Google Play Store ads are about to turn up in an annoying place
You might soon be exposed to even more ads in the Play Store
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
An update to theGoogle Play Store, in which ads will appear when you open the search bar, is reportedly in testing.
9To5Googlehas found that the company is considering replacing recent history with ads. The change has been spotted on a device running version 33.0.17-21 of the Play Store.
The current default behavior of the search function for most users is that when activated, the four most recent searches appear as suggestions in theAndroid appsspace.
Play Store ads
For manyAndroid phoneusers, browsing the Play Store for new apps doesn’t form part of their habits - instead they head straight for the search bar to look for a specific app in mind.
It could be that Google has noticed this, and is trialing a new change that could see ad exposure increase significantly.
The best online marketing services>Google Play Store is blocking full-screen ads, VPN hijacking>Google Play Store and Apple Store adware downloaded millions of times
Also, search history may not be particularly useful for a lot of users, so it would make sense from Google’s perspective to replace it with something more financially beneficial to the company.
The rollout could be part of the latest update to the Play Store - version 33.0.17-21 - which includes a section on “New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love”.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
Google isn’t the only company changing the way ads work in its app store:Apple’s App Store has recently undergone some updates too. Ads are now being shown in the ‘Today’ tab of the App Store along with suggestions within each app’s listing, which are made evident by an ‘Ad’ icon with a blue background.
With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!
7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing
Best Usenet client of 2024
I’ve been covering Apple Watch deals for years – This is the one model most people should buy on Black Friday
