Google Announces ‘Ask-Play’ and ‘Sidekick’ Features to Simplify App Discovery and Gaming on Play Store

Google has announced significant changes to its Android Play Store, aligning its entire technology framework around Gemini AI. These new features, introduced earlier at Google I/O, aim to make it easier for users to find new apps and games, while also offering AI-powered assistance during gameplay. Gemini AI will recommend apps and games tailored to user preferences on both web and Android platforms. By the end of this year, Google plans to expand this AI recommendation system further to include information on over 450,000 movies, TV shows, and live sports streaming available on the Play Store.

If you often struggle to find a specific app or game in the Play Store, the new Gemini-powered chatbot ‘Ask Play’ will assist you. This special on-screen overlay lets users ask questions in natural language about the app they want, helping them identify the right options quickly. It enhances the existing Q&A tool by providing concise summaries of key information as ‘highlights’ at the top of the search results.

For gaming enthusiasts, Google is introducing the AI assistant ‘Play Games Sidekick.’ This feature, which appears in a corner of the screen while gaming, offers AI-generated gameplay tips and helps players achieve various achievements. Initially available to a limited group of users since last March, it is now being rolled out globally. The update also includes new social features that allow users to easily see which friends are playing the same games. Additionally, Google has made Gemini tools available to app developers, enabling them to localize their apps more efficiently. Developers can also automatically update app descriptions based on current popular search trends, thereby increasing user engagement. With this update, the Google Play Store is poised to evolve from just a place to download apps into a smart hub for discovering new digital content powered by Gemini AI.