All articles tagged with #play store
Google will begin policing memory-hungry Android apps to address RAM shortages, enforcing per-app memory limits across devices from 4GB to 16GB+ as Android 17 rolls out. Apps that exceed the limits can be slowed or terminated, and those that fail to meet thresholds may lose visibility and publishing rights on Google Play, with full enforcement slated for February 2027 to give developers time to optimize.
A Google Play Store listing for 'Android Pulse' reveals a Google-made background tool intended to monitor and report anomalous resource usage by apps and the OS. It’s reportedly three days old with over 10 million downloads, though APKMirror shows the component existed since March. You likely can’t uninstall it, and its purpose seems to be aiding stability rather than offering a user-facing feature.
Following a judge’s order tied to the Epic Games antitrust case, Google began hosting third‑party app stores in the Play Store, with Aptoide as the first. Stores must meet security standards, undergo Google review, and incur upfront fees; developers can opt out. The US rollout is active with international expansion planned, adding a new distribution path beyond Google’s own store, though Aptoide’s catalog remains comparatively sparse for now.
Google is rolling out the Play Age Signals API globally to let developers request age ranges for child accounts via Family Link, offering a privacy-preserving way to verify ages without ID or selfies. The system is opt-in for parents, can be used to tailor app experiences by age, and is designed to help meet store-level age restrictions. It began as a beta in Brazil, with Australia and Canada next and the US planned by the end of 2026. It won’t completely block underage access, and its effectiveness depends on developer adoption and user participation in sharing age data.
The European Commission fined Google about $1 billion under the Digital Markets Act for search-ranking and Play Store practices, roughly $524 million for search violations and $490 million for Play violations. Google has 60 days to comply, including fair, non-discriminatory treatment of third-party services in search results and allowing app developers to promote offers and contract outside the Play Store. The commission said the proposed changes show substantial progress toward compliance and good progress on Play, and it will continue dialogue on how this affects AI tools. The penalties mark the DMA’s first such actions, following earlier EU actions against Android/ad tech, while Google contends the ruling degrades its products and harms users.
The European Union fined Google €890 million under the Digital Markets Act for self‑preferencing in search and for restricting Play Store practices, ordering changes to how rivals are ranked and how the store operates. Google has 60 days to comply or face daily penalties, signaling renewed DMA enforcement as Brussels pressures big platforms to reform practices in markets they dominate.
The European Commission fined Google $1 billion for antitrust violations tied to its Play Store and search, accusing the company of abusing its dominance to stifle competition; the ruling underscores the EU's ongoing scrutiny of tech giants and Google may appeal.
The European Commission charged Alphabet €890 million (roughly $1 billion) for two DMA violations: giving its own Shopping/Hotels/Flights services preferential treatment in Google Search and blocking Android developers from directing users to alternative payment options in the Play Store. Google has 60 days to change its policies or face further penalties; the ruling comes after a lengthy DMA investigation and follows past antitrust actions against Google. The DMA aims to curb gatekeeper behavior by ensuring fair treatment and open choices for European consumers and developers.
Google reportedly invited Play Store app developers to join a confidential pilot to sell access to their production and archived code to help train Google's AI coding tools, with non-exclusive licenses and 100% IP retention; the program signals Google's push to secure high-quality training data as rivals expand in AI-assisted coding.
Google is rolling out Google Play Services v26.21 and Play Store v51.7 with several updates: Credential Exchange now lets users import/export passwords and passkeys between Google Password Manager and third‑party password managers; Play Store gains clearer sale pricing, a unified pre-registration/auto-install flow, and new banners for monthly challenges and Loyalty MAX; developers get Maps-related features in Developer Services.
Google is reportedly exploring a feature to notify Play Store users when apps are removed from the store, aiming to reduce confusion over disappearing apps and provide context for removals tied to policy or security concerns; the alerts would likely be delivered via push or in‑app notices and would be configurable by the user.
Google is reportedly considering a Play Store feature that would alert users when Android apps are removed or unpublished, helping them stay informed and seek alternatives before they’re affected.
Google has removed the psychological horror visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club! from the Play Store, citing a violation of its Terms of Service related to sensitive themes. Developers say the game thoughtfully addresses mental health and note it remains available on Steam, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and iOS; they’re pursuing reinstatement on Google Play and exploring other Android distribution options. The title reportedly had tens of millions of downloads across its free and Plus versions.
A settlement requires Epic Games and its CEO Tim Sweeney to publicly praise Google’s competitiveness and its app-store operations for five years after Google finishes rolling out Play Store fee changes (expected by Sep 30, 2027), effectively barring negative remarks until after Sep 30, 2032; Epic has also brought Fortnite back to the Google Play Store in response to the changes.
Google has turned Now Playing into a standalone Pixel app on the Play Store, moving it out of Settings to enable faster updates and greater visibility. The app still identifies songs entirely on-device using a fingerprint database (no audio is sent to the cloud), and Google is testing a refreshed UI with clearer album art and easier navigation between the song history and recognition features.