Neowin

Google has accidentally launched an internal "dogfood" build of its Personal Safety app via the Play Store, which contains a new feature that allows users to use their Pixel phones as a dashcam.

Google has been asked by India's anti-trust watchdog to provide details related to its user choice billing program after companies alleged that Google had been charging up to 26 percent commission.

Google started showing ads inside search history on its Play Store. While the store is filled with ads all over the place, it has found one remaining spot to place monetization in the search history.

An Android threat campaign using fraudulent educational apps was recently found. It can capture various Facebook information such as profile name, email address, password, and phone number.

Google claims it is cracking down on VPN services that track user data and reroute traffic for ad monetization. The company will cripple apps that can interfere with or block advertisements.

Google has pulled 2,000 personal loan apps from the Play Store this year. Google now requires lenders to prove they have a licence with the central bank to lend money, to help protect customers.

A U.S. bill could force apps to strip out digital yuan payment methods if they want to feature in the App Store and Play Store in the United States. Senators are concerned about potential tracking.

Around 1.5 million apps may get removed from the App Store and Play Store. A report says these apps may not have the latest privacy and security features and, therefore, may get removed.

Google has announced that paid apps in the Play Store can't be downloaded or updated in Russia anymore. This is apparently being done due to "compliance" efforts but free apps are exempt.

Google has revealed that it banned over 190,000 malicious and spammy developers from the Play Store last year. Similarly, 1.2 million apps that violated Play Store policies were also removed.

The subscription model for revenue generation from smartphone apps and games has witnessed massive growth in 2021. Although its overall contribution is low, it is growing at a phenomenal rate.

The change is being made so ratings specific to a region do not unfairly impact another. Localized ratings will begin appearing on phones later this year and other devices early next year.

Google has started notifying developers that they can now enroll in 15% Play Store commissions for earnings less than $1 million in yearly revenue. The formal kickoff date is July 1.

Google unveiled today a preview of a new safety section in Google Play that aims to provide greater transparency around what type of data is collected by an app and how these data are shared.

Microsoft's plan to unify the Edge codebase across the desktop, Android, and iOS versions this year has begun to take form with the release of Edge Canary on Android. It runs version 91 with a new UI.

Google has announced that it's reducing the commission Play Store developers have to pay from 30% to 15% for revenue numbers below $1 million. Apple made a similar move late last year.

With Honor now no longer a part of Huawei, the company is reportedly working on a new lineup of devices that support Google Mobile Services for launch in Russia later in the spring.

Google today announced that developers can now submit Android Auto apps to the Play Store for testing them in closed tracks. This is part of the firm's efforts to open the platform to more apps.

Opera for Android 61 has been made available today and it comes with an integrated media player, the WebSnap screenshot tool and an easier to access QR scanner. It's on the Play Store now.

Google has announced a handful of new features making their way to Android devices in time for the holiday season. These include the new Voice Access app and improvements to Nearby Share.

OnePlus has brought its revamped Messages app to the Play Store, currently available on the One Plus 7 and 7T series phones in India. The app helps manage messages using categorization and cards.

Google is updating its Camera Go app which is meant for low-end Android Go devices to add support for Night Mode using burst photography. It will also add HDR processing support to the app.

Google has delayed enforcing its policy of developers using Google Play billing and paying a 30% commission for IAPs until April 2022 in India following backlash from developers in the country.

Google has announced a number of changes for Android developers, with the most notable being the fact that it will be easier for companies to offer their own app stores in Android 12.

Google is looking to update the Play Store guidelines next week and prevent developers from bypassing its billing system for in-app purchases and subscriptions thereby getting its 30% fees.

Google has taken down the Paytm app from Play Store for violating its policies. Play Store prohibits online casinos and other unregulated gambling apps that facilitate sports betting.

Google has detailed the gaming abilities of Chromebooks, boasting of streaming services like Stadia and GeForce NOW. It adds that gaming apps' usage has tripled in the last few months.

Google is working on a massive redesign of the 'My Apps' section of the Play Store that will see it being named to "Manage apps & device." It is also working on P2P sharing for installed apps & games.

Netflix has finally exceeded one billion downloads on the Play Store. It's still way ahead of its competitors Hulu and Prime Video, both of which have less than 500 million installs.

Opera for Android 59 has been made available for download on the Google Play Store. It brings a new online payment API to speed up purchases and improves external app handling in the site settings.

There's a new update rolling out for the Apple Music app for Android adding support for gapless playback and enhancing Android Auto and music downloads, though performance issues persist.