Maya Robertson
Google Play has introduced a sweeping range of upgrades aimed at improving app discovery, streamlining subscription management, and enhancing developer tools. Unveiled during Google I/O 2025, these changes reflect Google’s response to increasing regulatory scrutiny and growing competition from alternative app distribution platforms.
To improve how users discover and engage with apps, Google Play is introducing topic browse pages, initially rolling out in the U.S. for media and entertainment content. These pages allow users to explore apps linked to over 100,000 shows, movies, and sports events. Accessible via the Apps Home, store listings, and search, these pages are designed to present curated, contextually relevant app recommendations and will expand globally later this year.
Complementing these are curated spaces that promote recurring user engagement by focusing on seasonal and regional interests like football in Brazil or comics in Japan. These content hubs now feature editorial content, promotions, and media such as match highlights, contributing to steady user return rates.
Google is also enhancing in-app media display options. Developers can now integrate hero content carousels and YouTube playlists directly into app listings. For apps with audio features, audio previews are now available on the Apps Home—already live for Health & Wellness apps in the U.S.—with results indicating a threefold increase in installation likelihood during early tests.
As developers face increasing pressure to optimize monetization, Google Play has updated its subscription tools to support multi-product checkout. This new structure allows app developers to offer base subscriptions and add-ons within a unified payment flow, simplifying the user experience and giving developers more flexibility in pricing and bundling.
Google is also addressing both voluntary and involuntary churn. Subscription benefits are now highlighted throughout the user journey—in the Subscriptions Center, purchase and cancellation flows, and via email reminders. According to Google, these visibility enhancements are already helping reduce voluntary churn. On the involuntary side, developers can now implement a 30-day grace period or a 60-day account hold if a user’s payment fails, offering more recovery time before cancellations take effect.
To support user readiness for purchases, Play now prompts users to set up payment methods during device onboarding and uses AI to recommend payment methods contextually throughout the shopping journey. Additionally, cart abandonment prompts are being used to re-engage users.
Google has redesigned the Play Console dashboard around four key developer goals: testing and releasing, monitoring and improving, growing users, and monetizing. New overview pages consolidate related metrics and provide contextual recommendations via a “Take Action” section. These insights aim to help developers respond proactively to performance and engagement challenges.
A notable operational upgrade allows developers to halt fully-live app releases in case of critical bugs—a significant shift from the previous system that lacked rollback flexibility once a release hit 100% rollout.
The asset library has also been revamped to allow easier management of visual assets via Google Drive integration, tagging, and cropping. Developers also gain access to open metrics to better understand user interactions with app listings.
On the security front, enhancements to the Play Integrity API aim to mitigate abuse and fraud. These include device security checks for sensitive operations and a beta feature to detect reuse of devices for abuse—even after factory resets.
The Engage SDK, which allows developers to deliver tailored content directly to Android users’ home screens, is expanding its capabilities. New content categories like travel are supported, and its reach will extend to the Play Store itself and globally via features like Collections and the Entertainment Space.
These features are already live in countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Mexico, and aim to offer users a seamless path from content discovery to app interaction.
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