Google Play

Pros

• Play Store contains more than 2.5 million apps and games.
• A gigantic collection of TV shows, films, and ebooks is available as well.
• Google Play Protect keeps phones and tablets secure with regular scans.

Cons

• Play Store still contains a large amount of malware and useless apps.
• Not all apps or games would be considered high quality by any measure.

Google Play Store is the official app store and distribution platform for Android OS. More than 2.5 billion devices run a version of Android OS today. In most cases, apps and content found on a device come from the Play Store. Users may discover everything from apps and games to movies and ebooks here. An official portal like this receives constant updates and tweaks from Google along with new content for download.

Google Play Store: The Official Marketplace From Google

All Android devices come with the Google Play Store installed by default. In fact, most devices cannot uninstall the app without root access. Certain Android devices include other app stores, like Samsung devices with the Galaxy store. The Play Store remains the single, official marketplace for a majority of Android smartphones and tablets. Aside from the Apple App Store, nothing else comes close to comparing in size and scope.

A Gigantic Collection Of Free and Paid Content In One Portal

Nearly three million apps and games populate the Google Play Store today. That doesn't include hundreds of thousands of TV shows and movies or millions of ebooks. For paid and free content, no company offers a better marketplace on Android OS. Google, of course, develops and controls much of Android OS today. Users control much of their Android-related content on their devices and through the Play Store.

Reviews To Identify The Best Apps and Games

Sorting through millions of apps takes time and patience. For obvious reasons, most users never lay on a majority of this content. An expansive review system helps users find well-rated apps and avoid ones with low ratings. Users need to download the app before they can leave a review. Therefore, this particular review system is solid and provides an accurate overview of most apps and games.

Overall Design Of The Google Play Store

The Play Store features a similar design across platforms and devices. Different smartphones, tablets, and Android OS versions should see a similar layout. After opening the Play Store, a recommendations page pops up. Apps typically showcase on the startup page, and a menu along the bottom leads to games or media content. A side menu provides notifications, payment methods, and other settings.

Day-To-Day Usage Of The Play Store

In the Play Store, users manage their existing apps and download new apps. The overall design of the marketplace is excellent, and the user experience is no different. Content is made available in an intuitive manner. Plus, a powerful search tool brings users the apps, games, or content they want to find. Everything works as intended, and users won't hesitate to log into the Play Store on a regular basis to find or manage apps.

What Features Are Available Within Google Play Store?

As previously mentioned, the Play Store allows users to manage their device's apps and content. Updates are automatically coordinated through the app and can be performed manually or automatically. Play Protect is baked into the marketplace and scans devices for infected or malicious apps. Plus, users can manage their subscriptions and customize how certain things behave in the app or on the device.

Regular Updates By Google...

Google provides regular updates to the Play Store. Most of these updates affect things on the backend and improve overall performance and stability. From time to time, the company updates the design and adds new features. Play Protect was a recent addition to the Play Store, which vastly improved security for the marketplace. Google added the Play Pass, a collection of apps and games for a monthly fee, to the marketplace as well,

...And Constant Additions From Third Parties

Unsurprisingly, most of the content from the Play Store comes from developers and content creators. Google offers the marketplace so that others can list or sell their content. Mobile banking apps, social media apps, and countless others exist on the platform. Then again, thousands of new apps become listed on the Play Store each day. The same goes for new ebooks, movies, TV shows, and other content.

Are There Issues Associated With The Google Play Store?

For the most part, the Play Store meets and even exceeds expectations. It's not a perfect marketplace, though. A common complaint of the marketplace revolves around security and safety. Throughout the marketplace, users run into malicious apps and services. They could compromise a device and steal personal information, among other things. Play Protect acts as a small step toward a more secure marketplace and Android ecosystem.

Users sometimes see quality as an issue with the Play Store. Of almost three million apps, a fraction of them meet expectations for quality. Almost anyone can upload an app to the Play Store, as long as it doesn't break terms of service. Every high quality app is accompanied by dozens of lackluster apps that receive few downloads. Fortunately, reviews help users find apps worth downloading and avoid the low quality apps.

Can All Android Devices Access The Play Store?

Billions of devices rely on Android OS, but Android OS is open source. Certain versions of Android don't support the Play Store for one reason or another. For example, many smartphones from Chinese manufacturers lack Play Store support. It's possible to sideload the Play Store onto most Android devices and offshoots. This process requires a few steps and some technical knowledge in order to occur, though.

The Final Verdict On The Google Play Store

In the end, no competing marketplace matches the size and scope of the Play Store. The Apple App Store is the iOS counterpart but reaches less than 1.5 billion devices worldwide. Since most Android phones feature the Play Store, it's not optional for the average user. It remains an excellent marketplace for apps and content. Finding new apps and managing existing ones couldn't be easier than through the official Google solution.

Pros

• Play Store contains more than 2.5 million apps and games.
• A gigantic collection of TV shows, films, and ebooks is available as well.
• Google Play Protect keeps phones and tablets secure with regular scans.

Cons

• Play Store still contains a large amount of malware and useless apps.
• Not all apps or games would be considered high quality by any measure.