The Play Store is formally 10 years outdated, and Google is raring to mark the event. On prime of a brand new emblem in step with the tech large’s present aesthetic (see above), there is a promotion beginning July twenty fifth that gives 10 occasions the same old Play Points to rewards program members who make purchases.
Google launched the Play Store in 2012 to unify all its on-line shops of the period beneath a single umbrella: Android Market (apps), music, e-books and movies. You might successfully purchase something Google supplied by means of one web site or a handful of apps. For some time, you would additionally store a digital newsstand and {hardware} merchandise like Nexus units and Chromebooks. The service has unsurprisingly been widespread given its significance to Android, with over 2.5 billion folks utilizing the shop each month throughout 190 nations.
The anniversary comes because the service is evolving. The firm rebadged Play Newsstand as Google News in 2018, and wound down Play Music in 2020 because it completed transitioning to YouTube Music. This yr, Google is pulling the Movies & TV part to place its content material within the TV app. The Play Store remains to be intact, however it’s significantly extra targeted than it was a decade in the past.
The Play Store has additionally endured its share of controversy. While the Play Protect anti-malware system and knowledge security listings have made the shop extra reliable than in its early days, there are nonetheless occasional cases of shady apps dodging Google’s screening system. Google has additionally drawn flak for its insurance policies. Fortnite creator Epic Games and others have accused Google of stifling using third-party fee programs, and even blocking producer offers. Google even tightened its insurance policies this June, requiring {that a} host of apps use the Play Store’s billing system.
The European Union partly reversed that method with laws requiring entry to third-party fee platforms. Other regulators have demanded related modifications. As necessary because the Play Store has been to Android and Google as an entire, there’s an opportunity it would lose a few of its clout within the years forward.