When most people think of the Google Play Store, the first thing that comes to mind is smartphones. However, the spread of the Android ecosystem is far broader than that, and Google is taking steps to increase awareness of this and make it easier for folks to find apps on the Play Store for their smart TVs, watches, and even cars.
In a blog post today, the Google Play team announced three significant changes that should make it easier for Android fans to discover apps for all their devices, right from their phone. This includes recommendations of apps for non-phone devices, a search filter to focus on only games optimized for non-phone devices, and even a remote install feature that will let you deliver those apps to your Android TV, Wear OS watch, or Android Automotive-equipped car.
It’s the latest step in Google’s efforts to unify the Android ecosystem to make devices of all stripes work better together. It’s probably no coincidence that these changes are arriving only days before Google’s big October 6 event, where it’s expected to unveil not just the next-generation Pixel 7 but also enter the smartwatch space in a big way with the highly anticipated Pixel Watch.
An update to the Google Play Store phone app, which should begin rolling out to compatible Android phones starting today, will enable these new features to put apps for non-phone devices on a much more equal footing with the Play Store’s vast collection of smartphone apps.
A new “Other Devices” page on the Play Store will focus entirely on apps optimized for Wear OS, Android TV OS, and Android Automotive. This page will be laid out similarly to other Play Store pages, with featured apps, game recommendations, and editorials explicitly tailored to how key Android apps can extend and empower the experience onto other Android devices.
A new device filter on the Play Store will also let users narrow their search results to only those apps that are compatible with their selected device, including non-phone devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, Nvidia Shield, and even Android-powered vehicles like Volvo’s Polestar 2.
When you find a Wear OS, Android TV, or Android Automotive app you like while browsing the Play Store on your Android smartphone, there’s no need to go and look for it again on that device. Instead, a single click lets you deliver it directly to your non-phone device. This works just like remotely installing Android apps to other smartphones, extending to almost every non-phone Android platform.
The Play Store website recently underwent a significant redesign to simplify navigation and improve accessibility. In the process, Google has also added these advanced device management features to the website, so you can find and install your favorite apps on your smartphone, wearable, smart TV, or vehicle from the comfort of any web browser.
All the same search filters and non-phone featured pages are available from the Play Store, making it even easier to search out and discover new app experiences for all your Android devices.
Google also hopes these changes will give developers more opportunities to showcase multi-device app experiences and extend their apps beyond smartphones and into the rest of the Android ecosystem.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.