Google revamps its Play Store with AI features and more | TechCrunch

Google said Tuesday it’s making a number of changes to how the Play Store looks and functions in an effort to better personalize the store to its users and increase engagement. Among the new features is a redesigned Apps tab, a new Play Games experience, a new tab focused on your interests, and other features that leverage Gemini AI.

The update builds on other recent additions that aim to make the Play Store more of a destination — like a tab that shows you where you can watch your favorite shows or Collections, which organizes your favorite apps and games into areas like shop, watch, and listen, Google Play Games VP and General Manager Aurash Mahbood explained to TechCrunch in a press briefing.

“For over 4 billion users, Google Play is an important gateway to discovering apps, games, books, movies, TV, and timely cultural content, and our ambition is to help all users engage with the apps and content that fuel their needs and interests,” he said in a press briefing ahead of today’s launch.

Not surprisingly, the update is adding AI-powered functionality to the Play Store.

AI Search and new Apps tab

With a feature called Guided Search, users can find the app or game they want to try by typing in a goal or idea instead of the app’s name. For example, a user could type in “find a home” to be pointed to real estate apps.

The Play Store’s Apps tab is also being updated to include new “curated spaces” dedicated to seasonal topics and those tailored to a user’s interests. These could pull in content from multiple apps, Google says. In the U.S., content related to the WNBA will be featured here, for instance.

This expansion follows the launch of curated spaces in India and Japan, which had focused on regional interests like cricket and comics, respectively. Korean users will also gain a curated space focused on video content, offering a mix of movies, TV shows, and short-form video, including drama and serialized stories. Google notes that short-form content is the most frequently consumed media format on smartphones.

A personal home with the You tab

A new You tab aims to attract users to engage with the Play Store more frequently, as it will offer a centralized place for tracking subscriptions, rewards (like Play Points), recommendations, stats, and updates.

Notably, the tab will offer recommendations related to your interests, like movies or shows, podcasts, ebooks or audiobooks, and make it easier to jump back into what you were reading, listening to, or watching last.

Gamers will also see their new gamer profile in this tab, which organizes stats and achievements across games and devices. These profiles can also now be customized with a Gen AI avatar.

A new Games tab and AI ‘sidekick’

New features for gamers are also rolling out after the launch of the new Games app that shipped with Android rival Apple’s iOS 26 release.

Now, the Games tab will centralize stat and achievement tracking, rewards, and community into one place. Play Games Leagues will allow users to challenge their friends and compete for Play Points rewards. This kicks off with the first league dedicated to the popular title Subway Surfers, which will run from October 10 through October 23.

However, the more interesting update is the addition of the AI-enabled Play Games Sidekick. This is a new in-game overlay that you can access to get real-time gaming assistance from Gemini Live.

The idea is that you can ask Gemini for help when you get stuck in a game and need guidance or tips. The feature builds on the work Google showcased with DeepMind in December, where the company showed off how it was developing AI agents across domains, including gaming.

“Instead of having to leave the game to seek out tutorials or walkthroughs, we’re leveraging the latest Gemini audio-to-audio model to help understand your gaming context, providing you quick responses and encouragement,” said Mahbood.

The Sidekick will also curate and organize other relevant gaming info in one place, so you can stay in the game. Initially, the feature will be supported in games from EA and Netmarble, including Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, FC Mobile, and Solo Leveling: Arise.

Also new are the enhanced Game Detail Pages, which will showcase information about the title, including ongoing events, developer updates, and offers. Next month, gamers will also be able to ask questions and share answers on this page to provide or get help from other gamers.

The Google Play Games on PC offering, which brings more than 200,000 titles to Windows desktops, is exiting beta today, too, Google said.