Everyone knows that the Google Play Store is a mess compared to App Store, even though Android devices are used by far more people than iPhones.
Android may pack a few advantages over Apple’s iOS, but when it comes to the app stores, Google should really take some notes from Apple developers. Here are three Apple App Store features that Android would like to see in the Play Store.
App and Game Lists
These kinds of lists are huge demands for Play Store, mainly because of the chaotic way the app recommends anything.
When you open the Google Play Store app, most of the home screen is occupied by paid ads. The rest is crammed with limitless lists of rubbish games and apps. The only thing that links them is the fact that they are ‘Recommended for you.’
When we look at the App Store, it has a daily list of apps and games for all types of labels in the main ‘Today’ category. These lists are not generated by an algorithm but designed by an editorial team that has some form of taste.
App and Game of the Day
If it were to discover new apps and games, the App Store once again overtakes the Google Play Store by implementing a simple daily function to the app. Every day, an app and game of the day are chosen by the Apple editors. They then come with a detailed explanation of what the app is about, which exceeds the general description of the app.
If you miss it on the day it is featured, you can still find it below on the page as previous selections stay there for a while. When a game that appears among the daily recommendations hasn’t launched yet, you can pre-order it immediately, and it will automatically download to your smartphone within 24 hours of release.
There is a feature in the Play Store, though, named Game Spotlight that sometimes appears on the home screen, but that doesn’t provide users with anything more than the same images and details you can get on the app’s pages. More so, it is almost completely covered by 50 or so other app icons that are trying to get your attention as you navigate the page.
A Good Subscription Service
Certainly, the best instance of the Google Play Store’s lack of taste is its Play Pass. It rolled out immediately after Apple Arcade, and the two appeared to compete with each other, but most of the Play Pass’ apps are unnecessary, repetitive, or both.
But when it comes to Apple’s Arcade, the subscription is packed with fun exclusive games such as What the Golf?, Oceanhorn 2, and more others, while Play Pass features eight solitaire titles, five sudoku apps, and three 2048 clones. There are a handful of great games as well, but they are all available on Android and iOS already.
Google is at the moment investing in its own studios for its cloud gaming software Stadia, so this should be an obvious improvement.
