The Google Play Store will soon introduce a new space for apps to showcase content-driven experiences: the report

Google is reportedly working on a new feature that will help developers showcase their apps and their capabilities in the new space. The tech giant is said to have shared its plans with third-party app developers at the Google I/O 2024 event during a session. This new feature will create a new surface where users can see and experience content from apps. The company reportedly believes this can drive engagement and help users find their way to forgotten apps.

According to a TechCrunch report, Mekka Okereke, General Manager of Apps for Google Play explained this new approach to a select group of app developers during the event. Okereke reportedly said, “This new surface will automatically organize the best and most featured content from the apps users already have installed on their Android phones and allows for continued travel between apps for almost any app category.” He further explained that this experience would be full-screen content that could be launched with a single tap and would display immersive experiences that match the most complete content of installed apps.

Breaking it down, this new feature appears to be a space within the Google Play Store or on users’ home screens (similar to Google Discover that exists on the left side of the home screen on some Android smartphones). In these spaces, the technology giant will display content from various applications and create immersive experiences. The report highlighted an example where users can see a pair of white trainers and click on them to go directly to the app and make a purchase.

Namely, this is not an app discovery feature as it is designed for apps that the user has already installed on their device but hasn’t interacted with for a while. Impressive content aims to remind them of what they’re missing and lure them back into the app. Although Google hasn’t revealed exactly how it wants to incorporate this feature, but its description makes it seem like an interactive ad, which may not appeal to many users.

Currently, the feature is limited to some developers that Google works with. They will reportedly be granted access to its Engage SDK tool for creating content-driven experiences that will then be introduced by the Android maker. Users probably won’t see them until later this year. According to the report, some of the popular app developers who have partnered with Google include Spotify, Prime Video, Reddit, Uber Eats, YouTube, McDonald’s, Google Maps and others.