Summary
- Google is adding an “Ask Play about this app” feature in Play Store listings using AI.
- Users can ask questions about app features without needing to install it.
- The feature is currently available on limited apps, but still has AI pitfalls in accuracy.
If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through an app’s description in the Play Store, searching for a specific detail or just trying to figure out if it’s worth a download, you’re not alone. What if you could simply ask the app your questions? Well, now you can.
Google is rolling out a new “Ask Play about this app” feature in the Play Store, and it’s a pretty clever use of AI. It puts Gemini right there in the app listing, ready to answer your questions about features, compatibility, or anything else that’s not immediately obvious from the screenshots and description. There are even some suggested questions you can tap to get started.
Instead of wading through reviews or trying to piece together information, you can use the prompt to simply type in your query. Let’s say you’re wondering if a particular game has offline play, or if a photo editor supports a specific file format. Previously, you’d probably need to install the app and check for yourself or resort to a separate Google search. Now, the Play Store is effectively doing the work for you.
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Currently, the feature is available for a limited number of apps, mostly Google’s own. It usually appears in the app listing, but sometimes shows up in search results as well. I was able to find it on Google Messages, Google Calendar, Google Keep, Instagram, and Apple Music. As handy as it sounds, it does still ultimately have all the same pitfalls of AI. For example, I asked if Apple Music has AI playlists, and it confidently told me it does. This is not true.
All that being said, the concept appears to be a good use of AI. I’ve certainly downloaded many apps only to quickly uninstall them after finding out they can’t do something I was looking for. App descriptions aren’t always the most, well, descriptive. As long as the AI responses are generally accurate, it could be a useful addition to the Play Store, which isn’t always the most helpful to begin with.
Source: Android Auhtority
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I manually search for apps in the Play Store all the time, but I can’t remember the last time the Play Store introduced me to an app I hadn’t already heard of. The store is terrible at this vitally important part of its job.
