It’s been 10 years since Google Play was launched. Its mission has remained through the years which is to help developers succeed and connect people to the apps that matter to them.
Now, more than 2.5 billion people use Google Play every month to discover apps, games, and digital content. Meanwhile, over two million developers working with Google to build businesses and reach people around the globe.
Here are some of its milestones from the last decade:
- New ways to enjoy apps and games: Products and features like Google Play Pass which first launched in India on February 28, 2022 and Google Play Instant introduced new ways to experience apps and games. Additionally, Google Play Points, which debuted in Japan on September 18, 2018, allows people to earn points and rewards.
- Gameplay on more devices: Google announced the beta of Google Play Games on PC in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, allowing for easy gameplay across Android phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and Windows PCs.
- A celebration of favorite apps and games: The ‘Best of’ awards celebrate the top apps, games, and other content on the platform. It, through the years, expanded to 19 countries with new categories like “Best Hidden Gems”, “Best Apps for Good”, and“Users’ Choice Award”. The awards identify the users’ favorite titles and give recognition to the app developers.
- A safe and trusted space: Google Play Protect, built-in malware protection for Android, now scans and verifies over 100 billion apps every day to help keep devices, data, and apps safe. Earlier this year, Google launched a new Data safety section where developers are required to give people more information about how their apps collect, share and secure data.
- Help for developers of all sizes: Google is committed to helping developers grow their businesses. This includes providing business and technical consulting and supporting small studios through efforts like Indie Games Accelerator (IGA) which was first launched in Southeast Asia, India, and Pakistan. Among the first batch of developers who joined IGA is Monstronauts, a Filipino developer team behind mobile games Potion Punch and Potion Punch 2. Additionally, to further support developers in the SEA region, the first in-office Developer Space was opened in Singapore in 2019.
- Support for nonprofits: People can make charitable donations through Google Play and even use Play Points to support great causes, with 100% of contributions going directly to nonprofits.
- Stronger representation in gaming: Through research, youth engagement, and partnerships, Google Play’s Change The Game initiative celebrates and empowers women as players and creators.
- Resources for parents: The Kids tab in Google Play helps parents easily find and pick teacher-approved apps. Meanwhile, Kids Space is a kids mode on select Android tablets that features apps, books, and videos for your kids to explore. Family Link also gives parents the tools they need to stay involved and help manage their children’s online experiences.
- Investment in local economies: Partnering with the developer community has helped bring better apps and games to people around the world, created new jobs, and supported local economies. According to the Economic Impact Report 2021, app developers in the Philippines earn about PHP 384 million (USD 7.8 million) in revenue from both the domestic and international markets through the Google Play platform per year. Android enables app developers to save up to 25% of development time and target more than 1 billion users worldwide.
- A fresh look: To round out this decade, Google is introducing a new Play logo that better reflects the magic of Google and matches the branding shared by many of its helpful products like Search, Assistant, Photos, Gmail, and more.
With all of that coming in only the first 10 years, it’s definitely exciting to see what else is to come in the next 10 years and beyond.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
