During last year’s Google I/O conference, Google revealed its intentions to improve the Play Store app to support larger screen devices. The Verge claims that Google has just released four major upgrades designed to improve the browsing experience on tablets, Chromebooks and foldable devices.
The redesign of the store listing page is the first major change. Games with “high-quality introductory videos” will now have a video banner at the top of the page. Google has also updated the app and game information pages, adopting a column layout to display more material higher up on the screen. The goal of this layout change is to improve the usability and intuitiveness of user interaction.
To encourage developers to optimize their apps for different screen sizes, Google has increased search results for apps that scale well to larger displays. In the future, Editors’ Choice will give more prominence to apps that “fully adapt to a variety of screen sizes”.
The second adjustment relates to the compatibility of apps with large-screen devices. Google will now display warnings on the information pages of applications that may not properly adjust to the “big screen”. This will warn customers that the program may display missing parts or potentially crash on such devices, discouraging them from purchasing unreliable software.
The third update focuses on changing the way the Play Store looks on smartphones with large screens. Google will now use a left navigation bar instead of the usual top navigation bar. This change makes it easier for users to reach menu items with their thumbs in landscape mode, reducing the possibility of accidental touches and improving the overall user experience.
The fourth change involves split-screen search capabilities. With this update, the Play Store will now display search results and app information side by side. This eliminates the need to toggle between pages when searching for apps, making it easier and more convenient for users.
