Google is tweaking the Play Store to make it better for tablets and folding phones

Google is making some changes to the Play Store to make it easier for people with larger screens to find apps that can take advantage of display real estate. According to a post on its developers blog, the company is planning some changes to how apps are ranked and promoted, how reviews are displayed, and alert messages you can see whether you're on a tablet, foldable, or Chromebook. are or not. browsing apps.

In the post, Google says it will update how the Play Store ranks and features apps on larger-screen devices, with Logic taking into account factors such as support for different device orientations, keyboard support, and more . , The company says the change, which will happen "in the coming months," is meant to "prioritize high-quality apps and games" and help ensure people get the first app from their devices. But will work well.

Google's post also mentioned that the Play Store will start showing reviews and ratings from people in the same category of devices — for example, phone users will see reviews left by other phone users, tablet users left by tablet users. . Will look at reviews, and so on, so they can get a better idea of how well the app will work on their type of device. The company announced that this change was coming last summer, but it's good to hear it's still being worked on. Google says developers can see what reviews and ratings a user with a specific device will see in the Play Store console.

Finally, Google says it's changing alerts for apps that don't meet compatibility requirements to ensure that device users with larger screens know how something will play after installing it. Its post is vague on what this actually means, saying it will "provide additional communication on this change" later this year.

Google has been paying a lot of attention to tablets and big-screen phones lately. Its Android 12L update focuses on improving the big-screen experience with the addition of notifications and quick settings shader and taskbar. There have also been some interesting developments in its platform and ecosystem team, where one of the original founders of Android is working on developing Android for the big screen.

Google's emphasis on large-screen devices is interesting, given that it doesn't make any tablets, no folding phones, and an all-in-one Chromebook (which was introduced in 2019). Of course, it has a lot of partners that make them, but if I were in the business of predicting what a company might be working on, I think my ears would perk up at this point. There are rumors of an upcoming Pixel foldable, and that's probably all we'll see — but Google may be making Android for tablets so good it just needs to make one of its own.