Google has been slowly transforming Android into a more tablet-friendly platform. This involves revamping apps to work on tablets and foldables. According to Google (via Fone Arena), a huge Play Store redesign is going to make it much better for larger screens.
Google now has a tablet and a foldable; it couldn’t possibly ignore larger screens like it did for the past decade. Throughout the 2010s, Android tablet users were forced to use the mobile version of Android stretched over a 10-inch canvas. All of this happened while Apple introduced iPadOS and redefined what a tablet could do.
Now, the tablet version of Android is indistinguishable from what we had years ago. Google is continuing to push improvements to Android as we speak.
A new Play Store design makes it better on larger screens
This is a pretty big redesign of the app. Each change is specifically targeted at making the experience better for those with tablets and foldable. When you open an app’s detail page, you’ll see a large video banner stretching across the top of the page with a carousel of screenshots right below. It’s much more of a visual spectacle.
The Play Store will also implement a two-column view when viewing the app’s info. The left side of the screen shows the app’s information and the right side has the list of related apps. This makes navigating so much easier.
In that same vein, there’s also a split-screen search mode. When you type in a search query, you’ll get the search results on one side of the screen. The other side of the screen will show you the info screen for the app you select. This means that you won’t need to switch between screens when searching for apps.
This next feature is more reminiscent of what Apple does. When you’re using a Tablet, you’ll have recommendations of apps better formatted for larger screens. So, if you’re looking for a productivity or coloring app on your tablet, you’re more likely to get apps that are built for tablets than ones built for phones.
Other features
One new feature was revealed a while back. If an app has a crash rate of 8% or more, you’ll see a little warning on the app’s info screen letting you know.
On the main screen, you’ll see featured apps show up on the top of the screen. These apps will be a lot larger, so you’ll know that they deserve your attention.
Google’s going to roll out this change over the next couple of weeks. We’re not sure about Google’s rollout plans, but we expect the update to hit the Pixel Tablet and Fold before other devices.