indonesia Ireland Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Poland Portugal Saudi Arabia South Africa South Korea Spain Switzerland Turkey the United Arab Emirates the United Kingdom and the United States 103 Subscriptions Edit Google introduced in app subscriptions to Google Play in May 2012 104 105 In June 2016 some sources reported that Google announced that subscriptions charged through Google Play would now split the revenue 85 15 where developers receive 85 of revenue and Google takes 15 a change from the traditional 70 30 split in years prior The move followed Apple s then recently announced change of the same model although commentators were quick to point out that while Apple grants the 85 15 revenue share after one year of active subscriptions Google s subscription change takes effect immediately 106 107 108 As of January 1 2018 the transaction fee for subscription products decreased to 15 for any subscribers developers retain after 12 paid months 109 establishing that unlike what sources were reporting Google is using the same model as Apple with in app subscriptions on the App Store Google Play Store on Android EditGoogle Play StoreDeveloper s GoogleInitial releaseOctober 22 2008 14 years ago 2008 10 22 Operating systemAndroidTypeDigital distribution App storeWebsiteplay wbr google wbr com Get it on Google Play badge Google Play Store shortened to Play Store on the Home screen and App screen is Google s official pre installed app store on Android certified devices It provides access to content on Google Play including apps books magazines music movies and television programs 110 Devices do not ship with the Google Play Store in China with manufacturers offering their own alternative 111 Google Play Store filters the list of apps to those compatible with the user s device Developers can target specific hardware components such as compass software components such as widget and Android versions such as 7 0 Nougat 112 Carriers can also ban certain apps from being installed on users devices for example tethering applications 113 There is no requirement that Android applications be acquired using the Google Play Store Users may download Android applications from a developer s website or through a third party app store alternative 114 Google Play Store applications are self contained Android Package files APK similar to exe files to install programs on Microsoft Windows computers 115 On Android devices an Unknown sources feature in Settings allows users to bypass the Google Play Store and install APKs from other sources 116 Depending on developer preferences some apps can be installed to a phone s external storage card 117 Installation history Edit The Google Play Store app features a history of all installed apps Users can remove apps from the list with the changes also synchronizing to the Google Play website interface where the option to remove apps from the history does not exist 118 Compatibility Edit Google publishes the source code for Android through its Android Open Source Project allowing enthusiasts and developers to program and distribute their own modified versions of the operating system However not all these modified versions are compatible with apps developed for Google s official Android versions The Android Compatibility Program serves to define a baseline implementation of Android that is compatible with third party apps written by developers Only Android devices that comply with Google s compatibility requirements may install and access the Google Play Store application As stated in a help page for the Android Open Source Project Devices that are Android compatible may participate in the Android ecosystem including Android Market devices that don t meet the compatibility requirements exist outside that ecosystem In other words the Android Compatibility Program is how we separate Android compatible devices from devices that merely run derivatives of the source code We welcome all uses of the Android source code but only Android compatible devices as defined and tested by the Android Compatibility Program may participate in the Android ecosystem 119 Since August 2019 all new and updated Google Play apps must have 64 bit binaries with some exceptions Since August 2021 Google Play will not serve apps that only have 32 bit binaries to devices compatible with 64 bit apps This requirement does not apply to Android TV or Wear OS apps 120 121 Google Play Services EditMain article Google Play Services In 2012 Google began decoupling certain aspects of its Android operating system particularly its core applications so they could be updated through the Google Play store independently of the OS One of those components Google Play Services is a closed source system level process providing APIs for Google services installed automatically on nearly all devices running Android 2 2 Froyo and higher With these changes Google can add new system functionality through Play Services and update apps without having to distribute an upgrade to the operating system itself 122 As a result Android 4 2 and 4 3 Jelly Bean contained relatively fewer user facing changes focusing more on minor changes and platform improvements 123 History of app growth EditYear Month Applications available Downloads to date2009 March 2 300 124 December 16 000 125 2010 March 30 000 126 April 38 000 127 July 70 000 128 September 80 000 129 October 100 000 130 2011 April 3 billion 131 May 200 000 132 4 5 billion 132 July 250 000 133 6 billion 133 October 500 000 134 135 December 10 billion 136 2012 April 15 billion 137 June 600 000 138 20 billion 138 September 675 000 139 25 billion 139 October 700 000 140 2013 May 48 billion 141 July 1 million 142 50 billion 142 2016 82 billion 143 2017 February 2 7 million 7 Google Play Awards and yearly lists EditIn April 2016 Google announced the Google Play Awards described as a way to recognize our incredible developer community and highlight some of the best apps and games The awards showcase five nominees across ten award categories and the apps are featured in a dedicated section of Google Play Google stated that Nominees were selected by a panel of experts on the Google Play team based on criteria emphasizing app quality innovation and having a launch or major update in the last 12 months with the winners announced in May 144 145 Google has also previously released yearly lists of apps it deemed the best on Google Play 146 147 On March 6 2017 five years after Google Play s launch Google released lists of the best selling apps games movies music and books over the past five years 148 149 In June 2017 Google introduced Android Excellence a new editorial program to highlight the apps deemed the highest quality by the Google Play editors 150 151 In 2020 Google Play awarded Disney as the top app of the year for users in the US and SpongeBob Krusty Cook Off taking the honors in the gaming category 152 Application approval EditGoogle places some restrictions on the types of apps that can be published in particular not allowing sexually explicit content child endangerment violence bullying amp harassment hate speech gambling illegal activities and requiring precautions for user generated content 153 In March 2015 Google disclosed that over the past few months it had been begun using a combination of automated tools and human reviewers to check apps for malware and terms of service violations before they are published in the Google Play Store At the same time it began rolling out a new age based ratings system for apps and games based on a given region s official ratings authority for example ESRB in the US 154 155 156 In October 2016 Google announced a new detection and filtering system designed to provide additional enhancements to protect the integrity of the store The new system is aimed to detect and filter cases where developers have been attempting to manipulate the placement of their apps through illegitimate means like fraudulent installs fake reviews and incentivized ratings 157 158 159 In April 2019 Google announced changes to the store s app review process stating that it would take several days to review app submissions from new and less established developers 160 The company later clarified that in exceptional cases certain apps may be subject to an expanded review process delaying publication by seven days or longer 161 162 Application bans Edit Some mobile carriers can block users from installing certain apps In March 2009 reports surfaced that several tethering apps were banned from the store 163 However the apps were later restored with a new ban preventing only T Mobile subscribers from downloading the apps Google released a statement 164 On Monday several applications that enable tethering were removed from the Android Market catalog because they were in violation of T Mobile s terms of service in the US Based on Android s Developer Distribution Agreement section 7 2 we remove applications from the Android Market catalog that violate the terms of service of a carrier or manufacturer We inadvertently unpublished the applications for all carriers and today we have corrected the problem so that all Android Market users outside the T Mobile US network will now have access to the applications We have notified the affected developers In April 2011 Google removed the Grooveshark app from the store due to unspecified policy violations CNET noted that the removal came after some of the top music labels have accused the service of violating copyright law 165 TechCrunch wrote approximately two weeks later that Grooveshark had returned to Android albeit not through the official App Market but rather Playing on Android s ability to install third party applications through the browser Grooveshark has taken on the responsibility of distributing the application themselves 166 In May 2011 Google banned the account of the developer of several video game emulators Neither Google nor the developer publicly revealed the reason for the ban 167 In March 2013 Google began to pull ad blocking apps from the Google Play Store per section 4 4 of the developers agreement which prohibits apps that interfere with servers and services 168 Apps that exempt themselves from power management policies introduced on Android Marshmallow without being adversely affected by them are banned 169 170 In July 2018 Google banned additional categories of apps including those that perform cryptocurrency mining on device apps that facilitate the sale of explosives firearms ammunition or certain firearms accessories are only used to present ads contain adult content but are aimed towards children multiple apps with highly similar content and user experience and apps that are created by an automated tool wizard service or based on templates and submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons 171 In 2022 two Iranian state supported ridesharing apps and three messenger apps were deleted through Play Protect for being malware and spyware 172 173 Application security EditIn February 2012 Google introduced a new automated antivirus system called Google Bouncer to scan both new and existing apps for malware e g spyware or trojan horses 174 175 In 2017 the Bouncer feature and other safety measures within the Android platform were rebranded under the umbrella name Google Play Protect a system that regularly scans apps for threats 176 177 Android apps can ask for or require certain permissions on the device including access to body sensors calendar camera contacts location microphone phone SMS storage WI FI and access to Google accounts 178 In July 2017 Google described a new security effort called peer grouping in which apps performing similar functionalities such as calculator apps are grouped together and attributes compared If one app stands out such as requesting more device permissions than others in the same group Google s systems automatically flag the app and security engineers take a closer inspection Peer grouping is based on app descriptions metadata and statistics such as download count 179 180 Security issues Edit In early March 2011 DroidDream a trojan rootkit exploit was released to the then named Android Market in the form of several free applications that were in many cases pirated versions of existing priced apps This exploit allowed hackers to steal information such as IMEI and IMSI numbers phone model user ID and service provider The exploit also installed a backdoor that allowed the hackers to download more code to the infected device 181 The exploit only affected devices running Android versions earlier than 2 3 Gingerbread 182 Google removed the apps from the Market immediately after being alerted 183 but the apps had already been downloaded more than 50 000 times according to Android Police s estimate 181 Android Police wrote that the only method of removing the exploit from an infected device was to reset it to a factory state although community developed solutions for blocking some aspects of the exploit were created 183 A few days later Google confirmed that 58 malicious apps had been uploaded to Android Market and had been downloaded to 260 000 devices before being removed from the store 184 Google emailed affected users with information that As far as we can determine the only information obtained was device specific IMEI IMSI unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices and the version of Android running on your device as opposed to personal data and account information 184 It also announced the then new remote kill functionality alongside a security update that lets Google remotely remove malicious apps from users devices 184 However days later a malicious version of the security update was found on the Internet though it did not contain the specific DroidDream malware 185 New apps featuring the malware renamed DroidDream Light surfaced the following June and were also removed from the store 186 At the Black Hat security conference in 2012 security firm Trustwave demonstrated their ability to upload an app that would circumvent the Bouncer blocker system The application used a JavaScript exploit to steal contacts SMS messages and photos and was also capable of making the phone open arbitrary web pages or launch denial of service attacks Nicholas Percoco senior vice president of Trustwave s SpiderLabs advanced security team stated that We wanted to test the bounds of what it s capable of The app stayed on Google Play for more than two weeks being repeatedly scanned by the Bouncer system without detection with Percoco further saying that As an attack all a malware attacker has to do to get into Google Play is to bypass Bouncer Trustwave reached out to Google to share their findings but noted that more manual testing of apps might be necessary to detect apps using malware masking techniques 187 188 According to a 2014 research study released by RiskIQ a security services company malicious apps introduced through Google Play increased 388 between 2011 and 2013 while the number of apps removed by Google dropped from 60 in 2011 to 23 in 2013 The study further revealed that Apps for personalizing Android phones led all categories as most likely to be malicious 189 190 According to PC World Google said it would need more information about RiskIQ s analysis to comment on the findings 191 In October 2016 Engadget reported about a blog post named Password Storage in Sensitive Apps from freelance Android hacker Jon Sawyer who decided to test the top privacy apps on Google Play 192 Testing two applications one named Hide Pictures Keep Safe Vault and the other named Private Photo Vault Sawyer found significant errors in password handling in both and commented These companies are selling products that claim to securely store your most intimate pieces of data yet are at most snake oil You would have near equal protection just by changing the file extension and renaming the photos 193 194 In April 2017 security firm Check Point announced that a malware named FalseGuide had been hidden inside approximately 40 game guide apps in Google Play 195 The malware is capable of gaining administrator access to infected devices where it then receives additional modules that let it show popup ads The malware a type of botnet is also capable of launching DDoS attacks 196 195 After being alerted to the malware Google removed all instances of it in the store 196 but by that time approximately two million Android users had already downloaded the apps the oldest of which had been around since November 2016 195 In June 2017 researchers from the Sophos security company announced their finding of 47 apps using a third party development library that shows intrusive advertisements on users phones Even after such apps are force closed by the user advertisements remain Google removed some of the apps after receiving reports from Sophos but some apps remained When asked for comment Google didn t respond 197 In August 2017 500 apps were removed from Google Play after security firm Lookout discovered that the apps contained an SDK that allowed for malicious advertising The apps had been collectively downloaded over 100 million times and consisted of a wide variety of use cases including health weather photo editing Internet radio and emoji 198 199 In all of 2017 over 700 000 apps were banned from Google Play due to abusive contents this is a 70 increase over the number of apps banned in 2016 200 In March 2020 Check Point discovered 56 apps containing a malware program that had infected a total of 1 million devices The program called Tekya was designed to evade detection by Google Play Protect and VirusTotal and then fraudulently click on ads Around the same time Dr Web discovered at least six apps with 700 000 total downloads containing at least 18 modifications program called Android Circle 1 In addition to performing click fraud Android Circle 1 can also operate as adware and perform phishing attacks 201 On July 1 2021 Dr Web discovered malicious apps on Google Play that steal Facebook users logins and passwords Their specialists uncovered 9 trojans that were available on Google Play Store with over 5 8 million installs among them The apps tricked victims into logging into their Facebook accounts and hijacked the credentials via JavaScript code 202 Google removed these apps later on 203 On September 29 2021 Zimperium zLabs recently discovered a large scale malware campaign has infected more than 10 million Android devices from over 70 countries and likely stole hundreds of millions from its victims by subscribing to paid services without their knowledge GriftHorse the trojan used in these attacks was discovered by researchers who first spotted this illicit global premium services campaign This campaign has been active for roughly five months between November 2020 and April 2021 when their malicious apps were last updated The malware was delivered using over 200 trojanized Android applications delivered through Google s official Play Store and third party app stores Google has removed the apps after being notified of their malicious nature but this malware are still available for download on third party repositories 204 On November 30 2021 ThreatFabric researchers explain how they discovered four different malware dropper campaigns distributing banking trojans on the Google Play Store This evolution includes creating small realistic looking apps that focus on common themes such as fitness cryptocurrency QR codes and PDF scanning to trick users into installing the app Once these dropper apps are installed they will silently communicate with the threat actor s server to receive commands When ready to distribute the banking trojan the threat actor s server will tell the installed app to perform a fake update that drops and launches the malware on the Android device 205 Patent issues EditSome developers publishing on Google Play have been sued for patent infringement by patent trolls people who own broad or vaguely worded patents that they use to target small developers If the developer manages to successfully challenge the initial assertion the patent troll changes the claim of the violation in order to accuse the developer of having violated a different assertion in the patent This situation continues until the case goes into the legal system which can have substantial economic costs prompting some developers to settle 206 In February 2013 Austin Meyer a flight simulator game developer was sued for having used a copy protection system in his app a system that he said Google gave us And of course this is what Google provides to everyone else that is making a game for Android Meyer claimed that Google would not assist in the lawsuit and he stated that he would not settle the case 207 His battle with the troll continued for several years uploading a video in June 2016 discussing that he was then being sued for uploading his app to Google Play because the patent troll apparently owns the idea sic of the Google Play Store itself 206 Android Authority wrote that This scenario has played out against many other app developers for many years and have prompted discussions over a larger issue at stake in which developers stop making apps out of fear of patent problems 206 Availability EditUsers outside the countries regions listed below only have access to free apps and games through Google Play Country region Paid apps and games Devices 208 Magazines 17 Books 17 Google TV 17 Customers can purchase 209 Developers can sell 210 Google Play Pass 21 Movies TV shows Albania Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Algeria Yes Yes No No No No No No Angola Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Antigua and Barbuda Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Argentina Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Armenia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Aruba Yes No No No No No Yes No Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Austria Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Azerbaijan Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Bahamas Yes Yes No No No No No No Bahrain Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Bangladesh Yes Yes No No No No No No Barbados Yes No No No No No No No Belarus Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Belgium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Belize Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Benin Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Bermuda Yes No No No No No No No Bhutan No Yes No No No No No No Bolivia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes No No No No No Yes No Botswana Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Brazil Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No British Virgin Islands Yes No No No No No No No Brunei No Yes No No No No No No Bulgaria Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Burkina Faso Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Burundi No Yes No No No No Yes No Cambodia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Cameroon Yes No No No No No No No Canada Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Cape Verde Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Cayman Islands Yes No No No No No No No Central African Republic Yes Yes No No No No No No Chad Yes No No No No No No No Chile Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No China No Yes No No No No No No Colombia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Comoros Yes No No No No No No No Democratic Republic of the Congo Yes Yes No No No No No No Republic of the Congo Yes No No No No No No No Costa Rica Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Croatia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Cyprus Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Czech Republic Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Denmark Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Djibouti Yes No No No No No No No Dominica Yes Yes No No No No No No Dominican Republic Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Ecuador Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Egypt Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Equatorial Guinea No Yes No No No No No No El Salvador Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No Eritrea Yes Yes No No No No No No Estonia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Eswatini No Yes No No No No No No Fiji Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Finland Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No France Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Gabon Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Gambia Yes Yes No No No No No No Georgia Yes No No No No No No No Germany Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Ghana Yes Yes No No No No No No Greece Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Grenada Yes Yes No No No No No No Guatemala Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Guinea Yes Yes No No No No No No Guinea Bissau Yes Yes No No No No No No Guyana No Yes No No No No No No Haiti Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Honduras Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Hong Kong Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Hungary Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Iceland Yes Yes No No No No Yes No India Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Indonesia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Iraq Yes No No No No No No No Ireland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Israel Yes Yes No No No No No No Italy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Ivory Coast Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Jamaica Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Japan Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Jordan Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Kazakhstan Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Kenya Yes Yes No No No No No No Kiribati No Yes No No No No No No Kuwait Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Kyrgyzstan Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No Laos Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Latvia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Lebanon Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Lesotho No Yes No No No No No No Liberia Yes Yes No No No No No No Libya Yes Yes No No No No No No Liechtenstein Yes No Yes No No No No No Lithuania Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Luxembourg Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Macau Yes Yes No No No No No No Malawi No Yes No No No No No No Malaysia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Maldives Yes Yes No No No No No No Mali Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Malta Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Mauritania No Yes No No No No No No Mauritius Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Federated States of Micronesia Yes Yes No No No No No No Moldova Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Monaco Yes No No No No No No No Mongolia No Yes No No No No No No Morocco Yes No No No No No No No Mozambique Yes Yes No No No No No No Myanmar Yes Yes No No No No No No Namibia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Nepal Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Netherlands Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Netherlands Antilles Yes No No No No No No No New Zealand Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Nicaragua Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Niger Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Nigeria Yes Yes No No No No No No North Macedonia Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Norway Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Oman Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Pakistan Yes Yes No No No No No No Palestine No Yes No No No No No No Panama Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Papua New Guinea Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Paraguay Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Peru Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Philippines Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Poland Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Portugal Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Qatar Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Romania Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No Russia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Rwanda Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Saint Kitts and Nevis Yes Yes No No No No No No Saint Lucia Yes Yes No No No No No No Saint Vincent and the Grenadines No Yes No No No No No No Samoa Yes No No No No No No No San Marino Yes No No No No No No No Saudi Arabia Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Senegal Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Serbia Yes Yes No No No No No No Seychelles Yes No No No No No No No Sierra Leone Yes Yes No No No No No No Singapore Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes No Slovakia Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Slovenia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Solomon Islands Yes No No No No No No No Somalia Yes Yes No No No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No South Korea Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Spain Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Sri Lanka Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Suriname Yes Yes No No No No No No Sweden Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Switzerland Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Taiwan Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Tajikistan Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Tanzania Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Thailand Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Tonga Yes No No No No No No No Togo Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Trinidad and Tobago Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Tunisia Yes Yes No No No No No No Turkey Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Turkmenistan Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Turks and Caicos Islands Yes No No No No No No No Uganda Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Ukraine Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No United Arab Emirates Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No United Kingdom Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes United States a Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Uruguay Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Uzbekistan Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Vanuatu Yes Yes No No No No No No Vatican City Yes No No No No No No No Venezuela Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Vietnam Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yemen Yes Yes No No No No No No Zambia Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Zimbabwe Yes Yes No No No No Yes NoSee also EditList of mobile app distribution platforms List of most downloaded Google Play applicationsNotes Edit including Puerto Rico American Samoa Guam the Marshall Islands the Northern Mariana Islands Palau and the US Virgin Islands for paid apps onlyReferences Edit Google Play Store APKs APKMirror Retrieved October 15 2022 Google Play Store APKs APKMirror Retrieved October 15 2022 Google Play Store APKs APKMirror Retrieved October 15 2022 a b Info about the Google Play Music phase out Google Help Archived from the original on December 19 2020 Retrieved November 13 2020 a b Number of Google Play Store apps 2017 Statistic Statista Retrieved January 3 2018 Number of Android applications on the Google Play store appbrain com Retrieved August 12 2020 a b Number of Android applications AppBrain February 9 2017 Archived from the original on February 10 2017 Retrieved February 24 2017 a b Kastrenakes Jacob February 28 2017 Google now lets apps display sale prices in the Play Store The Verge Vox Media Retrieved March 1 2017 a b c Rossignol Derrick February 28 2017 Google now lets developers offer sales on Android apps Engadget AOL Retrieved March 1 2017 How to use a Google Play gift card Android Central February 5 2019 Retrieved June 30 2020 a b O Brien Terrence May 2 2012 Google Play adds carrier billing for music movies and books Engadget AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Two Years Later Google Play Support Docs Acknowledge 48 Hour Refund Window Android Police June 2 2016 Retrieved June 30 2020 Webster Andrew May 15 2013 Google announces Play game services Android s cross platform answer to Game Center The Verge Vox Media Retrieved January 18 2017 Ingraham Nathan November 5 2018 Google takes on Game Center with Google Play Games for Android The Verge Vox Media Retrieved January 18 2019 Etherington Darrell March 6 2013 Google Play Offers Over 5M eBooks And More Than 18M Songs One Year After Its Rebranding TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 m4tt May 15 2013 Google Play Books enables user ebook uploads Google Drive support The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 a b c d e f Country availability for apps amp digital content Google Play Help Retrieved May 20 2017 Rent or buy movies amp TV shows Google Play Help Retrieved January 15 2017 Play Movies amp TV is moving to Google TV Google Inc March 22 2022 Retrieved March 23 2022 Bohn Dieter September 23 2019 Google Play Pass bundles 350 Android games and apps for 4 99 per month The Verge Retrieved September 24 2019 a b Google Play Pass Enjoy apps and games without ads or in app purchases Google September 23 2019 Retrieved September 24 2019 Google launches apps and games subscription service Play Pass for 4 99 per month www businesstoday in September 24 2019 Retrieved March 12 2021 a b Fresher OS with Projects Treble and Mainline Android Developers Blog Retrieved January 6 2020 Kastrenakes Jacob May 7 2019 Project Mainline is Google s new attempt to send security updates directly to your phone The Verge Retrieved January 6 2020 Frumusanu Andrei Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon 865 and 765 G 5G For All in 2020 All The Details www anandtech com Retrieved January 6 2020 Porter Jon April 15 2020 Google Play is getting a new Kids section filled with Teacher Approved apps The Verge Retrieved April 16 2020 Find high quality apps for kids on Google Play Google April 15 2020 From Android Market to Google Play a brief history of the Play Store Android Authority March 6 2017 Retrieved August 21 2020 Shankland Stephen August 28 2008 Google announces Android Market for phone apps CNET CBS Interactive Retrieved February 23 2017 Biggs John August 28 2008 Android to Get Its Own App Market TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Chu Eric October 22 2008 Android Market Now available for users Android Developers Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Takahashi Dean October 22 2008 Google releases details on Android Market launch VentureBeat Retrieved February 23 2017 Burnette Ed December 11 2010 Big changes in store for Android Market ZDNet CBS Interactive Retrieved February 23 2017 Hollister Sean December 11 2010 Android Market update streamlines content nukes tabs dismantles 24 hour return policy to appease devs Engadget AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Ziegler Chris November 24 2010 Android Market adding content ratings to all apps past present and future Engadget AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Murray Abraham December 6 2010 Discover more than 3 million Google eBooks from your choice of booksellers and devices Official Google Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Miller Ross November 16 2011 Google Music store official artist hubs Google integration and more The Verge Retrieved February 23 2017 Rodriguez Armando November 16 2011 Get Started With Google s New Music Store TechHive International Data Group Archived from the original on February 24 2017 Retrieved February 23 2017 Sadewo Bams March 6 2012 Google Increases App Size Limit on Android Market to 4GB Android Authority Retrieved February 23 2017 Albanesius Chloe March 6 2012 Google Ups Android App Size Limit to 4GB PC Magazine Ziff Davis Retrieved February 23 2017 Rosenberg Jamie March 6 2012 Introducing Google Play All your entertainment anywhere you go Official Google Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Topolsky Joshua March 6 2012 Hello Google Play Google launches sweeping revamp of app book music and video stores The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 Velazco Chris March 6 2012 Goodbye Android Market Hello Google Play TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Amadeo Ron May 19 2016 The Play Store comes to Chrome OS but not the way we were expecting Ars Technica Conde Nast Retrieved February 24 2017 Protalinski Emil May 19 2016 Google Play is coming to Chrome OS in September VentureBeat Retrieved February 24 2017 Porter Jon May 6 2021 Google Play s app listings will require privacy info next year just like the App Store The Verge Retrieved May 6 2021 Li Abner February 22 2017 Play Music 7 4 adds Recents to navigation drawer now has 40 million songs in its library 9to5Google Retrieved February 24 2017 How to use Google Play Music Google Play Help Archived from the original on February 2 2017 Retrieved January 21 2017 YouTube Music and YouTube Premium are now live in the U S 16 other nations www digitaltrends com April 4 2019 Retrieved October 5 2020 Li Abner May 12 2020 Google Podcasts can import all your Play Music podcast subscriptions 9to5Google Retrieved November 13 2020 Li Abner October 12 2020 Google completes worldwide shutdown of Play Music store 9to5Google Retrieved November 13 2020 Lyons Kim January 3 2020 Google News will discontinue its program that offered magazine subs in print replica format The Verge Retrieved June 30 2020 O Brien Terrence Google Play Newsstand merges Currents magazines and newspapers on Android today iOS in 2014 Engadget com Retrieved September 4 2019 Hartmans Avery We compared Google News and Apple s built in News app for the iPhone to see which one is better and there s a clear winner Business Insider Retrieved June 30 2020 Bowers Andrew March 11 2015 Meet the updated Chromebook Pixel and the new Google Store Official Google Blog Retrieved February 24 2017 Amadeo Ron March 11 2015 Google launches the Google Store a new place to buy hardware Updated Ars Technica Conde Nast Retrieved February 24 2017 Get discovered on Google Play search Developer Console Help Retrieved February 24 2017 Whitwam Ryan June 6 2017 Play Store suggested search filters are rolling out to all Android Police Retrieved June 8 2017 Types of featured app lists Developer Console Help Retrieved February 24 2017 Ghoshal Abhimanyu March 27 2017 Google Play now offers a free Android app every week The Next Web Retrieved April 26 2017 Protalinski Emil March 26 2017 Google Play gets a Free App of the Week section VentureBeat Retrieved April 26 2017 Locklear Mallory July 19 2017 Google Play wants to help users find apps with curated lists Engadget AOL Retrieved July 20 2017 Pelegrin Williams July 19 2017 Google Play s editorial pages put a human touch on finding high quality apps Android Authority Retrieved July 20 2017 Stimac Blake August 12 2014 Google Play Store now showcases app download numbers with new badges Greenbot International Data Group Retrieved February 24 2017 Grush Andrew August 12 2014 Play Store introduces colorful badges denoting number of app downloads Android Authority Retrieved February 24 2017 Blagdon Jeff May 14 2013 Google Play now lets all developers respond to user reviews The Verge Vox Media Retrieved April 26 2017 View amp analyze your app s ratings amp reviews Developer Console Help Retrieved February 25 2017 Chu Eric February 2 2011 Introducing the Android Market website Google Mobile Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Savov Vlad February 2 2011 Android Market gets a web store with OTA installations in app purchases coming soon Engadget AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Cutler Kim Mai May 11 2011 Android Market Now Highlights Top Grossing and Trending Apps Adweek Beringer Capital Retrieved February 23 2017 Camp Jeffrey Van May 12 2011 Google revamps Android Market adds more lists Digital Trends Retrieved February 23 2017 Montoy Wilson Paul July 12 2011 A new Android Market for phones with books and movies Google Mobile Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Ingraham Nathan May 15 2013 Google redesigning Play apps and Play Store on the web The Verge Vox Media Retrieved April 26 2017 Whitwam Ryan July 15 2014 Update 2 4 8 22 Latest Google Play Store 4 8 22 With PayPal Support Simplified App Permissions Bigger Buttons And More APK Download Android Police Retrieved February 23 2017 Ruddock David July 22 2014 Google Play Store Update 4 9 13 Adds Material Design App And Content Pages APK Download Android Police Retrieved February 24 2017 Walter Derek July 23 2014 Google Play Store gets a Material Design inspired makeover Greenbot International Data Group Retrieved February 24 2017 Vincent James October 16 2015 A first look at the Google Play store redesign The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 Perez Sarah October 16 2015 Google Play Is Getting A Makeover TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Steele Billy October 16 2015 Google Play s pending redesign gets an early tease Engadget AOL Retrieved February 23 2017 Whitwam Ryan April 4 2016 Google Announces New Google Play App Icons Android Police Retrieved February 23 2017 Statt Nick April 4 2016 Google Play app icons are getting the candy colored flat design treatment The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 Toombs Cody May 10 2017 The Play Store adopts new app and notification icons with v7 8 16 APK Download Android Police Retrieved June 2 2017 Carman Ashley May 10 2017 Google drops the shopping bag from the Play Store icon The Verge Vox Media Retrieved June 2 2017 Li Abner December 1 2018 Google Play redesign w revamped navigation organization and bright UI more widely rolling out on Android 9to5Google Retrieved June 28 2022 Update More details Google is rolling out a new web Play Store design with much larger screenshots a new reviews page and more Android Police March 17 2018 Retrieved May 10 2018 Warren Tom July 25 2022 Google Play gets a new logo for its 10 year anniversary The Verge Retrieved July 27 2022 Google Play Instant Android Developers Android Instant Apps What they are and how to use them on your phone PCWorld October 24 2017 Monetization and Ads Developer Policy Center Retrieved February 25 2017 Chu Eric February 13 2009 Android Market update support for priced applications Android Developers Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Chu Eric September 30 2010 More Countries More sellers More buyers Android Developers Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Chu Eric March 24 2011 In App Billing on Android Market Ready for Testing Android Developers Blog Retrieved February 23 2017 Whitwam Ryan September 18 2014 Google Will Now Require All App Publishers With Paid Apps Or In App Purchases To Have An Address On File And Displayed Publicly In Google Play Update Android Police Retrieved April 26 2017 Bankhead Paul February 27 2017 Welcome to Google Developer Day at Game Developer Conference 2017 Android Developers Blog Retrieved March 1 2017 Accepted payment methods on Google Play Google Play Help Retrieved May 29 2017 Ziegler Chris May 2 2012 Google Play now lets you charge movies music and books to your phone bill on some carriers The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 Ruddock David May 15 2014 Play Store Now Accepts PayPal In 12 Countries Carrier Billing Gift Cards And Developer Sales Countries Expanded Too Android Police Retrieved February 23 2017 Seifert Dan May 15 2014 You can now use PayPal to buy apps from the Google Play Store The Verge Vox Media Retrieved May 29 2017 Russakovskii Artem August 15 2012 Google Is Gearing Up To Finally Introduce Play Store Gift Cards And A Wishlist APK Teardown Android Police Retrieved April 27 2017 Nickinson Phil August 16 2012 Google Play gift cards are real and here s what they look like Android Central Mobile Nations Retrieved April 27 2017 Nickinson Phil August 21 2012 Google Play Gift Cards are official rolling out over the next few weeks Android Central Mobile Nations Retrieved April 27 2017 Lee Michael August 22 2012 Google rolls out Google Play gift cards ZDNet CBS Interactive Retrieved February 23 2017 Where to buy Google Play gift cards Google Play Help Retrieved April 12 2023 Ziegler Chris May 24 2012 Google Play adds in app subscription billing The Verge Vox Media Retrieved February 23 2017 Olivarez Giles Nathan May 24 2012 Google Introduces in App Subscriptions for Android Wired Conde Nast Retrieved February 23 2017 Bergen Mark June 8 2016 Google is offering app developers the same revenue sharing terms Apple just announced with one big advantage Recode Vox Media Retrieved March 27 2017 King Sean June 9 2016 Google planning to let developers keep 85 of app subscription payments Android Authority Retrieved March 27 2017 Li Abner June 8 2016 Report Google also working on 85 15 revenue split with developers but without year long wait 9to5Google Retrieved March 27 2017 Transaction fees Play Console Help support google com Retrieved March 30 2018 Find the Google Play Store app Google Play Help Retrieved February 25 2017 ARCore supported devices Google Developers Retrieved October 23 2019 Device Compatibility Android Developers Retrieved February 25 2017 O Brien Terrence May 2 2011 Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps rain on our mobile hotspot parade Engadget AOL a division of Verizon Communications Retrieved February 25 2017 Ganapati Priya June 11 2010 Independent App Stores Take On Google s Android Market Wired Conde Nast Retrieved February 26 2017 Gordon Scott Adam What is an APK file and how do you install one Android Pit Retrieved February 26 2017 Graziano Dan September 12 2013 How to install apps outside of Google Play CNET CBS Interactive Retrieved February 26 2017 App Install Location Android Developers Retrieved February 26 2017 Cipriani Jason November 28 2012 Delete downloaded app history from Google Play CNET CBS Interactive Retrieved February 25 2017 Frequently Asked Questions Android Open Source Project Archived from the original on May 23 2010 Retrieved February 26 2017 The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are the first Android phones to only support 64 bit apps XDA October 13 2022 Retrieved October 15 2022 Google to 64 bit Android device owners No more 32 bit only apps from Aug 2021 ZDNET Retrieved October 15 2022 Amadeo Ron September 3 2013 Balky carriers and slow OEMs step aside Google is defragging Android Ars Technica Conde Nast Retrieved March 11 2017 Cunningham Andrew August 9 2013 Review Android 4 3 s multitude of minor changes future proofs the platform Ars Technica Conde Nast Retrieved March 13 2017 Lawson Stephen March 17 2009 Android Market Needs More Filters T Mobile Says PC World International Data Group Retrieved February 24 2017 Wauters Robin December 16 2009 Google Actually We Count Only 16 000 Apps In Android Market TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 24 2017 Chan Casey March 18 2010 Android Market has 30 000 apps sort of Android Central Retrieved February 24 2017 Nickinson Phil April 15 2010 Android Market now has 38 000 apps Android Central Archived from the original on April 24 2015 Retrieved February 24 2017 Nickinson Phil July 15 2010 Android Market now officially has more than 70 000 applications Android Central Archived from the original on April 3 2016 Retrieved February 24 2017 Hildenbrand Jerry September 9 2010 Android Market has more than 80 000 apps Android s Rubin says Android Central Retrieved February 24 2017 Gibb Kyle October 6 2010 Android Market passes 100 000 apps Android Central Retrieved February 24 2017 Rao Leena April 14 2011 Google 3 Billion Android Apps Installed Downloads Up 50 Percent From Last Quarter TechCrunch AOL Retrieved February 24 2017 a b Barra Hugo May 10 2011 Android momentum mobile and more at Google I O Official Google Blog Retrieved February 24 2017 a b cite, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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