Google Play

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Not to be confused with Google Store or Google Pay.

Google Play
Google Play.svg
Google Play Store on the web, before the removal of the Newsstand tab
Google Play Store on the web, before the removal of the Newsstand tab
Developer(s)Google LLC
Initial releaseOctober 22, 2008; 10 years ago (2008-10-22) (as Android Market)
Stable release(s) [±]
Android12.5.15 / November 16, 2018; 10 days ago (2018-11-16)[1]
Android TV11.7.11 / September 29, 2018; 58 days ago (2018-09-29)[2]
Wear OS11.2.14 / September 28, 2018; 59 days ago (2018-09-28)[3]
PlatformAndroid, Chrome OS
TypeDigital distribution, App store
Websiteplay.google.com

Google Play (previously Android Market) is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google Inc.. It serves as the official app store for the Android operating system, allowing users to browse and download applications developed with the Android software development kit (SDK) and published through Google. Google Play also serves as a digital media store, offering music, books, movies, and television programs. It previously offered Google hardware devices for purchase until the introduction of a separate online hardware retailer, Google Store, on March 11, 2015, and it also offered news publications and magazines before the revamp of Google News in May 15, 2018.

Applications are available through Google Play either free of charge or at a cost. They can be downloaded directly on an Android device through the Play Store mobile app or by deploying the application to a device from the Google Play website. Applications exploiting hardware capabilities of a device can be targeted to users of devices with specific hardware components, such as a motion sensor (for motion-dependent games) or a front-facing camera (for online video calling). The Google Play store had over 82 billion app downloads in 2016 and has reached over 3.5 million apps published in 2017.[4] It has been the subject of multiple issues concerning security, in which malicious software has been approved and uploaded to the store and downloaded by users, with varying degrees of severity.

Google Play was launched on March 6, 2012, bringing together the Android Market, Google Music, and the Google eBookstore under one brand, marking a shift in Google's digital distribution strategy. The services included in the Google Play are: Google Play Books, Google Play Games, Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Music. Following their re-branding, Google has gradually expanded the geographical support for each of the services.

Catalog content[edit]

Android applications[edit]

Further information: Android (operating system)
Map of global availability of Google Play
Global availability of Google Play

As of 2017, Google Play features over 3.5 million Android applications.[4][5] Users in over 145 countries can purchase apps, although Google notes on its support pages that "Paid content may not be available in some provinces or territories, even if the governing country is listed above."[6] Developers in over 150 locations can distribute apps on Google Play, though not every location supports merchant registration.[7] To distribute apps, developers have to pay a one-time $25 registration fee for a Google Play Developer Console account.[8] App developers can control which countries an app is distributed to, as well as the pricing for the app and in-app purchases in each country.[9][10] Developers receive 70% of the application price, while the remaining 30% goes to the distribution partner and operating fees.[11] Developers can set up sales, with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends.[12][13][14] Google Play allows developers to release early versions of apps to a select group of users, as alpha or beta tests.[15] Developers can also release apps through staged rollouts, in which "your update reaches only a percentage of your users, which you can increase over time."[16] Users can pre-order select apps (as well as movies, music, books, and games) to have the items delivered as soon as they are available.[17] Some network carriers offer billing for Google Play purchases, allowing users to opt for charges in the monthly phone bill rather than on credit cards.[18] Users can request refunds within 48 hours after a purchase if "something you bought isn't working, isn't what you expected, was bought by accident, or you changed your mind about the purchase".[19] Apps meeting specific usability requirements can qualify as a Wear OS app.[20]

Play Games[edit]

Main article: Google Play Games

Google Play Games is an online gaming service for Android that features real-time multiplayer gaming capabilities, cloud saves, social and public leaderboards, and achievements. The service was introduced at the Google I/O 2013 Developer Conference,[21] and the standalone mobile app was launched on July 24, 2013.[22]

Music[edit]

Main article: Google Play Music
Map of global availability of Google Play Music
Global availability of Google Play Music

Google Play Music is a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker. It features over 40 million songs,[23] and gives users free cloud storage of up to 50,000 songs.[24]

As of May 2017, Google Play Music is available in 64 countries.[25]

Books[edit]

Main article: Google Play Books

Google Play Books is an ebook digital distribution service. Google Play offers over five million ebooks available for purchase,[26] and users can also upload up to 1,000 of their own ebooks in the form of PDF or EPUB file formats.[27] As of January 2017, Google Play Books is available in 75 countries.[25] Google Play Books can often be found on (or are a mirror of) the archive.org website, freely available for readers and for download.[citation needed]

Movies and TV shows[edit]

Main article: Google Play Movies & TV
Global availability of Google Play Movies & TV

Google Play Movies & TV is a video on demand service offering movies and television shows available for purchase or rental, depending on availability.[28]

As of January 2017, movies are available in over 110 countries, while TV shows are available only in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.[25]

News publications and magazines[edit]

Main article: Google Play Newsstand

Google Play Newsstand is a news aggregator and digital newsstand service offering subscriptions to digital magazines and topical news feeds.[29][30]

As of January 2017, the basic Newsstand service, with topical news feeds, is available worldwide. Paid Newsstand content is available in over 35 countries.[25]

In May 15, 2018, the mobile app merged with Google News & Weather to form Google News. The Newsstand section continued to appear on the Google Play website until late 2018.

Devices[edit]

Main article: Google Store

Google Play, before March 2015, had a Devices section for users to purchase Google Nexus devices, Chromebooks, Chromecasts, other Google-branded hardware, and accessories. A separate online hardware retailer called the Google Store was introduced on March 11, 2015, replacing the Devices section of Google Play.[31][32]

History[edit]

Former Google Play logo, 2012

Google Play (previously styled Google play) originated from three distinct products: Android Market, Google Music and Google eBookstore.

The Android Market was announced by Google on August 28, 2008,[33][34] and was made available to users on October 22.[35][36] In December 2010, content filtering was added to the Android Market, each app's details page started showing a promotional graphic at the top, and the maximum size of an app was raised from 25 megabytes to 50 megabytes.[37][38][39] The Google eBookstore was launched on December 6, 2010, debuting with three million ebooks, making it "the largest ebooks collection in the world".[40] In November 2011, Google announced Google Music, a section of the Play Store offering music purchases.[41][42] In March 2012, Google increased the maximum allowed size of an app by allowing developers to attach two expansion files to an app's basic download; each expansion file with a maximum size of 2 gigabytes, giving app developers a total of 4 gigabytes.[43][44] Also in March 2012, the Android Market was re-branded as Google Play.[45][46][47]

In May 2016, it was announced that the Google Play Store, including all Android apps, would be coming to Chrome OS in September 2016.[48][49]

User interface[edit]

Apart from searching for content by name, apps can also be searched through keywords provided by the developer.[50] When searching for apps, users can press on suggested search filters, helping them to find apps matching the determined filters.[51] For the discoverability of apps, Play Store consists of lists featuring top apps in each category, including "Top Free", a list of the most popular free apps of all time; "Top Paid", a list of the most popular paid apps of all time; "Top Grossing", a list of apps generating the highest amounts of revenue; "Trending Apps", a list of apps with recent installation growth; "Top New Free", a list of the most popular new free apps; "Top New Paid", a list of the most popular new paid apps; "Featured", a list of new apps selected by the Google Play team; "Staff Picks", a frequently-updated list of apps selected by the Google Play team; "Editors' Choice", a list of apps considered the best of all time; and "Top Developer", a list of apps made by developers considered the best.[52] In March 2017, Google added a "Free App of the Week" section, offering one normally-paid app for free.[53][54] In July 2017, Google expanded its "Editors' Choice" section to feature curated lists of apps deemed to provide good Android experiences within overall themes, such as fitness, video calling and puzzle games.[55][56]

Google Play enables users to know the popularity of apps, by displaying the number of times the app has been downloaded. The download count is a color-coded badge, with special color designations for surpassing certain app download milestones, including grey for 100, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 downloads, blue for 10,000 and 50,000 downloads, green for 100,000 and 500,000 downloads, and red/orange for 1 million, 5 million, 10 million and 1 billion downloads.[57][58]

Users can submit reviews and ratings for apps and digital content distributed through Google Play, which are displayed publicly. Ratings are based on a 5-point scale. App developers can respond to reviews[59] using the Google Play Developer Console.[60]

Design[edit]

Google has redesigned Google Play's interface on several occasions. In February 2011, Google introduced a website interface for then-named Android Market that provides access through a computer.[61] Applications purchased are downloaded and installed on an Android device remotely, with a "My Market Account" section letting users give their devices a nickname for easy recognition.[62] In May 2011, Google added new application lists to Android Market, including "Top Paid", "Top Free", "Editor's Choice", "Top Grossing", "Top Developers", and "Trending".[63][64] In July, Google introduced an interface with a focus on featured content, more search filters, and (in the US) book sales and movie rentals.[65] In May 2013, a redesign to the website interface matched the then-recently redesigned Android app.[66] In July 2014, the Play Store Android app added new headers to the Books/Movies sections, a new Additional Information screen offering a list featuring the latest available app version, installed size, and content rating, and simplified the app permissions prompt into overview categories.[67] A few days later, it got a redesign consistent with the then-new Material Design design language,[68][69] and the app was again updated in October 2015 to feature new animations, divide up the content into "Apps and Games" and "Entertainment" sections, as well as added support for languages read right-to-left.[70][71][72] In April 2016, Google announced a redesign of all the icons used for its suite of Play apps, adding a similar style and consistent look.[73][74] In May 2017, Google removed the shopping bag from the Google Play icon, with only the triangle and associated colors remaining.[75][76] In March 2018, Google experimented by changing the format of the screenshots used for the App pages from the WebP format to PNG but reverted the change after it caused the images to load slower. The update also saw small UI tweaks to the Google Play Store site with the reviews section now opening to a dedicated page and larger images in the light box viewer.[77][78]

App monetization[edit]

Google states in its Developer Policy Center that "Google Play supports a variety of monetization strategies to benefit developers and users, including paid distribution, in-app products, subscriptions, and ad-based models", and requires developers to comply with the policies in order to "ensure the best user experience". It requires that developers charging for apps and downloads through Google Play must use Google Play's payment system. In-app purchases unlocking additional app functionality must also use the Google Play payment system, except in cases where the purchase "is solely for physical products" or "is for digital content that may be consumed outside of the app itself (e.g. songs that can be played on other music players)."[79] Support for paid applications was introduced on February 13, 2009 for developers in the United States and the United Kingdom,[80] with support expanded to an additional 29 countries on September 30, 2010.[81] The in-app billing system was originally introduced in March 2011.[82] All developers on Google Play are required to feature a physical address on the app's page in Google Play, a requirement established in September 2014.[83]

In February 2017, Google announced that it would let developers set sales for their apps, with the original price struck out and a banner underneath informing users when the sale ends. Google also announced that it had made changes to its algorithms to promote games based on user engagement and not just downloads. Finally, it announced new editorial pages for what it considers "optimal gaming experiences on Android", further promoting and curating games.[12][13][14]

Payment methods[edit]

Google allows users to purchase content with credit or debit cards, carrier billing, gift cards, or through PayPal.[84] Google began rolling out carrier billing for purchases in May 2012,[18][85] followed by support for PayPal in May 2014.[86][87]

Gift cards[edit]

Gift cards in a Target store in the United States

The rumor of Google Play gift cards started circulating online in August 2012 after references to it was discovered by Android Police in the 3.8.15 version update of the Play Store Android app.[88] Soon after, images of the gift cards started to leak,[89] and on August 21, 2012 they were made official by Google and rolled out over the next few weeks.[90][91]

Google Play gift cards are currently available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.[92]

Subscriptions[edit]

Google introduced in-app subscriptions to Google Play in May 2012.[93][94] In June 2016, some sources reported that Google announced that subscriptions charged through Google Play would now split the revenue 85/15, where developers receive 85% of revenue and Google only takes 15%, a change from the traditional 70/30 split in years prior. The move followed Apple's then-recently announced change of the same model, although commentators were quick to point out that while Apple only grants the 85/15 revenue share after one year of active subscriptions, Google's subscription change takes effect immediately.[95][96][97] As of January 1, 2018, the transaction fee for subscription products decreased to 15% for any subscribers developers retain after 12 paid months.[98] So unlike what sources were reporting, Google is using the same model as Apple with in-app subscriptions on the App Store.

Play Store on Android[edit]

Play Store
Developer(s)Google
Initial releaseOctober 22, 2008; 10 years ago (2008-10-22)
Operating systemAndroid
TypeDigital distribution, App store
Websiteplay.google.com
Get it on Google Play badge

Play Store is Google's official pre-installed app store on Android-certified devices. It provides access to content on the Google Play Store, including apps, books, magazines, music, movies, and television programs.[99]

Play Store filters the list of apps to those compatible with the user's device. Developers can target specific hardware components (such as compass), software components (such as widget), and Android versions (such as 7.0 Nougat).[100] Carriers can also ban certain apps from being installed on users' devices, for example tethering applications.[101]

There is no requirement that Android applications must be acquired using the Play Store. Users may download Android applications from a developer's website or through a third-party app store alternative.[102] Play Store applications are self-contained Android Package files (APK), similar to .exe files to install programs on Microsoft Windows computers.[103] On Android devices, an "Unknown sources" feature in Settings allows users to bypass the Play Store and install APKs from other sources.[104] Depending on developer preferences, some apps can be installed to a phone's external storage card.[105]

Android users have complained that the Google Play store access cannot be blocked and there is constant data exchange with the google cloud. Also valuable CPU ressources are used, slowing down the Android system.[106]

Installation history[edit]

The Play Store app features a history of all installed apps. Users can remove apps from the list, with the changes also synchronizing to the Google Play website interface, where the option to remove apps from the history does not exist.[107]

Compatibility[edit]

Google publishes the source code for Android through its "Android Open Source Project", allowing enthusiasts and developers to program and distribute their own modified versions of the operating system. However, not all these modified versions are compatible with apps developed for Google's official Android versions. The "Android Compatibility Program" serves to "define a baseline implementation of Android that is compatible with third-party apps written by developers". Only Android devices that comply with Google's compatibility requirements may install and access Google's Play Store application. As stated in a help page for the Android Open Source Project, "Devices that are "Android compatible" may participate in the Android ecosystem, including Android Market; devices that don't meet the compatibility requirements exist outside that ecosystem. In other words, the Android Compatibility Program is how we separate "Android compatible devices" from devices that merely run derivatives of the source code. We welcome all uses of the Android source code, but only Android compatible devices—as defined and tested by the Android Compatibility Program—may participate in the Android ecosystem."[108]

Some device manufacturers choose to use their own app store instead of—or in addition to—the Play Store. Examples include Amazon opting for Amazon Appstore instead of Google Play for its Kindle Fire tablet computers,[109] and Samsung adding Galaxy Apps for its line of Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.[110]

Google Play Services[edit]

Main article: Google Play Services

In 2012, Google began decoupling certain aspects of its Android operating system (particularly its core applications) so they could be updated through the Google Play store independently of the OS. One of those components, Google Play Services, is a closed-source system-level process providing APIs for Google services, installed automatically on nearly all devices running Android 2.2 "Froyo" and higher. With these changes, Google can add new system functionality through Play Services and update apps without having to distribute an upgrade to the operating system itself.[111] As a result, Android 4.2 and 4.3 "Jelly Bean" contained relatively fewer user-facing changes, focusing more on minor changes and platform improvements.[112]

History of app growth[edit]

Year Month Applications available Downloads to date
2009 March 2,300[113]
December 16,000[114]
2010 March 30,000[115]
April 38,000[116]
July 70,000[117]
September 80,000[118]
October 100,000[119]
2011 April 3 billion[120]
May 200,000[121] 4,5 billion[121]
July 250,000[122] 6 billion[122]
October 500,000[123][124]
December 10 billion[125]
2012 April 15 billion[126]
June 600,000[127] 20 billion[127]
September 675,000[128] 25 billion[128]
October 700,000[129]
2013 May 48 billion[130]
July 1 million[131] 50 billion[131]
2016 82 billion[132]
2017 February 2.7 million[5]

Google Play Awards and yearly lists[edit]

In April 2016, Google announced the Google Play Awards, described as "a way to recognize our incredible developer community and highlight some of the best apps and games". The awards showcase five nominees across ten award categories, and the apps are featured in a dedicated section of Google Play. Google stated that "Nominees were selected by a panel of experts on the Google Play team based on criteria emphasizing app quality, innovation, and having a launch or major update in the last 12 months", with the winners announced in May.[133][134]

Google has also previously released yearly lists of apps it deemed the "best" on Google Play.[135][136]

On March 6, 2017, five years after Google Play's launch, Google released lists of the best-selling apps, games, movies, music, and books over the past five years.[137][138]

In June 2017, Google introduced "Android Excellence", a new editorial program to highlight the apps deemed the highest quality by the Google Play editors.[139][140]

Application approval[edit]

Google places some restrictions on the types of apps that can be published, in particular not allowing sexually explicit content, child endangerment, violence, bullying & harassment, hate speech, gambling, illegal activities, and requiring precautions for user-generated content.[141]

In March 2015, Google disclosed that over the past few months, it had been begun using a combination of automated tools and human reviewers to check apps for malware and terms of service violations before they are published in the Play Store. At the same time, it began rolling out a new age-based ratings system for apps and games, based on a given region's official ratings authority (for example, ESRB in the US).[142][143][144]

In October 2016, Google announced a new detection and filtering system designed to provide "additional enhancements to protect the integrity of the store". The new system is aimed to detect and filter cases where developers have been attempting to "manipulate the placement of their apps through illegitimate means like fraudulent installs, fake reviews, and incentivized ratings".[145][146][147]

Application bans[edit]

Some mobile carriers can block users from installing certain apps. In March 2009, reports surfaced that several tethering apps were banned from the store.[148] However, the apps were later restored, with a new ban preventing only T-Mobile subscribers from downloading the apps. Google released a statement:[149]

In April 2011, Google removed the Grooveshark app from the store due to unspecified policy violations. CNET noted that the removal came "after some of the top music labels have accused the service of violating copyright law".[150] TechCrunch wrote approximately two weeks later that Grooveshark had returned to Android, "albeit not through the official App Market", but rather "Playing on Android's ability to install third-party applications through the browser, Grooveshark has taken on the responsibility of distributing the application themselves".[151]

In May 2011, Google banned the account of the developer of several video game emulators. Neither Google nor the developer publicly revealed the reason for the ban.[152]

In March 2013, Google began to pull ad blocking apps from the Play Store, per section 4.4 of the developers' agreement, which prohibits apps that interfere with servers and services.[153]

Apps that exempt themselves from power management policies introduced on Android Marshmallow without being "adversely affected" by them, are banned.[154][155]

In July 2018, Google banned additional categories of apps, including those that perform cryptocurrency mining on-device, apps that "facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories", are only used to present ads, contain adult content but are aimed towards children, "multiple apps with highly similar content and user experience," and "apps that are created by an automated tool, wizard service, or based on templates and submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons." [156]

Application security[edit]

In February 2012, Google introduced a new automated antivirus system, called Google Bouncer, to scan both new and existing apps for malware (e. g. spyware or trojan horses).[157][158] In 2017, the Bouncer feature and other safety measures within the Android platform were rebranded under the umbrella name Google Play Protect, a system that regularly scans apps for threats.[159][160]

Android apps can ask for or require certain permissions on the device, including access to body sensors, calendar, camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS, and storage.[161]

In July 2017, Google described a new security effort called "peer grouping", in which apps performing similar functionalities, such as calculator apps, are grouped together and attributes compared. If one app stands out, such as requesting more device permissions than others in the same group, Google's systems automatically flag the app and security engineers take a closer inspection. Peer grouping is based on app descriptions, metadata, and statistics such as download count.[162][163]

Security issues[edit]

In early March 2011, DroidDream, a trojan rootkit exploit, was released to then-named Android Market in the form of several free applications that were, in many cases, pirated versions of existing priced apps. This exploit allowed hackers to steal information such as IMEI and IMSI numbers, phone model, user ID, and service provider. The exploit also installed a backdoor that allowed the hackers to download more code to the infected device.[164] The exploit only affected devices running Android versions earlier than 2.3 "Gingerbread".[165] Google removed the apps from the Market immediately after being alerted,[166] but the apps had already been downloaded more than 50,000 times, according to Android Police's estimate.[164] Android Police wrote that the only method of removing the exploit from an infected device was to reset it to factory state, although community-developed solutions for blocking some aspects of the exploit were created.[166] A few days later, Google confirmed that 58 malicious apps had been uploaded to Android Market, and had been downloaded to 260,000 devices before being removed from the store.[167] Google emailed affected users with information that "As far as we can determine, the only information obtained was device-specific (IMEI/IMSI, unique codes which are used to identify mobile devices, and the version of Android running on your device)" as opposed to personal data and account information.[167] It also announced a new "remote kill" functionality, alongside a security update, that lets Google remotely remove malicious apps from users' devices.[167] However, days later, a malicious version of the security update was found on the Internet, though it did not contain the specific DroidDream malware.[168] New apps featuring the malware, renamed DroidDream Light, surfaced the following June, and were also removed from the store.[169]

At the Black Hat security conference in 2012, security firm Trustwave demonstrated their ability to upload an app that would circumvent the Bouncer blocker system. The application used a JavaScript exploit to steal contacts, SMS messages, and photos, and was also capable of making the phone open arbitrary web pages or launch denial-of-service attacks. Nicholas Percoco, senior vice president of Trustwave's SpiderLabs advanced security team, stated that "We wanted to test the bounds of what it's capable of". The app stayed on Google Play for more than two weeks, being repeatedly scanned by the Bouncer system without detection, with Percoco further saying that "As an attack, all a malware attacker has to do to get into Google Play is to bypass Bouncer". Trustwave reached out to Google to share their findings, but noted that more manual testing of apps might be necessary to detect apps using malware-masking techniques.[170][171]

According to a 2014 research study released by RiskIQ, a security services company, malicious apps introduced through Google Play increased 388% between 2011 and 2013, while the number of apps removed by Google dropped from 60% in 2011 to 23% in 2013. The study further revealed that "Apps for personalizing Android phones led all categories as most likely to be malicious".[172][173] According to PC World, "Google said it would need more information about RiskIQ's analysis to comment on the findings."[174]

In October 2016, Engadget reported about a blog post named "Password Storage in Sensitive Apps" from freelance Android hacker Jon Sawyer, who decided to test the top privacy apps on Google Play. Testing two applications, one named "Hide Pictures Keep Safe Vault" and the other named "Private Photo Vault", Sawyer found significant errors in password handling in both, and commented, "These companies are selling products that claim to securely store your most intimate pieces of data, yet are at most snake oil. You would have near equal protection just by changing the file extension and renaming the photos."[175][176]

In April 2017, security firm Check Point announced that a malware named "FalseGuide" had been hidden inside approximately 40 "game guide" apps in Google Play.[177] The malware is capable of gaining administrator access to infected devices, where it then receives additional modules that let it show popup ads. The malware, a type of botnet, is also capable of launching DDoS attacks.[178][177] After being alerted to the malware, Google removed all instances of it in the store,[178] but by that time, approximately two million Android users had already downloaded the apps, the oldest of which had been around since November 2016.[177]

In June 2017, researchers from Sophos security company announced their finding of 47 apps using a third-party development library that shows intrusive advertisements on users' phones. Even after such apps are force-closed by the user, advertisements remain. Google removed some of the apps after receiving reports from Sophos, but some apps remained. When asked for comment, Google didn't respond.[179] In August 2017, 500 apps were removed from Google Play after security firm Lookout discovered that the apps contained an SDK that allowed for malicious advertising. The apps had been collectively downloaded over 100 million times, and consisted of a wide variety of use cases, including health, weather, photo-editing, Internet radio and emoji.[180][181]

In all of 2017, over 700,000 apps were banned from Google Play due to abusive contents; this is a 70% increase over the number of apps banned in 2016.[182]

Patent issues[edit]

Some developers publishing on Google Play have been sued for patent infringement by "patent trolls", people who own broad or vaguely worded patents that they use to target small developers. If the developer manages to successfully challenge the initial assertion, the "patent troll" changes the claim of the violation in order to accuse the developer of having violated a different assertion in the patent. This situation continues until the case goes into the legal system, which can have substantial economic costs, prompting some developers to settle.[183] In February 2013, Austin Meyer, a flight simulator game developer, was sued for having used a copy-protection system in his app, a system that he said "Google gave us! And, of course, this is what Google provides to everyone else that is making a game for Android!" Meyer claimed that Google would not assist in the lawsuit, and he stated that he would not settle the case.[184] His battle with the troll continued for several years, uploading a video in June 2016 discussing that he was then being sued for uploading his app to Google Play, because "the patent troll apparently owns the idea [sic] of the Google Play Store itself".[183] Android Authority wrote that "This scenario has played out against many other app developers for many years", and have prompted discussions over "a larger issue at stake", in which developers stop making apps out of fear of patent problems.[183]

Availability[edit]

Users outside the countries/regions listed below only have access to free apps and games through Google Play.

Country/region Paid apps and games Devices[185] Magazines[25] Books[25] Movies & TV[25] Music[25]
Customers can purchase[186] Developers can sell[187] Movies TV shows Standard All access
 Albania Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Algeria Yes No No No No No No No No
 Angola Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Antigua and Barbuda Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Argentina Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Armenia Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No
 Aruba Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Australia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Austria Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Azerbaijan Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No
 Bahamas Yes No No No No No No No No
 Bahrain Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Bangladesh Yes Yes No No No No No No No
 Belarus Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Belgium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Belize Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Benin Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Bolivia Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 Botswana Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Brazil Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Bulgaria Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes
 Burkina Faso Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Cambodia Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Cameroon Yes No No No No No No No No
 Canada Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Cape Verde Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Chile Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 China No Yes No No No No No No No
 Colombia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Costa Rica Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Croatia Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 Cyprus Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 Czech Republic Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Denmark Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Dominican Republic Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Ecuador Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Egypt Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 El Salvador Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Estonia Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Fiji Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Finland Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 France Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Gabon Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Germany Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Ghana Yes No No No No No No No No
 Greece Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Guatemala Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Guinea-Bissau Yes No No No No No No No No
 Haiti Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Honduras Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Hong Kong Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
 Hungary Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Iceland Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 India Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Indonesia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Ireland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Israel Yes Yes No No No No No No No
 Italy Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Ivory Coast Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Jamaica Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No
 Japan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Jordan Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Kazakhstan Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No No No
 Kenya Yes No No No No No No No No
 Kuwait Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Kyrgyzstan Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No
 Laos Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Latvia Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Lebanon Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Liechtenstein Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes
 Lithuania Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Luxembourg Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Macau Yes No No No No No No No No
 Macedonia Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 Malaysia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Mali Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Malta Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 Mauritius Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Mexico Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Moldova Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Morocco Yes No No No No No No No No
 Mozambique Yes No No No No No No No No
 Namibia Yes No No No No Yes No No No
   Nepal Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No
 Netherlands Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Netherlands Antilles Yes No No No No No No No No
 New Zealand Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Nicaragua Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Niger Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Nigeria Yes Yes No No No No No No No
 Norway Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Oman Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Pakistan Yes Yes No No No No No No No
 Panama Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Papua New Guinea Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Paraguay Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Peru Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Philippines Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Poland Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Portugal Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Qatar Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Romania Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes
 Russia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Rwanda Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Saudi Arabia Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Senegal Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Serbia Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes
 Singapore Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
 Slovakia Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Slovenia Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes
 South Africa Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 South Korea Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Spain Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Sri Lanka Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Sweden Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
  Switzerland Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Taiwan Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Tajikistan Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Tanzania Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Thailand Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Togo Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Trinidad and Tobago Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Tunisia Yes No No No No No No No No
 Turkey Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 Turkmenistan Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Uganda Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Ukraine Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 United Arab Emirates Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No
 United Kingdom Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 United States[a] Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Uruguay Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Uzbekistan Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No
 Venezuela Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes
 Vietnam Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No No No
 Yemen Yes Yes No No No No No No No
 Zambia Yes No No No No Yes No No No
 Zimbabwe Yes No No No No Yes No No No

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and the US Virgin Islands for paid apps only

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Google Play Store". APKMirror. Android Police. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  2. ^ "Google Play Store (Android TV)". APKMirror. Android Police. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  3. ^ "Google Play Store (Android Wear)". APKMirror. Android Police. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Number of Google Play Store apps 2017 | Statistic". Statista. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  5. ^ a b "Number of Android applications". AppBrain. February 9, 2017. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "Paid app availability". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  7. ^ "Supported locations for developer & merchant registration". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  8. ^ "How to use the Google Play Developer Console". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "Supported locations for distribution to Google Play users". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  10. ^ "Set up prices & app distribution". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  11. ^ "Transaction fees". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Bankhead, Paul (February 27, 2017). "Welcome to Google Developer Day at Game Developer Conference 2017". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Kastrenakes, Jacob (February 28, 2017). "Google now lets apps display sale prices in the Play Store". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Rossignol, Derrick (February 28, 2017). "Google now lets developers offer sales on Android apps". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "Set up alpha/beta tests". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  16. ^ "Release app updates with staged rollouts". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  17. ^ "Pre-order on Google Play". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  18. ^ a b O'Brien, Terrence (May 2, 2012). "Google Play adds carrier billing for music, movies and books". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  19. ^ "Returns and refunds on Google Play". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  20. ^ "Wear App Quality". Android Developers. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  21. ^ Webster, Andrew (May 15, 2013). "Google announces Play game services, Android's cross-platform answer to Game Center". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  22. ^ Ingraham, Nathan (November 5, 2018). "Google takes on Game Center with Google Play Games for Android". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved January 18, 2019. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  23. ^ Li, Abner (February 22, 2017). "Play Music 7.4 adds 'Recents' to navigation drawer, now has 40 million songs in library". 9to5Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  24. ^ "How to use Google Play Music". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h "Country availability for apps & digital content". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  26. ^ Etherington, Darrell (March 6, 2013). "Google Play Offers Over 5M eBooks And More Than 18M Songs, One Year After Its Rebranding". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  27. ^ m4tt (May 15, 2013). "Google Play Books enables user ebook uploads, Google Drive support". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  28. ^ "Rent or buy movies & TV shows". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  29. ^ "Subscriptions on Google Play". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  30. ^ "Add news sources & topics to personalize Newsstand". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  31. ^ Bowers, Andrew (March 11, 2015). "Meet the updated Chromebook Pixel and the new Google Store". Official Google Blog. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  32. ^ Amadeo, Ron (March 11, 2015). "Google launches the Google Store, a new place to buy hardware [Updated]". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  33. ^ Shankland, Stephen (August 28, 2008). "Google announces Android Market for phone apps". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  34. ^ Biggs, John (August 28, 2008). "Android to Get Its Own App Market". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  35. ^ Chu, Eric (October 22, 2008). "Android Market: Now available for users". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  36. ^ Takahashi, Dean (October 22, 2008). "Google releases details on Android Market launch". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  37. ^ Burnette, Ed (December 11, 2010). "Big changes in store for Android Market". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  38. ^ Hollister, Sean (December 11, 2010). "Android Market update streamlines content, nukes tabs, dismantles 24-hour return policy to appease devs". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  39. ^ Ziegler, Chris (November 24, 2010). "Android Market adding content ratings to all apps, past, present, and future". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  40. ^ Murray, Abraham (December 6, 2010). "Discover more than 3 million Google eBooks from your choice of booksellers and devices". Official Google Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  41. ^ Miller, Ross (November 16, 2011). "Google Music store official: artist hubs, Google+ integration, and more". The Verge. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  42. ^ Rodriguez, Armando (November 16, 2011). "Get Started With Google's New Music Store". TechHive. International Data Group. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  43. ^ Sadewo, Bams (March 6, 2012). "Google Increases App Size Limit on Android Market to 4GB". Android Authority. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  44. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (March 6, 2012). "Google Ups Android App Size Limit to 4GB". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  45. ^ Rosenberg, Jamie (March 6, 2012). "Introducing Google Play: All your entertainment, anywhere you go". Official Google Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  46. ^ Topolsky, Joshua (March 6, 2012). "Hello, Google Play: Google launches sweeping revamp of app, book, music, and video stores". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  47. ^ Velazco, Chris (March 6, 2012). "Goodbye Android Market, Hello Google Play". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  48. ^ Amadeo, Ron (May 19, 2016). "The Play Store comes to Chrome OS, but not the way we were expecting". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  49. ^ Protalinski, Emil (May 19, 2016). "Google Play is coming to Chrome OS in September". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  50. ^ "Get discovered on Google Play search". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  51. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (June 6, 2017). "Play Store suggested search filters are rolling out to all". Android Police. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  52. ^ "Types of featured app lists". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  53. ^ Ghoshal, Abhimanyu (March 27, 2017). "Google Play now offers a free Android app every week". The Next Web. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  54. ^ Protalinski, Emil (March 26, 2017). "Google Play gets a Free App of the Week section". VentureBeat. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  55. ^ Locklear, Mallory (July 19, 2017). "Google Play wants to help users find apps with curated lists". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  56. ^ Pelegrin, Williams (July 19, 2017). "Google Play's editorial pages put a human touch on finding high-quality apps". Android Authority. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  57. ^ Stimac, Blake (August 12, 2014). "Google Play Store now showcases app download numbers with new badges". Greenbot. International Data Group. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  58. ^ Grush, Andrew (August 12, 2014). "Play Store introduces colorful badges denoting number of app downloads". Android Authority. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  59. ^ Blagdon, Jeff (May 14, 2013). "Google Play now lets all developers respond to user reviews". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  60. ^ "View & analyze your app's ratings & reviews". Developer Console Help. Google. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  61. ^ Chu, Eric (February 2, 2011). "Introducing the Android Market website". Google Mobile Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  62. ^ Savov, Vlad (February 2, 2011). "Android Market gets a web store with OTA installations, in-app purchases coming soon". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  63. ^ Cutler, Kim-Mai (May 11, 2011). "Android Market Now Highlights Top-Grossing and Trending Apps". Adweek. Beringer Capital. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  64. ^ Camp, Jeffrey Van (May 12, 2011). "Google revamps Android Market, adds more lists". Digital Trends. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  65. ^ Montoy-Wilson, Paul (July 12, 2011). "A new Android Market for phones, with books and movies". Google Mobile Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  66. ^ Ingraham, Nathan (May 15, 2013). "Google redesigning Play apps and Play Store on the web". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  67. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (July 15, 2014). "[Update #2: 4.8.22] Latest Google Play Store 4.8.22 With PayPal Support, Simplified App Permissions, Bigger Buttons, And More [APK Download]". Android Police. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  68. ^ Ruddock, David (July 22, 2014). "Google Play Store Update 4.9.13 Adds Material Design App And Content Pages [APK Download]". Android Police. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  69. ^ Walter, Derek (July 23, 2014). "Google Play Store gets a Material Design-inspired makeover". Greenbot. International Data Group. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  70. ^ Vincent, James (October 16, 2015). "A first look at the Google Play store redesign". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  71. ^ Perez, Sarah (October 16, 2015). "Google Play Is Getting A Makeover". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  72. ^ Steele, Billy (October 16, 2015). "Google Play's pending redesign gets an early tease". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  73. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (April 4, 2016). "Google Announces New Google Play App Icons". Android Police. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  74. ^ Statt, Nick (April 4, 2016). "Google Play app icons are getting the candy-colored flat design treatment". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  75. ^ Toombs, Cody (May 10, 2017). "The Play Store adopts new app and notification icons with v7.8.16 [APK Download]". Android Police. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  76. ^ Carman, Ashley (May 10, 2017). "Google drops the shopping bag from the Play Store icon". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  77. ^ "Google Play Store site gets redesigned, rolling out to all - Android Pocket". Android Pocket. 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  78. ^ "[Update: More details] Google is rolling out a new web Play Store design with much larger screenshots, a new reviews page, and more". Android Police. 2018-03-17. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  79. ^ "Monetization and Ads". Developer Policy Center. Google. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  80. ^ Chu, Eric (February 13, 2009). "Android Market update: support for priced applications". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  81. ^ Chu, Eric (September 30, 2010). "More Countries, More sellers, More buyers". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  82. ^ Chu, Eric (March 24, 2011). "In-App Billing on Android Market: Ready for Testing". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  83. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (September 18, 2014). "Google Will Now Require All App Publishers With Paid Apps Or In-App Purchases To Have An Address On File And Displayed Publicly In Google Play [Update]". Android Police. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  84. ^ "Accepted payment methods on Google Play". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  85. ^ Ziegler, Chris (May 2, 2012). "Google Play now lets you charge movies, music, and books to your phone bill on some carriers". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  86. ^ Ruddock, David (May 15, 2014). "Play Store Now Accepts PayPal In 12 Countries, Carrier Billing, Gift Cards, And Developer Sales Countries Expanded, Too". Android Police. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  87. ^ Seifert, Dan (May 15, 2014). "You can now use PayPal to buy apps from the Google Play Store". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  88. ^ Russakovskii, Artem (August 15, 2012). "Google Is Gearing Up To Finally Introduce Play Store Gift Cards And A Wishlist [APK Teardown]". Android Police. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  89. ^ Nickinson, Phil (August 16, 2012). "Google Play gift cards are real - and here's what they look like". Android Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  90. ^ Nickinson, Phil (August 21, 2012). "Google Play Gift Cards are official, rolling out over the next few weeks". Android Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  91. ^ Lee, Michael (August 22, 2012). "Google rolls out Google Play gift cards". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  92. ^ "Where to buy Google Play gift cards". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  93. ^ Ziegler, Chris (May 24, 2012). "Google Play adds in-app subscription billing". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  94. ^ Olivarez-Giles, Nathan (May 24, 2012). "Google Introduces in-App Subscriptions for Android". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  95. ^ Bergen, Mark (June 8, 2016). "Google is offering app developers the same revenue-sharing terms Apple just announced — with one big advantage". Recode. Vox Media. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  96. ^ King, Sean (June 9, 2016). "Google planning to let developers keep 85% of app subscription payments". Android Authority. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  97. ^ Li, Abner (June 8, 2016). "Report: Google also working on 85-15 revenue split with developers, but without year long wait". 9to5Google. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  98. ^ "Transaction fees - Play Console Help". support.google.com. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  99. ^ "Find the Google Play Store app". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  100. ^ "Device Compatibility". Android Developers. Google. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  101. ^ O'Brien, Terrence (May 2, 2011). "Carriers crack down on Android tethering apps, rain on our mobile hotspot parade". Engadget. AOL (a division of Verizon Communications). Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  102. ^ Ganapati, Priya (June 11, 2010). "Independent App Stores Take On Google's Android Market". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  103. ^ Gordon, Scott Adam. "What is an APK file and how do you install one?". Android Pit. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  104. ^ Graziano, Dan (September 12, 2013). "How to install apps outside of Google Play". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  105. ^ "App Install Location". Android Developers. Google. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  106. ^ Rotblitz. "Permanently block play store in andoid devices?". support.opendns.com. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  107. ^ Cipriani, Jason (November 28, 2012). "Delete downloaded app history from Google Play". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  108. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Android Open Source Project. Google. Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  109. ^ Ravenscraft, Eric (January 3, 2017). "How to Get Google Play on a Kindle Fire and Install Any Android App You Want". Lifehacker. Univision Communications. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  110. ^ Tanasychuk, Mike (January 21, 2016). "How to download and update apps through Galaxy Apps on your Samsung phone or tablet". Android Central. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  111. ^ Amadeo, Ron (September 3, 2013). "Balky carriers and slow OEMs step aside: Google is defragging Android". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  112. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (August 9, 2013). "Review: Android 4.3's multitude of minor changes future-proofs the platform". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
  113. ^ Lawson, Stephen (March 17, 2009). "Android Market Needs More Filters, T-Mobile Says". PC World. International Data Group. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  114. ^ Wauters, Robin (December 16, 2009). "Google: Actually, We Count Only 16,000 Apps In Android Market". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  115. ^ Chan, Casey (March 18, 2010). "Android Market has 30,000 apps, sort of". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  116. ^ Nickinson, Phil (April 15, 2010). "Android Market now has 38,000 'apps'". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  117. ^ Nickinson, Phil (July 15, 2010). "Android Market now officially has more than 70,000 applications". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  118. ^ Hildenbrand, Jerry (September 9, 2010). "Android Market has more than 80,000 apps, Android's Rubin says". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  119. ^ Gibb, Kyle (October 6, 2010). "Android Market passes 100,000 'apps'". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  120. ^ Rao, Leena (April 14, 2011). "Google: 3 Billion Android Apps Installed; Downloads Up 50 Percent From Last Quarter". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  121. ^ a b Barra, Hugo (May 10, 2011). "Android: momentum, mobile and more at Google I/O". Official Google Blog. Google. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  122. ^ a b Nickinson, Phil (July 14, 2011). "Android Market now has more than a quarter-million applications". Android Central. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  123. ^ Horn, Leslie (October 24, 2011). "Report: Android Market Reaches 500,000 Apps". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  124. ^ Brian, Matt (October 21, 2011). "Google's Android Market surpasses 500,000 successful submissions". The Next Web. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  125. ^ Isaac, Mike (December 6, 2011). "Android Market Hits 10 Billion Downloads, Kicks Off App Sale". Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  126. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (May 7, 2012). "Google Play About To Pass 15 Billion App Downloads? Pssht! It Did That Weeks Ago". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  127. ^ a b Fingas, Jon (June 27, 2012). "Google Play hits 600,000 apps, 20 billion total installs". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  128. ^ a b Lutz, Zachary (September 26, 2012). "Google Play hits 25 billion app downloads, holds celebratory yard sale with $0.25 games". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  129. ^ Womack, Brian (October 29, 2012). "Google Says 700,000 Applications Available for Android". Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  130. ^ Ward, Brad (May 15, 2013). "Google: 900 million Android activations, 48 billion app installs". Android Authority. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  131. ^ a b Warren, Christina (July 24, 2013). "Google Play Hits 1 Million Apps". Mashable. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  132. ^ Protalinski, Emil (May 17, 2017). "With 82 billion app installs in 2016, Google gives developers more Play Console features". VentureBeat. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  133. ^ Kochikar, Purnima (April 21, 2016). "The Google Play Awards coming to Google I/O". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  134. ^ Perez, Sarah (April 22, 2016). "Google showcases the best Android apps for its first-ever Google Play Awards". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  135. ^ Goldman, David (December 10, 2015). "The best apps of 2015 ... according to Apple and Google". CNN. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  136. ^ Luckerson, Victor (December 1, 2014). "Google Says These Are 2014's Best Android Apps". Time. Time Inc. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  137. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (March 6, 2017). "The top-selling Google Play Store content of all time is exactly what you think it is". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  138. ^ Nieva, Richard (March 6, 2017). "At 5, Google Play calls out Adele, Candy Crush as most popular". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  139. ^ Perez, Sarah (June 13, 2017). "Google Play introduces 'Android Excellence' collections that showcase editorially selected top apps and games". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  140. ^ Deahl, Dani (June 13, 2017). "Google Play's new Android Excellence collections highlight the very best in apps". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  141. ^ "Let's build the world's most trusted store for apps and games". Developer Policy Center. Google. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  142. ^ Kim, Eunice (March 17, 2015). "Creating Better User Experiences on Google Play". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  143. ^ Perez, Sarah (March 17, 2015). "App Submissions On Google Play Now Reviewed By Staff, Will Include Age-Based Ratings". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  144. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (March 17, 2015). "Google Play apps and updates are now subject to a review process". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  145. ^ Nagayama, Kazushi (October 31, 2016). "Keeping the Play Store trusted: fighting fraud and spam installs". Android Developers Blog. Google. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  146. ^ Perez, Sarah (October 31, 2016). "Google gets better at flagging apps trying to fake their way into the Play Store's top charts". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  147. ^ Whitwam, Ryan (October 31, 2016). "Google rolling out improved fraud and spam detection in the Play Store". Android Police. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  148. ^ Krazit, Tom (March 31, 2009). "Google bans tethering app from Android Market?". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  149. ^ Krazit, Tom (April 2, 2009). "Google restores tethering app for Android users outside U.S." CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  150. ^ Sandoval, Greg (April 6, 2011). "Google boots Grooveshark from Android Market". CNET. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  151. ^ Kumparak, Greg (April 18, 2011). "Grooveshark Back On Android, Bypasses The Android App Market". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  152. ^ Murphy, David (May 30, 2011). "Google Pulls Yongzh's Emulator Apps Off Android Market". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  153. ^ Gordon, Whitson (March 13, 2013). "Google Has Started Removing Ad Blockers from the Play Store". Lifehacker. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  154. ^ "Optimizing for Doze and App Standby". Android developers portal. Retrieved November 17, 2015. Google Play policies prohibit apps from requesting direct exemption from Power Management features in Android 6.0+ (Doze and App Standby) unless the core function of the app is adversely affected.
  155. ^ "Tasker has been pulled from the Play Store". Android Authority. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  156. ^ "Google follows in Apple's footsteps by cleaning up its Play Store". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  157. ^ Lockheimer, Hiroshi (February 2, 2012). "Android and Security". Google Mobile Blog. Google. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  158. ^ Albanesius, Chloe (February 2, 2012). "Google 'Bouncer' Now Scanning Android Market for Malware". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  159. ^ Fingas, Jon (May 17, 2017). "Google Play protects your Android phone against rogue apps". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  160. ^ Amadeo, Ron (September 4, 2017). "Android 8.0 Oreo, thoroughly reviewed". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  161. ^ "App permissions for Android 6.0 and up". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  162. ^ Vincent, James (July 12, 2017). "Google is using machine learning to sort good apps from bad on the Play Store". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  163. ^ Hildenbrand, Jerry (July 12, 2017). "Google is using deep learning and data analysis to curate the Play Store". Android Central. Mobile Nations. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
  164. ^ a b Gingrich, Aaron (March 1, 2011). "The Mother Of All Android Malware Has Arrived: Stolen Apps Released To The Market That Root Your Phone, Steal Your Data, And Open Backdoor". Android Police. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  165. ^ Metz, Cade (March 7, 2011). "Google vanishes 'DroidDream' malware from citizen phones". The Register. Situation Publishing. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  166. ^ a b Gingrich, Aaron (March 2, 2011). "[Update: Plug The Hole Yourself] Malware Monster: DroidDream Is An Android Nightmare, And We've Got More Details". Android Police. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  167. ^ a b c Kincaid, Jason (March 5, 2011). "Google Responds To Android Malware, Will Fix Infected Devices And 'Remote Kill' Malicious Apps". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  168. ^ Gingrich, Aaron (March 9, 2011). "PSA: Infected "Android Market Security Tool March 2011" App Floating Around". Android Police. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  169. ^ Paul, Ryan (June 2, 2011). "DroidDream Light a malware nightmare, booted from Android Market". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  170. ^ Messmer, Ellen (July 23, 2012). "Black Hat demo: Google Bouncer malware detection can be beaten". InfoWorld. International Data Group. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  171. ^ "Black Hat: Researchers find way to "bounce" malware into Google app store". SC Magazine. July 26, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  172. ^ "RiskIQ Reports Malicious Mobile Apps in Google Play Have Spiked Nearly 400 Percent". RiskIQ. February 19, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  173. ^ Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. (February 19, 2014). "RiskIQ claims malicious Android apps up by almost 400 percent on Google Play". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  174. ^ Miners, Zach (February 19, 2014). "Report: Malware-infected Android apps spike in the Google Play store". PC World. International Data Group. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  175. ^ Blue, Violet (October 14, 2016). "'Secure' apps in Google's Play Store are a crapshoot". Engadget. AOL. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  176. ^ "Password Storage In Sensitive Apps". October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  177. ^ a b c McLean, Asha (April 26, 2017). "FalseGuide malware victim count jumps to 2 million". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  178. ^ a b Whitwam, Ryan (April 26, 2017). "Security firm Check Point says millions infected with botnet malware via Play Store". Android Police. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  179. ^ Goodin, Dan (June 16, 2017). "Google Play is fighting an uphill battle against Android adware". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  180. ^ Moscaritolo, Angela (August 23, 2017). "500+ Google Play Apps Hit by Ad-Related Malware". PC Magazine. Ziff Davis. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  181. ^ Goodin, Dan (August 22, 2017). "Spyware backdoor prompts Google to pull 500 apps with >100m downloads". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  182. ^ More than 700,000 ‘bad’ apps were banned from Google Play last year, up 70 percent Pocket Now Retrieved 1 February 2018
  183. ^ a b c Carlon, Kris (June 9, 2016). "You can be sued simply for uploading an app to Google Play". Android Authority. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  184. ^ Biggs, John (February 2, 2013). "Creator Of The X-Plane Flight Simulator Seeks Help Fighting A Patent Troll". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  185. ^ "Country availability for devices". Google Play Help. Google. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  186. ^ "Paid App Availability". Google Play Help. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  187. ^ "Supported locations for merchants". Google Play Help.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Google_Play&oldid=869788264"